My attempt to keep chickens.

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Cheshire Chick
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Hope that the operation goes well Bob. You never have a dull moment there at the house of Bob. You really should write a book - the adventures/challenges you have with your critters makes for great reading.

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KarenE
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by KarenE »

Are they cutting it out then Bob? Intyeresting, I wish the vets weren't all so inconsistent with their bumblefoot treatments.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi yes chickens change your life for sure .
First the capsules are called (a new one for me ) Antirobe 150mg (clindamycin) .
She woke up and was collected 6.00 pm -7.00 pm last night .
She had it cut out and sewn up . Med`s for a week (now a two weeks supply ) , appointment Sunday at 4.00 pm . She has bandaged claw and back with Evil Alarm clock still not worked this morning and heard the boys at 5.30 am . The clock was PM this morning hence the alarm not going off . Another good lay in.......
Let the flock out soon as going home to let them out .
So all things being equal o k .
As for vets I did say a new vet lady saw Coo-coo . 70 pounds plus for operation and med`s , but if works worth the money . She has lost her back feathers and new ones coming through . Good as eggs are not wasted .
Scramble got up with Desmond , Goldie and Moe on his own which saves me moving it. If I feed the flock before roosting they are quieter in the morning. It is when the are looking for food the boys call out .
Bob
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

aw bob glad she got through op, looking forward to piccies on your phone
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

no chance on phone -camera.
Bob
More later
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi Coo coo is a lot better , as if she was ever sick , Jumped from the dog cage and walked all over the washing on the table near by . She is a real scaredy chicken and does not want any thing to do with me . Evil is either protective and caring or pecking her away from the food . Capsule are so easy to get down throat . Recommend .
Rest of the flock out at daybreak with food to keep quiet .
One of the Terror`s escaped and ran around the garden avoiding Champ. Caught and put in the garden run . They get let out and they go to their roost`s . as it was late only one of the new hens with Jack , wanted to stretch her wings as Jack took his hens to the coop. She has a floppy comb and did not want to go back , went in the Terrors run in the garden and finished their left overs .
Got her back and covered the runs . Have a plan drawn up for the rats . Last night stood outside for 2 hours and the only one I saw scarpered as I turned up .
So still same running around on the fish pond netting . indie was locked in the Terrors Coop and cried to come out .
4 eggs today , lowest counts since I started the chicken keeping . Not bothered as much as the people at work as they want them .
Well Friday night shift then off to Bristol.
Working up a hunger .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , Off till Monday morning , See you soon Sandy .
No address yet , contact later . (Maybe on sat nav. )
Put the kettle on .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , Coo coo has had her stiches out and given a clean bill of health , still to finish her capsules of so staying with Evil in kitchen . All well awake at 4.50 am this am ,feed and soon quite again .
Good weekend at Bristol and looking forward to Northampton visit next .
Lovely hens Sandy , need a vork now ....
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , boys awake at 4.50am this am , as my alarm went off.
Feed them and they went quite till I left .
All good , leg mite is about and greasing claws up .
Moulting is nearly finished for the early starters , some are just starting . Hope they have light ones and not spend weeks in the cold bear bottomed.
Evil and Coo coo still in dog cage / top of dog cage depending on time of day . Do not want the dogs to get jealous of them , though to date Harley has not troubled them and they have not troubled her , but not an impossible situation if food was concerned.
Let them out later .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , well pleased I put new bedding down for the flocks last weekend , had enough of the rain for sure , garden like the Somme again . Wet feet in the morning .
Pulled out of bed by phone instead of the boys today as vessel arrived late . Ran around with pellets and a couliflower each for the flocks one in each run . Hybrids are early risers and Jack is too loud for sure .
Cats caught 3 rats in 36 hours . Plenty more to go .all well , getting difficult to put the capsule down Coo coo beak . Still not released into the garden yet and her feathers are back with the coverings coming off like dandrough .
Well the flocks seems happy enough and getting used to the short days eggs 3 a day at most , but I got some from sandy to help which is appreciated . SHMBO is enjoying them , with a couple to her daughter and the neighbor with Cancer .
They are beginning to miss my eggs all round .
Not much I can do at the moment .
A lesson in chickens and egg supply ....
Amazing the people that say feed them more , as if they spoiled hens are not getting enough . If a prize of treats for the fattest hens was around I think the flock would go into training and win wings down .
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , big day for Coo coo , she had her last capsule this morning , put her out with the flock , Evil sat like a good hen on the bench ,hand fed from bowl mixed corn and bread/cabbage.
Coo coo went straight out handbag flying on any hen with in range . When the bread was next to her Scramble junior raced over to grab as it does , Coo coo not having that had a go , Scramble not used to someone doing that had her handbag with her and they tucked into a right pecking match . Scramble still having weight disadvantage lost and ran straight to HER mum and told her .Goldie made her fill better by sharing her bread . with that the greedy thing
shot off for another go at Coo coo . I think she is learning to keep clear of old hens the hard way . Back to work I brought the pair back in to the dog cage . Feathers in nest box , another spec moulting . Hybrid feathers all around the garden as well . What a time to moult , cold started . 2 degrees last few nights .
score on rats side this week Cats (indie 3 -Bob Nil 2 close shots .....
Going out again tonight for another go.
So many , culling is the only option unfortunately . have tried all but poison and not doing that as the cats and chickens will suffer.
Other visitors to garden turned up , Parakeets . Flock of them . Seen them in the woods a few miles away . Only a matter of time till they find bird tables and my chicken food.
see them perched on the fence . Soon these birds will be a natural bird of Britain like the Grey Squirrel.
How about this , I said to the neighbour that they was noisy .... pot Black.....
Well in Sat am again so see what happens over night . 2 night shifts then off till Sat again then off to Friday night shift (covering ) Holiday time for me .
have a good weekend and enjoy the Xmas fairs that are about .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , A couple of odd crows from Jack and the Terror (s) back call from Champ and pretty quite after I fed them.
To cold I suppose . It was the hens in both coops that get the boys up. The hens was calling for food so got out just in time before the boys insisted .
Got a job on moving the roofing as that is where the rats are running around ,disturb them and they may rtelocate ?
Bob
No eggs for a couple of days now .
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

bob good to hear your flock is doing well, well wellish )t' cannot understand why you are not getting any or so few eggs, are you sure all your girls are actually girls {rofwl} note to you on number 5 post.....if i could i would forward you eggs in the post, are awash with them even have eggs from ex batty girls we rehomed yesterday
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi Sandy , Old hens , molts and no light ....
Raining a lot .
Had a lay in Monday 6.30 am before I got out of bed .
Rat score cats 4 me nil .
Desmond on to a sure thing with the hens.
He takes a piece of pasta from me and distributes it to the flock . It works up to a point and the greedy hens jump up snatch and run as he opens his beak to take from my hand . A pretty good jump for a hybrid as Desmond is taller and reach a fairway up .
Scramble is quite a lot on her own , I have decided she is a hen . So unfortunately if SHE wants to be different then she will get a sissy name .
Moe seems to only be around when she is wanted and Goldie is the hen she runs to for help .
Terrors are well behaved , Champ is molting and feeling a bit down . Took his neck collar off today to give his feathers a chance to grow and not be uncomfortable .
Dusted him and another hen that looked a bit poorly , but she is eating and getting around , must be another molt as she does not seem to be ailing .
Another one to watch .
The hens in with Jack are a lovely pretty hens , lots of weight on , feathered . Light brown (golden girls , that is what I should call them ) . You would not believe they are the same hens that had little feathers on them . They actually investigate everything when let out with Jack. Take food from me as well , Jack beaks out the food as well .
I am sure they watch what the main flock get up to and do the same when given the chance .
The time of year makes flock keeping extra busy , as the ammount of time spent in the coops makes the need to clean out more often .
I have one more nights shift , then a Saturday shift then off till the next Friday night shift . Then off till 12.12.2018 and 13.12.2018 off on holiday 14.12.2018 and again on 19/20/21 -Xmas break and 7 n/shifts -homeless persons of London . May see some of you their as kind souls seem to flock together at this time of year . (free food and warmth has not anything to do with me going there honest .......)
So not much coming from me so have a good holiday and a very good new year to all.
Bob
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

hows that gorgeous Scramble doing Bob
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/

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