My attempt to keep chickens.

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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , well the rabbits name is Cookie ...
It is now residing at the flock of Penelope and Red till its natural life finishes. This will not go down well with SHMBO .
As for house training maybe a good handler would be needed to be called in. Like a outside working dog really I suppose...
Flock good limited to a couple of hours in garden due to work and weather.
Up at 5.30 am this morning calling for food again.

Bob

bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , well all is /was good .
I had a look in the before coming back to work after rounding up 2 of Jacks hens that hide in another disused coop and saw the last of the spec`s with tail down looking like she was uncomfortable . I easily picked her up. Vent was pulsing .
When I put her down tail went up again . Will check on her when I go home . Maybe egg trouble. Vet job if still troubled .
Work Sunday so will give a better up date then.
Hoping she is ok .
Rest of flock all but one is fully feathered and beautiful looking . One is doing last bit of winter moulting .
Good supply of eggs .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi rabbit was free ranging with the flock most of Saturday.
I watched them for a while . The hens always win in a face of . Wings out , fluffed up , head down and jolt forward is enough to make the rabbit turn and go in another direction.
Rabbit their run and coop (smaller of two.
Shut the rabbits hay bed area up so the hens could not move in . Left the rabbits food alone .Rabbit ate the barley/wheat in the run . all eat the cabbage .
Not sure if I should let them all sleep in same areas .
Anybody got experience of mixing rabbits and hens advise welcome .
Bob.
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , giving my Specaldy hen lots of attention , belly swollen .
Med`s twice a day , vets tomorrow if possible.
Seen this too many times , do not expect a good outcome .
Time will tell .
Spent the day in garden.
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Good luck Bob. Hope everything turns out OK with your speckly hen.
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi, well today I surprisingly found her still alive .
Booked a vet visit to see if any more can be done for her .
She did eat a bit but tail down and looking sad.
Well 9.50 am and in I went Speck (her official name on the vet bill )... Had the best vet to see her in my view .
Well he must have looked like a large Desmond , where he shoved his fingers probably felt like it as well .
No egg .
Further checks -mouth -ok .
Wings and legs ok .
He felt her rear stomach end and could not feel a lump / tumor .
He came to the conclusion that it probably was a liver infection /swollen .
Now that sounds pretty bad to me ,
Baytril bottle 1 mil a day for a week , should be alive ....
Deteriation and bring her back (probably a PTS ) .
After paying the 50 pounds med`s and first appointment , any consultation to that the rest gets cheaper and he gave me plenty for any other hens that may need it .
Well she is keeping to her self , sun bathed quietly this afternoon .
Alberto said that she could be kept with the flock but tonight she was laying just inside the coop door , so brought her in doors in a cat box and a blanket over the top .Door open and food and water for her .
More med`s in the morning and see how it goes .
As I have said many times , hoping for the best expecting the worst .
She has not got any catchy germs etc , rest of the flock are well . Leg pecker is continuously pecking any legs that come near her or she sees.
I think she is the white ring clever hen that I have spoiled by feeding in the house and front garden and uis telling me treats , treats .....
I like her ......
It is going to be a long night and not looking forward to the mornings going forward.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi leg pecker is now pecking fingers , arms coats practically anything she can reach and follows me around the garden pecking me . Little darling .....
Speck , is now in kitchen looking out the window.Her strength is going . Fed her sweet corn , grapes and dry food before work. Gave her water and an extra does of med today as well. (Quick boast into her system .) See how she is in the morning .
It maybe that the med`s need time to get into her system. She was eating on her own this morning when the other hens taped the window to try and get her sweetcorn etc.
Maybe I will have company in the house for a while.
rabbit is facing down the chickens but looses its nerve and backs off.
Cleaned the hens out . When I came back a few hours latter the garden was covered in straw where they knocked over the green sacks and tried kicking it all back into the tun , little darlings.

Well hope are well and it continues and thoughts going out to the poorly hens.
SWEET CORN is a good fed for the poorly hens for sure . Frozen has water in it and the tins are ready to eat .
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , sad to say Speck , my last Cuckoo Maran died at 8.00 am this morning .
She had a good life and never was a problem . Hope went when her right leg went rear woulds and she could only sit still . I fed her her last meal and went to the garden for the hens and minutes later she had died , nothing to be done .
Gone to the veg patch at work with her lost friends .
Fly high over the bridge little hen (2.4 kilos in weight ) not so little really .
will the vets Friday when the two cats go for jabs and check up.
Sad end to the week . rest of flock look well.
Not happy Bob .
Never get used to it .
Hope it does not happen again but fear the worst .
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , I have named a new grouping in the flock of Penelope and Red as the HBB.
This is due to their naughty behaviour .
It is down to the upperty upstarts that think they now it all , kitchen , legs , stop outs and noisy early risers.
Hens Behaving Badly .
All well ,combs of some of them huge and bright red, some even attempting to be floppy.
Sunday day shift , start on days then most likely shift change to nights by Thurs.
Back to normal you might say/.
house wise , new plan kitchen plan changed to having a bath/sower room attached so two toilets and TWO bath / shower rooms ,4 beds and along front room , open plan .
Due to area probably capped .
New plan sell buy a plot of land build 2 houses sell one keep the land and a house.
Live in a caravan whilst being built . room for flock and me and a profit whilst doing it .
All this and may happen sooner than I planned as the work will be all done in weeks / month not a year .
Things change but that seems the way to go.
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , hens awake at 5.30 am this morning , must hear the alarm clock .
Noisy and looking for food .
Rabbit happy .
Not let out as still dark.
Go home soon and let them loose .
Bob
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KarenE
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by KarenE »

Sorry tp hear about Spec Bob, as you say you never get used to it but we must learn to accept it.

Bob, buy a plot of land and build a house on it - forget about another house, who wants neighbours who might complain at your chickens? You can have boys again then too :-D
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
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

Bob sorry about Spec {hug} you seem to be busy busy busy as always
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 »

I am pretty sure when I sell the house next door enough land will be left to crow on.
Also I would if worked do it again .
Got to get the money out of my house and account by varies ways possible .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all ,pretty quite ,10 eggs , leg pecker stick at it ,hanging around back door ,up at 5.00 am (the youngsters ) plenty cabbage and lettuce , grapes brocc. pellets and mixed corn a d meal worms .Bought a bag pellets 7.30 pounds and a bale of straw 2.50 pounds.
Bag 3.20 pounds of carrots for the rabbit and deer over the parks .
Sold 8 pounds of eggs today .
Nil eggs at home .
Flock out in garden rabbit in hutch as they seem to be fighting hens against rabbit rabbit chasing the hens that don`t stand up for themselves.
Going to put the wire up again so the rabbit can get some excersice .
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Gwenoakes »

Sorry to hear about Spec, Bob a very sad outcome. Do you know how old she was?
We always kept the rabbits away from the chickens as chickens can peck the rabbits eyes, which is not a pretty sight to see.
Is the rabbit a buck and if so has it been castrated? I ask because we had a rabbit given to us, not castrated and he tried to mount the cat and they both ended up in the fish pond. I know it sounds highly unlikely, but believe me it did happen because I was there watching it with mouth wide open.

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