My attempt to keep chickens.

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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all a few escapees today from the main run , Box first followed by Capt. Chaos when I went to get here followed by a few other hens that followed suit.
soon back and no harm done (I hope) .
Sprats on the menu today with Tomatoes , normal food .
Bob

bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , well I think I have got a bad dose of bad weather , new I should have secured the grass on the roof , already rescued one panel , not sure what I will find or where I will find it in the morning . Cannot believe Desmond and his hens are still out side on the perches . Hanging on for dear life all night.
Feed three times a day .
Noise and Champ is the ring leader as the side lights on the house next door go on when they go to work , or I come home or go off to work . Kitchen lights shine straight into his coop hole.
All good fun , MTB races start again end of Feb - New bike (Frugal Feb , Second ex Alpine (France ) bike sold off . Same bike just a few years younger and bigger wheels.
So looking after the animals will need to be worked on as going to Scotland is not a day trip.
Bob
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KarenE
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by KarenE »

Is Champ's leg all healed now Bob? And how is Pom Pom?
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.

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Champ is ok and with 3 hens (from Colchester ) a woo and 2 hybrids , Bop Bop aka Nelly the spec settled in the main flock and visits them when she gets a chance , the coop is not large enough for more hens . Champ is fighting Capt. Chaos and the 3 mew boys so separated him as no escaping .
Pom Pom seems ok , she is scratching around and brilliant white .I believe she had a sort of moult which changed her mood . Which I picked up on . Stopped her meds now .
all good except for the weather which I cannot believe has changed so much ????
Hope you are all good and write again tonight .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all,
I can only say today that the flock have been spoiled .
The new girls feathers are really beginning to show through . I took the feathered girl for a walk around the garden , she was amazed at the openness of it all.
Must be like another world to visit when the lock down is over .
She is a darling like all my flock , She even comes to me for attention when I feed the flock in the run .
Colour going redder each day.
All very good , should not say it as we all know what happens round the corner , but when it is like this they are JOY to have .
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Long may it continue. So good to hear that everyone is well and happy.
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi next on the watch list is Chocolate , she looked a bit down , checked her , her legs had scaly mite so a good greasing and she should be ok , croop was empty but she was eating so will be observing her a lot . (Have been anyway as one of my oldest girls.
New girls are either hiding in coop or tearing around the run dodgying hens , and grabbing the food.
Feathers returning slowly . Will need to ring them soon before I lose track of them.
Lots of egg orders again. 3 eggs had hard yellows .. Not sure what that is all about but presume it is they are restarting to lay.
One broken egg for the girls lunch ( not me ) . happens now and again.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , last night I had a rough one . Went to bed at 9.o00pm , whole up more times than enough as dog was sick , again and again. 3.00am watching a film , The chickens took offence of being awake , crowed as if in the winter games. I gave up went back to bed (not sleep . ) Neighbour went to work 4.30am work them up again. I was still awake , my alarm went off 5.30am . Bashed it and got the radio -snooze . switched off at mains as did not / was not awake enough to sort it . Went back to bed , for a snooze 6.15 am got up , no time , down stairs saw the time and as work by 6.45 am dashed to work , chickens calling for breakfast and me saying to my self serves you right , stopping me watching films . Will be going home soon so feed them then .
Early night tonight .....
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , apart from Champ being awake at 4.30 am every morning , not sure it is the hens fault as they seem to be up rummaging in the floor looking for anything to peck.
girls next door fed them meal worms and dug holes in the dirt . Kept them happy.
Pom Pom has spent a few nights last week under the nest boxes . Not sure if it is getting crowded in there for her with the new girl moving in , Goldie blocking the door way and Club seems to be comfortable. Have to keep checking to make sure no other problems .
Ne girls are settling in though still keeping out of the way as best they can , enjoying the sun . Spread their wings even though only stubs of feathers.
Hope all is well . I have had enough of the weather could do with it back please.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , Champ was awake at 3.15 am this morning , I cursed him and eventually 3.30am went down to have a look around . Picked him up and though he was damp from sitting on guard duty he was ok . In cat bed and off to my bed for another hour sleep . Well the alarm woke us all up.
Little did I know on further checking , when feeding the flock , side gate was open . This tells me some one had tried to entry the house via the side door , did not cross the wood barrier for the chickens. So Champ is doing a better job than the dogs alerting the neighbours that thieving B...... are in the neighbour hood. WELL DONE Champ.
Just wish I could catch them as they will not be coming back to the neighbour hood in a hurry ..........

Well all good , 4 eggs only yesterday and plenty of orders to fill.

He does like a sleep with the 2 dogs , Harley is ok now after her 80 pound vet bill Sat. , one jab and 2 capsules every day (sick and Vomiting ) Polo , lexi and a Visit from Darcy .
Full bed with my feet cold and my arm holding onto Champ this morning.
LIIVING IN HARMONY....
Bob
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

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Hi all , well the visitor that is doing the rounds at 300am is a FOX . He must have a route he goes and lives in hope of me making a mistake......
Champ is the one that gets the first visit by the gate . Last night he knocked the wood board over on getting to the garden. All the chocks good and getting plenty of food to keep the cold out. Dose of bad cold weather coming so plenty of straw going down this weekend .
New girls feathering up with brown stubby feathers on their backs coming through.
Going to have to sort the new boys out as beginning to have a disagreement with each other . they are not in a big enough coop /run/ extension really . If they are goibng to stay long term then a couple more runs and coops will be needed for sure . Plus they really do need some hens to provide for .
So I have a couple of plans , but it will mean the garden will practically be taken over with coops and runs . Put them at the back of the garden fence area.. Good bye hydranger plant. New girl has moved in for sure into Pom Pom coop and cuddling up with her . Goldie 2 is in and out as she feels between hers and the large coop (Cluckingham Palace ) . only 3 hens in the cockerel a dood1e hall Spec from Colchester and 2 new girls on the floor under a nest box . (warm ) .
Desmond and his hens are still perching outside in a huddle . Joan is perching on her own away from them . Plenty of feathers on her so warm enough . With the roof on dry as well. The girls are now realising ,that they get food in the run , temptation to go out in the wild garden is still there , but soon as they realise that they are missing out on a meal worm or two , spin round and dash back . I should not do it but the boys need to spread their wings a bit and practice the dance moves so they get a few minutes freedom under supervision . Champs girls are the greediest one s around and for ever eating . They are awake late at night (I feed them when I do my late night rounds and they are out at 4.30am when I get up for more .
So a routine is forming .
I asked the neighbour if he had anything on his camera and he had not hence the fox. He did not even hear the boys kick off . Amazing . It seems the only disturbed person in the street is me worrying about the others waking up .
Roof being done soon , new guttering , windows replaced (Broken ) and handles at the same time.
Once done start in the inside with earnest , Should be sellable in less than a year . So coming together as a plan .
Birds , dogs , bikes and life is a full time job. amazing I get time to be unhappy......
Bob
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

Cant beleive you neighbours are not awoken by your gang of boys when ours can hear the little silkie crowing! You def need a small holding, I shall be applying for a job as soon as you are up and running {rofwl}
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 all , Sandy nice to read your bits again , Hi Kitla.
Well this am I ordered 1 roll 50metres x .6metre chicken wire , wire tying and 200 u nails.
Going to build another run / coop with a couple of compartments in . Will leave a new boy where he is and add a couple of hens . the other boys in the new creation. with again a couple of hens. Unless the hens want to swap around hopefully they will then get on with life .
Not sure what to do with Champ maybe extend his coop and run to give the hens and him a stretch.
All well in the flock , just the new boys beginning to show signs of aggression .Eggs seem to go from 3 to 11 and back down .white / light colour eggs have disappeared just like the Pom Pom eggs.
New hens are coming along feather wise , a couple of girls are scared of the big hens and hiding . getting food but do not like the hiding in dark corners .
Sleeping arrangements much the same . Goldie 2 has retired again to the big coop , so Pom Pom is back in her nest box. Always been the same the flock go to the big coop and only 3 hens sleep in the little one . Must be safety in numbers .
Nes straw in all the coops yesterday and a clean out , dug out a lot of run dirt and took it all to the veg patch at work . If he does not get a good croop in his Minnie field I will never know.
Best to all
Bob and Sunny Clucker , Penelope and Red .
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sandy
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Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

Hiya Bob )wav( always amused and loving keeping up with Carry on Chickening )like(
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 »

Hi all , well a lovely weekend spent with the flock (well most of it.). First , My cats where hunting a mouse in the house , I new it was there as they stare at its direction.
I got by jug and cover to catch it .The box moved , had it trapped . Moved the box . I had one of them Jaws moments ......
I NEED A BIGGER BOX ....... It was a rat 8 inches long not including the tail .....
Never caught it and not seen a corpse , Hoping the cat gets it or I will have to get a harpoon out .......
Flock all good I put Canvas sheets round the runs and coops . Keep the weather out a bit . Roll up from the bottom and tied up like a sail. So they can have a bit of light in morning . Might shut the Boys up as well.
11 eggs some days others 4 ., Can not make firm promise of egg deliveries . Enough to go round though.
have a friend following me and take her out for a walk around the garden. feathers doing well but the new girls are so scared and hide away as much as they can . Take time to stand up for them selves and get a friend as back up.
So I still want my weather back as it has got worse now.
I will not be giving any mealworms for it either.
bob

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