My attempt to keep chickens.

Start your own thread and let us follow you through the year
Post Reply
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , Evil has joined Bubbles in the dog cage where she can be kept an eye on .
She seems happy , not arguing with each other .
FLOCK awake at 5.00 am . Let loose at 6.00 am . Next week no van so bike and will have to be at work no later than 6.00 am every morning . Will use a vehicle to let them out .
The white ranger hen had the cheek to peck my long roll . Gave it to her for her cheek .
had plenty more from work . Have now got a bag (black sack ) full of vending m/c out of date (same day ) . Filled mt freezer and cannot store any more . The dogs , cats , chickens are eating them by the dozen , ham cheese and tuna etc. pasties , milk you name it I am getting it , every night /morning , all for the cost of 6 eggs.......
Scramble Junior is eating sweet corn now.
Bob

Gwenoakes
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7325
Joined: 11 Aug 2007, 19:58

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Gwenoakes »

I did not know whether to laugh or cry for you, Bob after reading about your problems.
It makes my little probs with hens going brooding fade into insignificance, so I will not moan anymore about it.
I have not indulged in boys and tbh have no intention of doing so after a very nasty experience some years ago and reading about your boys I am quite glad I haven't.
I hope you can sort something out and the neighbours are not too upset.
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , the boys are still alive and well , seems to not got nasty as yet.
All good normal performance Sunday morning .
Van in garage this am , so even more fun pedalling to work .
Got to be at work before 6.00 am this week as well .
Pop home in the morning to let the flock out fed and watered before I left , but left locked up . Will not be happy about that I am sure , but good for the winter lock up.
Scramble Junior getting bigger and fighting for food with the flock and getting away with it as well .
Jack has to move out of the door way to let the last hens in. I put a lot of clean straw in the coop and his girls did not know what to do as the door was blocked by the straw. They seemed to sort it out after dark last night though. Put straw down in the runs and put corn etc. in it so they can scratch to find it .
Egg count going up , thanks to new girls.
SHMBO says I should reduce the flock to more manageable size , (after I said it had gone up ) Not a happy bunny .
Scramble Junior is a hidden secret . wait till larger and then produce out of a hat .....I think it is a hen as she eats and acts like a greedy hen for sure .
Two terrors have settled down and have not attempted to attack me at all ,
Still plan to give them some hens each and separate them . Not keeping Jack quite , he actually quite proud of himself and letting everyone no it . Well I tried .The new hens settling in well and feathers appearing .
38 and a bit in total .
Bubbles seems to be managing . Evuil is still in with her and getting plenty of food . Tylan in water and Baytril which I got from the vets last Friday .
Harleys leg is swollen up after a year and bit . No operation for her as long as she can still use it .Getting old . Never believe Fatty (Polo ) the Staff. would be the quickest and healthiest of us all.
Blackberries andbrambles still plentiful.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , 4.50 am the boys were awake this am . I had to get up at 5.00 to get ready for work . Cycling to work does not give a lot of time to sort the animals out.
Left in lock up mode till 10.30 am . They were pleased to get out .
I found out today , when I took a couple of hens over to SHMBO daughters on slug catching duty , she found an egg 2 weeks later in the small cat (wooden ) box where her cat sleeps at times .
we saw her go in there but did not realise she laid an egg , she was pretty quick.
Bubbles and Evil seem to be happy enough .
Scramble Junior is growing and pinching food and legging it from the hens .
Must be a hen as boys do not take food and not share it.
Goldie and Moe are still guarding her part time . Champ is showing interest as well , Desmond totally not bothered .
Still looking for a move .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , All good , Well after a pretty rough week and thinking it will not get worse , it did last night.
Every creature except the flock had may awake every couple of hours . Boy am I looking forward to night s . (Get a unbroken sleep , probably JINXED IT . ) The Flock boys woke up at 5.30 am . I should have been at work by then but still in bed after switching the alarm off before it went off .
Managed after feeding all of the animals and the flock to be at work by 6.25 am . I gave my self a telling off . Well all good . Jack seems to have settled in with his hens , but still noisy . Desmond was put of his perch and on the floor ,low is better than high . Champ is just Champ and will not change , he lets everyone know he is still around.
New hens and Jack let out in garden for a while last night . Only 2 hens stretched their legs . Put them back and let the 2 terrors out till dark and put them in cockerel a dood1e Hall much darker .
eggs about 6-12 a day . loss of feathers still going on . Feathers all over the garden . New girls giving me a good top up of 4 a day.
Scramble Junior is doing well and getting bigger and bolder all the time . Like the rest of the flock demanding and comes for the treats at the back door against his / her mum`s wishes.
Champ is still protective as well .
Champ objects to Jack having his hens and is always calling them from top of the run .
Plenty of bread rolls from work , sack full of left overs with , ham , cheese , egg etc.
Rolls are better soaked in water as they pick out the middle and leave the crusty bits.
well long weekend off . O/T back soon by the look of things . shame I was enjoying the time off .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , all good boys awake after 5.00 am this morning . I disturbed them this morning work . Feed and let out coops , left in runs . Put Desmond on ground off his perch .
May keep locked up as windy and wet weather today again .
Bob
User avatar
sandy
Legendary Laner
Posts: 9915
Joined: 13 Oct 2008, 21:59
Gender: Female
Location: Bristol

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by sandy »

Bob does this mean you may not be moving willy nilly now yike* Get someone to get Scramble junior on film so we can see if not on here at next meeting.
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
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi sandy , still looking .
Waiting for a huge payout so I can have loads of hens.......
Scramble junior is getting big . He has a mum and a female gladiator for careers .
Moe attacks any hen in beak distance , Goldie feeds and love s it. It scramble Junior , is chirping all the time from dawn to dusk .
Got out of bed at 6.00 am this morning (Lay in ) . Neighbor said a fox`s came early (10.30 pm ) last night on video . So cannot leave out and lock up later in evening now .
Bubbles took a turn downhill over the weekend . On Baytril and Metacam , heavy doses. She is eating stuffed sweet corn , brambles /black berries and cabbage .
I thought she maybe dead by this am . Evil is still with her . She does not want to go back with flock . She and 4 hens (new girls 2 lots ago and one older hen ) went out the front for some grass and company . Bubbles stayed in the dog cage .
She went to go out in the back garden , I put her outside , but the bully hens picked on her like they do when she was trying to come back to the door.
I brought her back in .
Still plenty of brambles about .
12 eggs a day , Just about covering the orders .
Molting season now which will give them a chance for new covering for winter .

Hoping bubbles recovers for a while she seems like most of the other hens before her at a critical stage .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Scramble Junior is a big secret .....
Waiting till he is a lot bigger before I get it advertised to all about me as CHICKS was a big no no . (To many boys around to go and hatch more.)
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , Bubbles seems a bit better , her comb is getting brighter . Double doses of Metacam and Baytril . Food by the Crop full every couple of hours , stuffed sweet corn , Sweet corn , Meal worm`s and cabbage .
Evil had another stretch with friends on the front lawn .
All quite when home this am and I got up after a lay down at 7.00 am . Still locking up before work with no boys out .
19 eggs to sell .
Litalen has gone broody again .
Scramble Junior is getting big . He will soon be bigger than Goldie . 2 mum`s seems to have worked well . Beginning to think of letting them go in the main coop .
Evil is happy eating and sleeping in the kitchen .
I did not mention the day before the Foxes came , 2 collar dove`s got in with Jack and his hens.
Well one poor little devil had the feathers knocked off it . If I had not seen them The hens would have killed it for sure. Let them loose but not sure if one survived as more of its feathers was in the run than it was wearing . Chickens are killers for sure .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , this morning Desmond was awake at 6.00 am . I went and picked him off his perch pretty quick and took him to the tele room .
To late as the Terror twins started as well . But soon went quite when no return crowing .
Desmond settled on my leg as I was on a arm chair dozing . He then climbed up on my chest , stuck his head under my chin and we both slept till 7.00 am . It was quite light so I put him out side ( after a couple of crows) . Let the flock out as well and fed them all .
Spent the day on the flock . Picked them Black berries and brambles when out with the dogs .
Evil had to ventures out with the flock but Club and her did not see eye to eye so brought her back in .
Bubbles has had near enough a tin on sweet corn . Pellets and a extra treat of meal worms stuffed in them . Blackberries also went down well . Still on Metacam and Baytril .
She is blind in both eyes I think now .
She has a bit of a chest problem which is why she is on meds . eye lumps have all but gone so it is a case of getting her breathing back to normal .She will never go back with the flock though she does go out the front with a few new girls .
Jack and his hens are doing well , a few eggs a day so paying well for their rescue . A couple of his hens hide from him when he appears . He still has a lot to learn on Wooing ......
Scramble Junior is in the flock taking food from under the beaks of the old hens .
It does work both ways as they take his when Goldie and Moe are not watching .
Next big step is working out if the chirping is going into a crowing ????
Champ is doing well .
This am I had a D E fight with the flock . piles of DE in the garden and concrete .
70 per cent got some on them .
I saw one of the Spec`s dust bathing in a pile on the concrete which I was pleased about as not wasting it . Plenty in the internal coop where the bury themselves .
Cabbage , banana and sweet corn . Of course brambles and blackberries .
Meal worms mixed in the corn /wheat and meal worms to encourage return to run when off to work .
18 eggs needed to meet work /neighbor needs plus a dozen for SHMBO neighbor recovering from Cancer as she is off to New York weekend till Thurs.
Lost a egg this morning a s a checky hen (hybrid , no name as did nit get her ring color . I was feeding Scramble and mum`s bent down , thought I had a treat . Jumped up and pecked my hand with eggs in (4) and crack . needless to say she got a treat and a curse for doing it.
Well apart from Bubbles all good .
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , all well at the flock of Penelope and Red .
Well sort of.
I tried something different today , may not do it again though .
This am I Took the 2 terrors from the run in the corner of the garden and put them in Jacks old run , next to their old run/coop .
I though a bit of open ground and a view of the garden and flock might do them good.
From the off , Jack and the two Terrors where at it through the caging . then Champ had a go , whilst Desmond stood on the bench eye up the situation . While this was going on they all crowed and generally was noisy . ALL DAY LONG .
I hope it has worn them out and they will sleep longer in the morning .
Jacks hen was pacing up and down the cage trying to get in with the 2 Terrors . Now I am not sure if it was their food or she fancied them but she did not stop at all , much to Jack`s disapproval . I put sawdust in their run and they by the afternoon had kicked out and Champ had made himself comfortable in a heap next to the run. Evil had some more freedom out the front lawn with the regular 4 hens , they are always willing to be picked up and taken out as well . I fed Bubbles sweet corn as normal and clean her eye , getting the poison out that is breaking up , maybe the Baytril is working there . Still has a bit of a chest infection I think .
Rocky has fluid in her huge crop and massaging regularly as well. Gave her some bread to soak up see if it helps . She seems ok but not happy . She has either to solid a lump or fluid . Got 3 eggs and put them on the sloping roof of Scramble Junior coop , fell of and all broke . Managed to save 2 the 3rd got grabbed by the hens .
Varied food for them all .
Last night shift so they will be back locked up till mid morning when I can let them out .
Li-tal-en(Beardie ) is broody again . Very tempted to let her hatch some eggs , I am sure she would make a brilliant mum .
Got three more eggs during the day which finished off an order next 24 need now....
trouble tomorrow as SHMBO family descending on me . Scramble Junior will be seen by all House is a mess and I have no escape or excuse to be missing .
So Monday`s line up will be interesting . 5 days in America may be my saving grace ....
Pom Pom is brilliant white , molts are still going on but feathers are growing back .
All pretty good and long may it last.
Bob
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , a sad weekend , Bubbles my poorly chicken took a turn to the worse and succumbed to her illness . She died Sunday afternoon .
Evil has been put back with flock but being bullied . If it continues I will bring her back in the kitchen . I plan to hand feed her every day to ensure she gets her fair share of food and treats , same as before she came in the house .
more later as a bit busy at work .
Bob
Cheshire Chick
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 894
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 11:51

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Cheshire Chick »

So sorry to hear that you have lost your Bubbles. Always such a sad time.
User avatar
KarenE
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3460
Joined: 06 Apr 2013, 13:43
Gender: Female
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by KarenE »

Bob, I'm so sorry to hear the sad news about Bubbles. I hope Evil perks up and I hope you didn't get too much grief from SHMBOs family when they came to visit. How did the news about Scramble go down??

I saw someone posting to rehome 2 naked neck bhoys a few days ago - I assumed you wouldn't be interested now that you have all the Terrors and Scramble Junior?
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

Post Reply