The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

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KarenE
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by KarenE »

How did Sandwich get on at the vets, TGEgg?
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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Bridgets Mum
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by Bridgets Mum »

Hi TGE
I've just read all your diary. What a lot of adventures in such a short time. There's seldom a dull moment in chickensville. Your girls are beautiful and it looks like your set up is going to allow them lovely lives. I hope the vet trip went well and look forward to hearing more about your chicken adventures.
TheGreatEgg
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Joined: 02 Mar 2014, 22:26

Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by TheGreatEgg »

Thanks to you both, Sandwich is well today. Vet gave me some Tylan to put in their water so that should nip it in the bud. They are all craning their necks to look in the conservatory every time they see movement - if it is me they see they run to the door of their run hoping to be let out. Sadly they are stuck in for the next 3 days to ensure they get enough of the Tylan. Weather here is wet anyway, so better now than a nice sunny weekend!
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sandy
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by sandy »

Just catching up, lovely photos )t' So glad Sandwich is okay
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/
TheGreatEgg
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by TheGreatEgg »

It has been an exciting week here. First I put the straw bale down as bedding on the run floor. Not a long term solution, but the builders sand in there was becoming a mess and difficult to poo pick. I'm now weighing up options for a longer term solution and starting to lean towards woodchip. Originally I felt that sane would be best as I could scoop it clean and it would let water drain. I think this would still work if I did playsand, but what to do with the sand when it needs changing? So now I'm leaning toward hardwood chip and then reuse the chip on our beds and in the veg garden. We'll see. I want to get a corrugated roof on the run soon as well, so lots to do there.

We had our first double yolker today!

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The most exciting event though as been the impulsive decision to take on a silkie chicken and her 8 ducklings! I picked them up from the Bath & West Show and have spent the last couple of days madly shopping and worrying about what I was getting myself into. I don't want to keep them all, so will be re-homing most of them when they get a bit older. Luckily I've had a couple of people interested in taking on the extras when we are ready.

I've converted our playhouse for the moment until the duck house arrives and I've ordered a small pen until I get a run built! Madness. Expensive madness!

Image

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Lastly, Sandwich says hello! (she would like to be a house bird and keeps trying to ease her way inside)

Image
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sandy
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by sandy »

Whoa Eggy, brilliant photo )t' Little Silkie is going to be dwarved soon. What is you run floor? Concrete, mud,?? You cant be that far from me if you have been to Bath and West show :-D
Sandwich most certainly has the 'let me in' expression on her face, so glad she is back to health
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/
TheGreatEgg
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by TheGreatEgg »

Ah yes Sandy! We are in a village outside Bristol, so not far at all! The silkie is going to be dwarfed, I hadn't thought of that. I assume at some point she will lose interest in the ducklings and then I plan to integrate her in with the chickens. They will all free range together in the garden anyway.

Ms. Melson and Sandwich have sussed the presence of the others, but dear daft Daisy hasn't clocked it at all. Suspect she'll be in for a bit of a surprise with the arrival of another white silkie and her strange offspring. Adventures to be had!

I've just realised I posted two of the same photo. Here is the one I meant to post.

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And the playhouse conversion:

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The ducks have already tipped the food I put out for mama hen and made a huge mess of the water bowl. I under estimated their enthusiasm for water! Will need to get a proper waterer sooner than planned!
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sandy
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by sandy »

Playhouse conversion is like a little palace )t' Dont worry about silkie, the Ped's silkie has spent her life being dwarfed by huge hens and a runner duck
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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Bridgets Mum
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by Bridgets Mum »

Expensive madness? I have no idea what you mean! {rofwl}
My chickens were meant to be a sort of frugal thing and we did initially adapt a donated shed. Been downhill all the way since.
I gave in and bought (expensive) woodchip for the run and have found it much better than all previous attempts. Sometimes Laners have reported being able to get a load from a tree surgeon or such and have paid very little for it. Might be worth investigating.
Your feathered friends look wonderful. Very happy Sandwich is looking so good and the ducklings are ridiculously beautiful.
TheGreatEgg
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by TheGreatEgg »

Oh the excitement continues - Ms. Melson has gone broody!! I wonder if the sight of the mothering hen and ducklings has awakened her inner goddess? Regardless she's been turfed out of the coop and all access has been denied until bedtime. She is fine free ranging - just fluffs up and growls on the eggs! My kids think it is hilarious!

Ducklings are doing well. >eas2< Trying to pick them up a bit to get them used to me / handling. They are unbelievably messy! Plowing through chick crumb and making an utter disaster of the new waterer - they even climb in that and there is a fine layer of silt inside the drinker! I've gone from delicate little cat bowls to a metal dog bowl with a brick in it to keep them from tipping over their feed.

Daisy has finally spotted them and they have all been happily hang out on the lawn today with no issues at all. Obviously the ducks and Mama (which I think is going to stick) were fenced in, but no drama through the fence. The other hens are curious, but friendly with her so far. Fingers crossed it all will just be this easy! >fi<

The new coop arrived today, but the playhouse is working so well I think I'll leave them in it and take my time painting and sealing up the new coop. I also had a puppy pen delivered today, which despite trying to cancel the order as I found a better pen, I think I will keep. It has a very handy door and I can imagine would be useful for keeping hens out of beds with new plants, etc. It may also have some kid uses down the line (den anyone?).

DH isn't going to be impressed with me having two new pens, a new coop and not even started on a permanent run. {rofwl} Really though this is it in terms of structures as we are running out of room in the garden and I don't want to put any in the 'back garden' as I do see them as pets and want to interact with them where we hang out.
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sandy
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Re: The Great Egg's Chicken Adventures

Post by sandy »

With all those wonderful new homes you are just going to have to fill them all up +f+
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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