My attempt to keep chickens.

[Mo]

Bob, do you think those Heavy Plants that cross the road, would stamp on them. (I've never seen one, but there are plenty of warning signs, so I keep looking)

Mind you, they might be worse than red mite so maybe not. The day of the triffids. I remember listening to that on the wireless.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

They where just misunderstood ,.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , last night my flock made a mass escape .
I gave up in the end and let them all loose .
trying to get them back in is a nightmare .
The white and the black hen are the worst , The white one flaps her wings and runs
around with no intention of being put back . Holding her is impossible.
Black hen just like the hen she replaced Moe , has followed in her claw steps . She goes to the door of run and then runs back into the garden .
I can bribe the others pretty easy or pick them up .
Will have to thick about another extension bit , two doors so as I can shut one behind me to stop the mass escapes.
2 ring blue has been on baytril for about a week and seems alot better . Eating and putting on a bit of weight on chest .
Legs looking good as well .
She still being the old hen is slow and eats what she can get at , though I have seen her fighting for treats and food trays.
Jacks hens seem to be staying in their run / coop and not exploring through the new door .
Settling down now less eggs but not a problem them having a rest .
Will be getting ready for winter and coverings for the roofs and side s.
All happy chocks , never being happier causing me grief .
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi Sandy , fancy trying out the red mite killers .
Next time I come down in my large van , I will bring a pair of breeding bugs .
(Probably be a few more crawling all over me .)
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi I engaged in a bit of gardening last evening . I let the flock out at the back , selected the catchables and took them out the front.
6 hybrids . the two blue bells followed straight away and was amazed at the grass and open space .
The hybrids followed me ( I carried a hoe ) to the drive . Patch was overgrown along the side of it . Started digging it and pulling up the weeds.
Pretty quick scratching and digging was under taken by the hybrids . Blue bell MRLEE started jumping and doing acrobatics on the grass . It is bug season , many long legs and bugs which seemed to be the latest import across channel , well that is where they normally come from , I think was being decimated .
Esmarelda wandered about exploring .
Soon the bugs looked better in neighbors garden bit and blue bell 1 started chasing further a field , blue bell 2 wanted to cross the road (following my cat ) .
I stopped digging and chased the hens .Children came and watched , stroked the hens .
The weeds was soon displaced and I returned them to the garden .Quite easily for a change .
No so getting them all in run from back garden .
Yet again the white and black was the last to go in . After a lot of chasing around.
This morning early hens at the door waiting , vocal when I turned the kitchen light on .
Restocked with rolls and meat pies .
For me Tea buns and chocolate muffins . Keep me treated for a week till next Sat.
Freezer filling up rapidly .
Weekend overtime back in force . Sunday night shift next one and night shifts next week .
Bob

[sandy]

good to hear you are enjoying your flock sorry about the mite killers, its not the fact ive no sense of humour its just that i am a bit gullible

[bikesandbirdsbob]

we could have run with it .
Day after posting the hits went above 2000.
All good .
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , a nice day with the flock , treating every hour with various things .
11 eggs .
2 Ring Light Blue is still molting , feathers coming through . She had bugs as well . Sprayed and D E . Baytril has run out but she seems a lot happier , though slow at the feed table . Having said that I have seen her run off with bits pretty quick when she wants to.
Plan to take a bag of meal worms and bag of 29 kilos mixed corn to Jack and Desmond this week . Hoping they are doing well and Jack has settled down .
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all ,
More work carried out opn the run . 4x2 support put up .
Felt like I was in prison with the flock as spent lots of time in with them .
did not get to S/End to sea D and J .
Will get there this week .
Molting seems the thing at the moment , varying degrees of feather loss and noise making .
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

today I was told when I visited Desmond that One eye Jack had died.
Desmond shared a couple of bananas with me and his hens .
I was told he sits under a tree at one end of the field and a few hens join him. So he has friends and seemed to be eating well .
left a full 20 kilos of mixed corn lots of meal worms . Fed them Kahl and cauli and bananas cauli leafs and cabbage .
Chatted away for a hour . his egg count has gone down to dozens from 200 .
feeding at a loss.
Start laying again by Xmas hopefully.
2 pound for six (twice my price ) he makes a few quid when they do lay.
My flock are doing well . Box , Red , scramble , 2 ring light blue (the old girl) , Esmeralda , Simone`s Hybrid big hen friend went out the front lawn . Fed snails by next door neighbor from her garden . Went back quite easily (I had a jug of meal worms which helped ) fed a lot of different things today.
Alterations to wire on run , and wooded up the plastic window to ensure weather is kept out in winter . Dark in there as well now . Plenty air still can get in .
Bob

[KarenE]

So sorry to hear about Jack, that must have been quite a shock. I'm glad Desmond seems to be settling in a bit more. At least he has a field and a tree and a little harem to keep him company now so hopefully not as lonely as he was when you went last time.

The nights are drawing in and moulting season is upon us so its no surprise egg counts are down. I doubt they'll recover much before next spring now

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Yep , 6 eggs today , Let the flock out for a while ,Goldie eating meal worms on my leg chirping away as she does .Other s watching on picking up the bits on the floor.
It a short while they had dug /scratched out six wholes in the garden over six inches deep.
Nice chill out day in the garden .
Last of the summer sun.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , During the week I got home from my shift a little early .
The chickens where not at the door when I got home.
I did not turn any lights on and crept out into the garden to see what was happening .
All was quiet .
But I could hear a noise , not loud but a in - out breathing .
I could not believe but the flock in the big Coop Cluckingham Palace were SNORING .
If anyone should get the chance to hear a normally noise , hyper active bunch of chickens sleeping deeply , they should do it . An amazing sound of contentment .
Flock good , feathers all all sorts everywhere , picking up and taking to works compost. Eggs now down to 9 if I am lucky.
3 bags of rolls , sausage rolls , pasties and Chocolate cake .
Plenty for SHMBO fox and me and the flock , plus Desmond as well.
I am working a 13.25 hour shift and continuing on for the Sat o/t 10 hours Finish at 4.45 pm and then back in for 6.45 am Sunday shift .
So a full weekend of work you might say .
Ain`t done this now for years , all cut backs and people not wanting to pay tax etc .
Next 4 weeks will be busy so I am told .
Feet hurt , Shoulder playing up , not the broken color bone one surprisingly .
Getting old and feeling it.
Good job I can sit and watch the flock at times to chill me out .
I might GO MAD....
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , not a long time with the flock yesterday , plenty of food for them . I must say the tray /lid treadle feeders are working well . Always food available . NO WASTE .
My feed bill is greatly reduced , allowing , ( not that it has been a money issue with them ) , more funds for TREATS .
Time as well , If I just top them up and also put treats in them I only have to check in the morning they are well and fresh cabbage etc .
Wet weather is coming so the saw dust flooring is going to get soaked .
May have to rack it up and leave the dirt showing . actual spending more time now poo picking in the coops . Long time it seem that I have to be doing that .
They are spending more time sleeping in there and we all know what they get up to then .
eggs are down now . Feathers are like the saw dust all over the floor in the run . I can remember and still cannot get used to it , thinking some disaster has happened. You can see by some of the feathers which hens are molting .
Jacks hens are not mixing at all a left over from the past , and defend their run with gusto . same when they go exploring next door.
Not a problem down to the flock .
Not many people asking for eggs so hens not under pressure .
Still got a eye open for a Silkie hen .
Quite morning after yesterdays excitement at work , not bore you with that .
West Mersey Island nice yesterday afternoon ,last of the summer sun probably .
picked up mother of pearl shells and some interesting stones, chaclk , flint , weather worn and water shaped stones for the garden , no doubt the hens will find them and put them where they decide they should be . garden has got Pansey`s and valender planted last week . They the hens have not touched them , maybe a good sign and may put some more round the pond .
Grass WA growing again , well green stuff , hens soon dug that up as much as possible and have fill;ed in holes they have dug. trouble they go back to the same place as soft dirt to scratch up .
Sitting in the garden with Goldie chirping away eating meal worms is very satisfying .
Bob

[Gwenoakes]

Sorry to hear of your loss.
Hens are pretty intelligent creatures I have learnt and soon know your routine and who feeds'/treats them.
I cannot believe someone charges £2 for eggs, I like you offer eggs at half that price to Clare's clients in the hydro pool.
My hens are not laying much, but I only have 7 and two if not three of them are moulting. Two went broody yet again too.
I went to lock them up the other night with a torch and saw blood everywhere, well it seemed like a lot, but was unable to see what had happened till the morning. I saw absolutely nothing, so possibly just a feather came out and bled, I have heard that said before, so hopefully that was all it was.
Mine have scaly leg, so am smothering their legs with some goo every 5/6 days. Clare helps me at night when they are more docile, Clare picks them up and holds them and I administer the goo. They have had it before not long after I got them and treated in the same way and it went.
I keep checking for red mite, use a piece of white kitchen roll and run it around the perches every now and then.