karen's chicken diary

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sandy
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by sandy »

Karen if you havent registered with bhwt before you wont be getting any hens, infact there may not be any rehomes allowed to take place if the virus situation gets worse. If they are rehoming near you ring them and get them to contact me as i will be able to confirm you will be rehoming them as pets and i have seen your set up, umlike the people who are wanting to rehome because of the egg shortage }hairout{
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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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Hi Sandy

Good to hear from you! How are you doing?

Mango and Willow were both BHWT girls so hopefully they should have me on file, but if any problems yes I will drop your name - thanks! All my other girls before them were FSFH so hopefully I'll be covered either way

I am fully expecting a formal lockdown today/tomorrow and certainly by the weekend, and so it may be that all rescues are completely cancelled.
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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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Girls have been incredibly norty lately - hubby has been painting the back door and put a bit of paper underneath to catch the drips. The girls of course decided to investigate the paper, and have left trails of chicken claw prints all over the patio! yike* Hubby had to clean them all up with turps.

Mango's been a bit whimpery, and I didn't like her breathing, so they've all been on tylan and she's been getting a special dose on grapes. Not scientifically administered but at least it's getting some in her. I've also been feeding them mash which they are loving - got to stretch the corn out now as I can't buy new supplies without going extra shopping, which I don't want to do - we're restricting our shopping to once a week, which has been interesting.

Dory is being very sociable and friendly lately, I think she is secretly loving her midnight cuddles and of course raisins and grapes, and comes to see me in the garden expecting more (grapes, not cuddles!). I've been bathing the bumble for about 3 weeks now (well, i haven't been good at doing it this last week) and it's drying up nicely.

Pokey joined me on a video call at work this week. She decided to get on my shoulder. All very exciting!

Got some lovely pics of the girls and marley yesterday

Eating their breakfast mash:
Image

The ninjas know a good breakfast sets you up for the day:
Image

Mango:
Image

Pokey:
Image

Pokey:
Image!

Dory:
Image

Dory:
Image

Mango:
Image

Mango:
Image

Marley:
Image

Marley also loves a good dustbath:
Image
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: karen's chicken diary

Post by sandy »

Stunning photos )like( Dory is morphing into Wiggy!
How is Mango?
Bob is fine, asked after you...
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: karen's chicken diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , Nice to see photos of the hens I have met .
Keep well
Good time for interacting .
Unfortunately I am back at work (sort of ) being paid , good enough for me.
Hope I will get to see them again soon .
Bob
Cheshire Chick
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

loved looking at the gorgeous photo's of your animal family. )like(
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sandy
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by sandy »

Karen can you believe it has been a year today we met Dory and co? Roll on normality so we can have a meet up again
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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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Goodness me, is it really? Only a year since Dory Grey was kidnapped by the Pink Mummy?? Hasn't time flown!

When lockdown is lifted and we can all visit and not socially distance again, all round at my place for a return visit!!!

Mango and the rest of the ginger ninjas are all absolutely fine, all constantly breaking into the house to eat the cat's food so definitely not much up with them. It's a bit of a pain though - we have far too many rats who have been eating all the food in my shed (where I store the chickens food) so I have had to bring everything into the house for storage, and the girls food is being brought in overnight so they are being fed through the day. We have to be so careful, the rats are quite brazen! So far they've evaded Marley though }hairout{

Hopefully now that their free dinners have disappeared, the rats will find somewhere else to hang out - although I fear that with chickens being next door too, they won't move far and will be back again before we know it }hairout{
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
Gwenoakes
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Gwenoakes »

I have bins with secure lids for my girls food/bedding in the hen house and put their feeder in there at night too. Could you do that, Karen?
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Hi Gwen

I have the pellets in a thick plastic container which so far has proven to be nibble proof (they have tried!) so that's good. I did have the corn and mash in those plastic tubs that fat balls come in, and they ate right through that! Also they have been taking entire packets of mealworms still in the sealed plastic packages!!! So that's what has all had to be brought into the house. They are determined. I've just started double bagging the pots - a plastic pot in a plastic pot, but not sure how well that will work because they are determined little feeders with very sharp teeth. Caught one peering over the compost dalek door at me the other day. Again, no Marley to be seen anywhere! She disappears at the most inopportune times. I will have to look at getting some metal containers I think, we can't leave the stuff in the house - apart from anything else, I don't want them deciding to come into the house!

sadly we have put poison down, as has my neighbour - we've both had poison down for a good year now, and the rats have been so hungry lately that they have even been taking the boxes of rat poison away with them as well! Not the stuff that is in the traps of course.. I hate having to use it, but there's no alternative now. For some reason it's just got so bad over the last few weeks.
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
Gwenoakes
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Gwenoakes »

We emptied the compost area the other week and they were going beneath that from inside, so put a few packets of poison down. Like you I do not like to, but ours here are almost the size of rabbits, I kid you not.
When we were having a barbie last year at the top of the garden they were very curious and came out in line to watch us, nothing seems to deter them and this year they seem to have increased in numbers, so poison it is.
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Gwen that is so funny (them lining up to watch you!) but of course not funny at all to have them around to this extent. I think there's a network of tunnels running from next door's garden (they have chickens too and have the rats) under the compost bins, into my shed and then under to the chicken's run. My cat and next door's loads of dogs are killing what they can but nowhere near enough, and the poison is getting them too (which makes us worried about our cat and dogs, and kites).

I might have a look at treadle feeders. My egg numbers have dropped and I'm wondering if it's because of the irregular feeding now. Dory laid a softie in the nestbox and she normally lays eggs with shells of steel. .

The 2 that have died through poison were big, but according to my neighbour the daddy rat (we assume) is HUGE. Mind you, he was got by one of their dogs earlier this year so maybe that will help. I can only wonder how many have died in their nest - they have had 2 packets of poison away off the shelf in my shed, which must be around 15 blocks! Needless to say, the block I have left out on the shelf for them is untouched.
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: karen's chicken diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi treadle feeders are great . Saved me on food bills as not so much wastage. Trouble is they dig around in the pellets/corn looking for the meal worms . So there is still food for the unwanted .
But I do believe they work I have 4 and 3 water buckets laid on there side .Trouble is the little darlings kick the saw dust / dirt into front so there is no water to be got.
Also you can fill and leave for a couple of days . less time if that is in short supply .
Bob
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Our you-know-what problem seems to have calmed down, now that they can't get their paws on any food. It is a right pain but at least seems to be working, but we do need to be vigilant as I know they are still there - Marley is still keeping watch on that area of the garden. I'm not sure I trust my little intellectually challenged darlings with the working out of a treadle feeder...

My photos have progressed! I'm now playing with digital painting effects and i am rather pleased with them, to say the least!

The one and only Dory Grey:
Image

Mango:
Image

The gorgeous Marley:
Image
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: karen's chicken diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi well done ,
Keep well and safe .
Bob

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