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 , two hens died last weekend .
seems strange that weekends are a period of passing .
Sister to Simone died on Fri night Sat am Found dead in the coop .
Also blue ring no 10 died Sunday morning found dead in kitchen .
The hen that is left in kitchen has been put out in garden as she is weighty and up for defending her self .
See our she gets on today .
Flock now 25 ish in number and 2 ducks . will do a count up tonight .
Blue bell still broody with Litalen underneath her for company .
Sad times and I think old age is going to be high on my writing .
I see my light Sussex , friend with Desmond in the past , showing her age and slowing down . Eating well but I can see it in her .
Also a lot still moulting and watching them all to be safe .
6-9 eggs a day .
Bob
Keep safe and well

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 »

Hi Bob

So sorry to hear you've lost some hens. I suppose if we should choose a way for them to go, quietly and of old age after a very happy life would be the one we would choose. {hug}

Hope you're looking after yourself as well as the flock!
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
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all plenty of duck eggs from Daisy , good girl .
Quite at moment , well would be if Donald did not wake up early in the morning , no sun rise for him .
Chicken out in back garden during the day under protest , but sleeping in the kitchen during the night .
keep well and safe .
Hens being buried today in the veg patch at work .
Bridge must be over the Thames .
Bob
Cheshire Chick
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 894
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 11:51

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Sorry to hear that you have lost some girls Bob. Hope you take comfort in knowing what a wonderful caring life you have given them and that they passed peacefully at home. Always such sad times though. Take good care of yourself.
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 »

Oh dear Bob sorry to hear your sad news {hug} good to hear Daisy is getting on okay with just the one boy bless her.
You need to take good care of yourself as you have so many dependants to care for
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 busy times at the moment . All good at the flock of Penelope and Red .
Cookie the rabbit is visiting a family for a weekend .
He will enjoy being spoiled .
Ducks still waking me up after a night shift .
Plenty of eggs , big order 36 eggs for Friday .
Plus the weekly ones.
9-12 eggs a day .
Keep well and safe .
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 good at the flock of Penelope and red , Puzzled about the ducks .
Two duck eggs sometimes a day ? Is Donald a real Donald or some sort of Daisy look alike .
Or do Ducks have a shorter egg time between laying .
Another possible is the white chicken eggs becoming duck like .
Not yet caught Daisy on her nest laying .
Work is busy , have got my self on the redundancy list for next releases as have had enough now .
Going on past be still working Easter next year .
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 , couple of things happened / happening .
One is that I no longer have Donald the duck .
He is I am pretty sure now is a her , Donna as 2 eggs are now being found every day .
Second is that Freezer the last of the kitchen hens has a larger swollen underneath belly .
Slowing down and making sure she gets food .
May bring her back into the kitchen for safety .
Over than work not much going on .
Have been put on top of redundancy list , next one that comes around , so could be interesting times a head .
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 »

So Donald is a Donna? Wow in a way i suppose thats lucky or Daisy would have had a hard time. Glad all is well Bob such strange times, finding it very regimental doing rehomes at the moment, instead of greeting rehomers with a smile(masks on) have to inform them they must absolute not exit theirvehicle under any circumstances, so friendly >coc<
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 , glad you are well and doing your bit for the hens.
Well it is all go again .
My hen Light Sussex has canker . Have put her on the meds but can only hope she is going to be the first to recover from it . Giving her large dose of meds to give her a fighting chance .
Freezer the hen that stayed with FM has had a night in the kitchen as she hanged about the back door instead of going to the coop .
She has a swollen belly and is getting bigger . Still eating and moving around but I think that she will fly over the bridge before Xmas .
Would take both to vets but other than a large vet bill not much they can do for them .
They are not suffering at the moment so let them live out their lives as long as possible,
Moulting of flock is coming to the end . Litalen has got some feathers back and she did look rough . I think that the moulting time is worst for seeing poorly hens as they look rough anyway .
So I will be writing more here .
house is being restarted , kitchen being riped out and shower and properly designed kitchen / diner .
Have to move upstairs in bed rooms , have not been upstairs except for a bath for months .
House will be fit for visitors by Xmas and no one will be able to see it.
Vacation from mid October all the way to Xmas with only a couple of days shift to work . Rst shifts a couple of days a week and weekend work to keep my had in .
Need the break from work for sure and time to spend with the flock .
My pond is clear of slim pond weed and the pond weed (green) is much reduced .Thanks to Donna and Daisy . They have been so keen to eat the weed leaving the fish alone . The fish have a better pond as more room to swim around .
Cookie the rabbit is losing his hair and brush him regularly . looks like a dog has been brushed on the front lawn .
Saw the fox again running along the road out side the house . does not seem to stop near my house fortunately .
Will that is about all that is going on at the moment , waiting to see what happens with a possible lock down again .
Polo taken for a walk and picking blackberries and brambles still .
Bob
Keep well and safe .
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi all , well Freezer is back in the kitchen , wandering to the water bowl for dog / cats , strolling out the front door to inspect the flower pots and rummage in the grass for the daddy long legs (well that is what I call them from my youth ) . Though large she is still getting about . I have given her Metcam for the last few days to make her comfortable . Her poo is runny .
She looks at me all the time . cat food is now of special interest .

My Light Sussex with canker is being dosed up with Metazonadole twice a day . Giving 2x the dose on the bottle . I know that it is not right but , my thinking is the more med she gets in her quickly the better the chance of sorting it out . If it kills her with the meds then at least she has had a chance as it did not do it for the other hens .
I will watch and see . At the moment she is running around after treats etc , and escapes my clutches when trying to give her meds . Avoiding me when she sees me .
2 duck eggs a day , good girls , Donna and Daisy .
Even letting me sleep till 7.30 am in the morning .
Cookie the rabbit has more hair coming off him than a dog .
Bramble and blackberries are still in abundance in the hedges .

Kitchen re build after I put it together 20 years ago will start in November and flooring being put down . This will be not only Freezer being put in the garden ,but me as well in a tent .
Interesting times coming and plenty of things to do before November .

Well keep safe and well , London soon be in a lock down again so the dog will be getting longer walks in woods soon .
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 , well freezer has suddenly come alive , out on the grass , pecking the grass for the water from the rain .
Beaking into the pots , slugs eating .
She is raiding the cat food , I have to feed her in a bowl so the cats get some .
I have been giving her a large dose of Metcam which maybe is helping her , Her comb is bright and she sleeps with cat in the two boxes are straw and sawdust with the cats .
Light Sussex is still dashing around and getting .5 mil of meds twice a day .
waiting game .
2 duck eggs a day and 6 chicken eggs at least .
Getting enough to pay the food bill .
Cleaning out the coops again . Big clean out .
Girls will have me rummaging whilst laying .
3 large bags of grass cuttings outside my front door this am when I came home , piled it in the back and left the flock to level .
The ducks decided to sit in the middle of it asleep with the flock kicking it around .
I spread some mixed corn and meal worms which encouraged even more scratching .
Keep safe and well .
Bob
Cheshire Chick
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 894
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 11:51

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by Cheshire Chick »

All sounds good Bob and glad everyone is doing OK (long may it last).
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: My attempt to keep chickens.

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , I should not say all well , I found a hen dead in the small coop . She was one of Jacks hens . Left leg blue ring no 11 .
She had never caused me trouble and was a foot soldier of the flock .
Light Sussex has been out in the rain and still managing to eat and drink . meds still 2 a day > Maybe I will up the dose a bit more .
Freezer has had a down day . 1ml of Metcam . I think she is coming to her end and would not be surprised to find her dead over the weekend or take to vets .
sad times weather is good for the ducks and the chickens are soaked and loving it .
Off the weekend and back on Days Monday .
Keep well and safe especially up north as it looks pretty bad , not much better in London .
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 of your loss Bob and that Freezer is not doing well at the moment. Always such sad times, but they are all lucky to have 'found' you to love them and take excellent care of them.

Post Reply