Found feed, found chickens

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Found feed, found chickens

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TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 14 1:48 pm Post subject: Found feed, found chickens
Thought I'd let you know I've found a supplier of feed (£9.50 for 25kg) and chickens at POL £6ea. A friend of a friend has a chicken they tried to integrate with an existing flock with bad results, so I'm getting that one as well as the two I've ordered locally. Looking forward to this sat!

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 14 1:58 pm Post subject:
That sounds like a result.

TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Wed May 07, 14 9:56 am Post subject:

Sorted!

I have chickens, they are in the run. Lots of chook noises, they love grapes etc.

Took a couple of days to get used to the new house, I found them camped out on the ladder twice, but now they're putting themselves to bed and we just need to drop the door of an evening.

I'm handling them a fair bit - any tips on making them 'friendly' chickens? I'm picking them up, holding them then putting them down so they know people aren't going to hurt them.

Cats very interested - run is like TV to them.

Dark Brown - Jalfrezi
Light Brown - Korma
Speckled - Piri Piri

Piri Piri was the rescue bird, she's now taken pride of place as the head of the flock and has been asserting herself to the much meeker goldlines.

pookie

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 4984
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Wed May 07, 14 12:22 pm Post subject:
tips on making them friendly... along with picking them up, is FOOD! a little bit of corn, or a piece of banana for the ones that come to you. They will soon be literally eating out of your hand

TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Wed May 07, 14 4:20 pm Post subject:

pookie wrote:

tips on making them friendly...

along with picking them up, is FOOD!

a little bit of corn,
or a piece of banana for the ones that come to you.
They will soon be literally eating out of your hand

I should invest in a banana plantation. With my son, wife and I already getting through an EU mountain a week, I'm guessing it's a smart way to go.

I'll try them on that tomorrow - cheers for the tip. Are we talking dried corn or fresh corn on the cob?

pookie

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 4984
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Wed May 07, 14 10:15 pm Post subject:
They'll love either, just not too many treats though. Overweight hens can end up with egg laying problems. Enjoy your chooks, they are great timewasters

TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Mon May 12, 14 6:37 am Post subject:

pookie wrote:

They'll love either, just not too many treats though. Overweight hens can end up with egg laying problems. Enjoy your chooks, they are great timewasters

No luck on bananas but gobbling down grapes (sometimes whole - how does that work?)

Let them free range yesterday. Immediately went about destroying the grape vine, cherry tree and brambles. I think I'll be fencing a few things. Also not leaving them on their own or the strawberries will be next...

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon May 12, 14 11:44 pm Post subject:

Mine would do anything for live meal worms. A weekly treat, but I only had to appear on the horizon with the tub and they all came haring back. It was very useful! They went nuts over the garden fork, and would be in the hole picking up beasties. I had to put them away if I wanted to do any actual digging, lest I put a fork through one! They also had a really individual level of sociability. One practically leapt into your arms and had to be chased out of the kitchen, one was too stroppy ever to be caught at all and the other two in the middle. It didn't really change, and seemed to be a matter of temperament in my micro-flock. I miss them a lot, and hope you enjoy them!

TimNeo

Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 636
Location: Ashingdon, UK

Posted: Tue May 13, 14 7:46 am Post subject:
Yesterday the cat decided to chase one of the chickens. I hoped one of the girls would give her a peck to deter but no such luck. Free ranging might be a bit of a pain. That's probably put my chickens laying back another week

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