which chicks?

[Bephlam]

I adore faverolles...most docile, cuddly birds ever. I also have a blue copper and a black copper maran...both lovely birds also. A tiny wee bit more flighty, but no biggy! They all live in harmony!

[bluemoon]

So, Marans and Faverolles get on well, do they. Hmmm.

[Bephlam]

Oh they do...and I take back the flighty comment. They were just settling in..they've both been pestering me all day whilst I worked in the garden. Right under my feet...lovely girls..every last one of them!!

[Gardenwitch]

aww thats great news Back from holiday and just catching up around here and detoxing from the drive lol One week down and one more to go before we get our ladies hopefully. Will try and get woodchippings tommorrow or monday for the floor of their pen. Gosh is Lidls open on bank holiday weekend? The trouble with holiday is you think of a million things to do when you get home for the home, garden and lotty spaces lol

[Bephlam]

I put three large bags of woodchip on the floor of the run about 3 months ago...and today...there is hardly anything in it!! Really annoys me...I'm going to have to make some kind of lip around the bottom of the run to stop them throwing the woodchip out when they're scraping around!

[bluemoon]

I put three large bags of woodchip on the floor of the run about 3 months ago...and today...there is hardly anything in it!! Really annoys me...I'm going to have to make some kind of lip around the bottom of the run to stop them throwing the woodchip out when they're scraping around!

Better out of the run than into the water though. Our growers can fill their drinker in less than ten minutes with their Aubious. After just a week the whole family has had to be trained; when you leave the house, check the babies' water, return, check the babies' water, adverts on telly? check the babies' water.... I'll be glad when they're back on the lottie and all they can kick into it will be the occasional blade of grass.

[Gardenwitch]

we concreted and bricked all around the bottom edging of their walk in pen, so hopefully that will help, looks great all set to go and getting some metal bins this week for food and such wahoo

[Gardenwitch]

The ladies are home yeah!!

We brought our girls home yesterday and they are settling in well. We ended up with Daisy a herititage skyline whos all goldy coloured, Isabella an Amber lolvey cream with mottled browns, "Thomas" (our 4 yr old refuses to pick a girl name for his lol) a Silver whos all white, and Black Betty a Cuvree Maran with fab black fetahers that have an emerald green undertone

They even tried walking up the ladder last night to go roost in the coop so that was esxciting and they needed a lil gentle persuaion walking down the ladder this morning to feed and play in their pen but all are eating and drinking well and loving teh grass in their pen lol. Will get a tray lined with playsand for their dustbaths today as well.

[Gardenwitch]

Girls have been getting used to their pen today and happened to have quite a scuffuffal with a local cat that got in our back garden somehow! Chased cat away and blocked off the area I thiink it came in through, thank goodness the girls have a walk in pen so they were safe but what a commotion! Any ideas how to keep cats away from our garden it is fenced off with high fencing but i guess i need another deterent.

[Flummery]

How exciting for you all. I'm sure they can stand up for themselves with a cat!

[MaureenHall]

You've got the best cat defence there is .................. your chooks If the cat gets too close for their comfort, they'll stand up as tall as they can, flare out the feathers on their necks and open their wings. The cat will then think that these monsters are out to get him/her instead of the other way round and do a runner It's amazing to watch!

[Gardenwitch]

oh! good to know, i thought the chooks were scared of the cat, they stayed up in their coop for hours afterwards- i guess i'm more concerned than they are then

[Flummery]

What lovely little lasses! They have a way to go before they lay from the look of their combs (and the shape of their heads) - but they look healthy and interested. Smashing selection!

[Gardenwitch]

oh thanks flummery, so glad someone noticed my girls, I wanted to show them off! They do have about 4-6 weeks before they start to lay, they are a lil bit younger but we wanted to get them early so they could adjust and get comfy in their surroundings and feel safe before they starting laying.

Silly question though; the amber one we have has been "sneezing" ever since we brought her home 2 nights ago; is she sick?! Shes eating/drinking fine but I did notice shes also last one on the pecking order as well and every once in awhile Black betty my Maran just pecks her for seemingly no reason, Anything I should do for either of these situations?

[RedThorn]

Wow Gardenwitch They're a beautiful bunch. Think Isabella is particularly bootiful!

As to the pecking, they are just sorting out their pecking order. As long as there's no blood drawn, they should be ok. Noodle was the runt when we first got girls and now she's at the top of the pecking order and a bit of a bully. So everytime she goes a bit over the top, I pick her up and cuddle her while all the others eat their treats. Did you realise chickens eyes can be that expressive? she behaves most of the time now.

As to the sneezing, sorry but someone else should hopefully be along with more exp than me.