So myself and Eric took Meredith for the ‘walk’ up the lane. I had to put her down on Sunday because the eye had become infected again but it was just a lump of oozing puss now. Dont like culling the chicks but have to if its for the best. So, sad to see her go because she was chuckling away full of life, but just the mycoplasma hadn’t left her system in time and returned full blast. She was wobbling and off balance Saturday so I seperared her. Unlike the last time, she put up a huge fight. I got her in the cat box and when I took her out she screamed as if I was hurting her somehow, whereas the last time she was sick she was just limp when I held her. Her poor sister was out looking for her Sunday evening when it was pitch black, she was pacing up and down the coop.
They all got new feeders at the weekend, the eggs are still a comin… will be giving them LOADS of garlic this weekend to keep their immune systems up.
I put Meredith, the one eyed chicken – back into the main coop inside today. She stuck around in a corner on her own for about an hour but then slowly, began to re-introduce herself and strut her stuff, all over again! She pecked Hanah & Bailey hard in the ass, which wish I caught it on video. They definitely all have little personalities. Stripe is officially a *woman* (Hen) now.
Yesterday I was bitterly disapointed to find that Meredith could open her eye, but that the infection had completely blinded her. I dont know whether or not to let her back in with the rest today because she is now blind in one eye. It was a little uncomfortable to watch her, she could hear me but had to turn the head to see me.
But on a more positive note, I suspect two hens are laying now. We would normally get two eggs a day but Meredith was laying one of those eggs and with her removed, it was just one egg every couple of days. Yesterday, there was two eggs and today there was three. I am absolutely thrilled. Its good to see eggs after all this time!
I think Stripe is laying because of her roaring red comb and its a toss up between Izzie & Bailey.
Eric was starving today lying on the couch with his badly sprained ankle, waiting for me to make some lunch like I had promised. He was not impressed to see that the 5 potatoes I had cooked in the microwave were for the hens! This prompted me to post what I feed the girls, which after reading I realised they may be a little spoiled!
The weather has turned pretty bad here in the last few days, gale winds and long blustery days have left the hens soaking wet (they look so cute when they’ve been out in the rain) and also their defences a little down. Thats why I’m giving the girl’s apple cider vinegar, to boost their systems.
Every morning, they girls start the day off with a trough full of warm weetabix and oats. Instead of milk, I pour hot water over everything enough to soak the oats and wet the weetabix. Its been pretty cold in the mornings lately and they come running out of the coop when they hear me coming in the mornings for their porridge. The heat helps keep them warm, sometimes because they are so sick of being ‘cooped up’ without fresh air and sunlight, they stay out even when its lashing rain. They get soaked to the bone so at least I know they had a warm breakfast. Also, I can hardly run out and dry them with a towel! )
As well as the above, I give the hens a mandatory helping of layers pellets. This provides all the nutrients they need for laying and something to peck at when all the goodies are gone.
As well as the warm breakfast, I’ve been treating them occasionally to a warm supper. This is nothing special! Don’t start thinking I’m crazy, but its important to look after hens in Winter. They start to molt and it can be a very stressful time for them.
A quick and easy treat I would give is beans and bread.
Another wee recipe I cooked up is as follows:-
Potatoes, oil, boiled eggs and herbs.
Heres all the ingredients I used.
End ups looking like this:-
When I brought it out to the hens they went nutty natz for it!
There have been severel changes since the last post. Meredith had to be put to sleep and I ended up getting two more hens. I called the two newbies Meredith the 2nd and Jo-Jo. Meredith & Jo-Jo ended up battering my other five hens, they took over the roost, would not allow anyone to eat, drink or sleep but after two weeks they settled down and all are living in harmony. The new girls are beautiful, they have fiery red feathers but milky white, very whispy colours in their crown and throughout their plummage.
The two new girls have laid over 30 eggs since we bought them in late September. They would religiously go into the nesting box to lay at 10.30am each morning, screech away and then come out proudly to have some food and a drink. The eggs these two produce are fanastic. Very healthy shells and the inside tastes divine. Supermarket eggs (eggs from the battery hens) are tasteless. Its like eating an egg from the future, manufacturted to look like an egg but it tastes like cardboard. The laying has almost stopped now, these past few October days have been windy, dark and much cooler. They havn’t been getting enough sunlight in order to lay so they are on their ‘holidays’. Chickens can normally lay around 250 eggs a year so when the winter months come in they take that much needed rest.
In Spring, Hannah, Stripe and Bailey should all be laying, and I cant wait to see Bailey’s ( a Welsummer) eggs.
Okay so I made a call by chance as I wasn’t able to get any pullets in my search for laying hens, and I got through to a guy actually selling year old pullets. All looked well, so I ventured down and came home with three big momma’s. Stripe is no longer the leader and when these guys got inside Stripe made a peck at Izzie and Izzie let her know who was boss (By the way, this is called the ‘pecking order’ in chickenland). So the three teenagers were a little off put but there was not fighting. The teenagers went to bed and I was surpised to find Bailey in bed with them, all snuggled up. Even though Tatiana and Izzie are bigger than her, she is the most attentive and friendly of them all. She has established herself as “the big momma” and all seem to know it! So, I found Bailey in the nesting area with the three teens snUggled up to her, I was amazed, I think she has ‘taken them under her wing’!!!! Haha…. So heres a picture of Bailey herself, my favourite so far…
She loves any attention
And here is a picture of the other fine beasts we acquired – Tatiana and Izzie. They are timid, and not at all hostile to the teenagers, but tonight will be another story when they’re all the one bed together! Fingers crossed they will start laying soon. I found out another interesting fact about chickens today, the man I bought these three off told me that when the comb on top of their hed goes really red, that means they are laying. At the moment, Tatiana and Izzie have two majorly red combs on their heads and have had an excellent relaxing first day, so am hoping they will lay within the next week. Bailey’s head is turning red but still a little pinkish. The teenagers all have little pink stumps, it could be November before they start becoming hens yet.
Tatiana & Izzie
I also threw in some grass clippings today and they went mad! They were scratching it and throwing it up in the air. Eric threw in some bread and they loved that even more. Hours of entertainment! So we are delighted with them all. Meredith, Hannah, Bailey, Izzie, Tatiana & Stripe (Eric named her Stripe – not me!!!)
Finally, they are all here. We started off with Meredith ( Rhode Island Red) and Hannah and Stripe (Light Sussex). They’re only teenagers, and were very frightened of any human contact. Their first day in the coop was good, except they did not venture up the stairs to the nesting area and had to be shown for two nights. On the third night.. horray! I went out to put them in and they were inside the nesting area buried in the straw nesting. I am delighted they settled well.
Meredith is on the far right, the brown one. Hannah is the smallest of them all in the middle and Stripe is on the far left, and Stripe is the boss (at the moment).
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