NEW HENS!

[tortoiseSHELL]

Just brought my 2 new hens back - they are currently exploring their new run. Well. One of them is, the other is asleep on the edge of the dust bath(!). Hoping it's ok and we're not going to have a total poultry disaster!

The other two are shut in their house, much to their disgust, and once they're asleep, will let these two in. And set the alarm for EARLY to arbitrate!

The new ones are 2 Bovan Goldlines, they're very beautiful! As soon as dh has fixed his computer I PROMISE I will put some photos up.

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

Hey hey! It's so much nicer to have a little flock than just a couple! The 'brauu' noise will be more defined

I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm going to google for an image of Bovan Goldline but photo's of your hens soon please!!!

I'm sure they'll be fine after a night sleep by the way, particularly as your 'old' hens are actually still very young.

[tortoiseSHELL]

One of them is a bit of a bully I think - she's pecking the sleepy one's beak like anything, and the poor hen keeps trying to slink away, and the other one follows her pecking her beak. Poor little bird!

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

How did I manage to type 'I'm sure they'll be fine' twice. I look like a complete dunce!

Recognised the Goldlines as soon as I found a picture. I used to have some Bovan Nera's (the black ones)!

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

I usually have one 'head girl' hen that bullies the rest a bit. As long as she doesn't peck so much that she causes a wound (which she'll then really go at) it shouldn't matter. She may stop pecking altogether when she realises there are 2 other hens that have been there longer than her!

[tortoiseSHELL]

Yes, I'm hoping Ginger will put her in her place! Ginger is VERY feisty, and pecks us at every opportunity!

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

Go Ginger!

[tortoiseSHELL]

Well, they're safely tucked up in the henhouse - poor old Speckeldy Selina has been ousted from the nestbox by Honey, who is they bully Goldline. Couldn't see where Dopey had settled herself - too dark! I think her sleepiness was the result of being pecked in a cardboard box for 2 hours! Am going to get up extra early tomorrow, in fact don't think I will sleep tonight! Last night was kept awake by mating hedgehogs (SO loud!)

[tortoiseSHELL]

Didn't sleep too well last night - worrying about hens, and then dd came and jumped on us! This morning ,Dopey is fine, and Speckeldy Selina is keeping both Honey and Dopey in their places - in fact she's not really letting them out! Not too much pecking - a bit, but doesn't seem TOO violent yet!

[tortoiseSHELL]

We have an egg!!! How exciting! Not in the nest box (typical), but even so, a real life egg!!!!

[tortoiseSHELL]

TWO EGGS!

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

HURRAH!!!!!

Do you know who's laying?

Of the last 4 hens I bought, the speckledy laid an egg the same day I bought her home.

[tortoiseSHELL]

I think it's Dopey and Honey, the two new ones. The other two are being vile - really being horrible to the two new ones. They've had periods of quiet, but they're being really horrible to them now. Dopey and Honey seem quite feisty - they keep doing comic runs down the full length of the run, dodging the beaks as they go!

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

How funny are chickens? They might be a bit calmer when they're all laying. And by the time they stop laying to moult, they should be used to each other.

[tortoiseSHELL]

lol. Hoping they might be a bit calmer tomorrow. Having attached each other all day, Honey and Ginger are cuddled up together in the nest box. Mad birds.

[tortoiseSHELL]

ATTACKED not attached !

[ska]

congratulations - our new hens stated laying the same day too. we were very excited and the 'old' ones got used to them very quickly. You'll get even more addicted and need m,ore and more soon! Where did you get your new hens from? we are always looking for a good place to get hens from. and we also have 2 ducklings now - even more to get used to!

[tortoiseSHELL]

The new ones came from Cotswold Chickens near Banbury - they had so many really beautiful hens! I really hope tomorrow is a bit more peaceful for them!

[MegaLegilimens]

Yay for chickens and eggs!! Glad to hear the new ones are settling in, they'll be fine.

My Maran has gone broody - I was keeping it quiet this time after the disisater of Lulu my last broody (she is doing a fab job of looking after her chick Ziggy Neverland ( named by DS£!!)) Also didn't want to rub it in when you were having chicken probs TS.

She is sitting on 9 mostly speckeldy eggs, due to hatch on 26th

Did you ever get the PM results, was it salmonella?

[ska]

i'm sure it will be ok. we have introduced lot sof new hens over the years and you sound like you're doing it right (putting them in at night) so don't worry.

[MegaLegilimens]

DS3 not DS£ although that also suits!!

[MegaLegilimens]

Missed it, was it a new one. I heart HFW

[tortoiseSHELL]

Oh I didn't see that!

PM results were a bit of a let down after the promise of avian flu or salmonella . They basically said they found some Marek's disease (which she was vaccinated against, so could have been the vaccine) and a little coccidiosis - I think she basically didn't enjoy the move.

I PROMISE to put some pics up later. Haven't got any of the new pair yet, but have got some of Speckeldy and Ginger parading round the garden.

That sounds promising Megalegs - 9 eggs! Hope they hatch this time!

[TheDuchessOfFawkesBride]

I want to see Hugh Fearnley chicken programme.



I keep seeing dead foxes at the side of the road and it makes me happy. See what they've turned me into? Psycho chicken woman.

[tortoiseSHELL]

I've put a couple of pics on my profile, but not of the new ones - I'll try and take some today that have the house in as well. Eggs were yum!