A
Anonymous
Guest
Well today we got opur first chickens.Still pleased and excited 
.We got them through the ex-battery welfare trust,I didn't ask what breed/hybrid they are but am assuming they are light sussex/rhode island red.
I am sad,and had decided on their names before we got them.....what is probably sadder are the names that I chose,
Clucky,Chicky,Chirpy and Cheepy :mrgreen: well I like the names :lol: .
We got them at 3pm today,and,I was expecting them to look awfull,but they don't. O.k.,their wattles are very pale pink and limp,the underside of their necks is threadbare,and slightly tufty in other places where feathers are lose.Their eyes are bright,Chicky is really inquisative,I think she'll be the boss,the most stressed seems to be Cheepy,not quite as confident as the others.
By the time we got home,it was gone 5pm.I put all of them into their new home,and left them for a while,probably about an hour.I did need to let my 7 dogs,(5 whippets and 2 terriers) out to go to toilet,and supervised them around the hen house.
When I opened the door,Chicky,Clucky and Chirpy were snuggled up together in the nest box.I was cocncerned that Cheepy was lying down on the hen house floor with her neck outstretched.All though the others were snuggled up,their heads were up.Then Chicky came out of the nest box and walked over Cheepy.
I decided that Cheepy was slightly shocked,from travelling from her cage to a Farm,then being put in a box and travelling for another couple of hours,then being put in a strange house with strange hens.As it was still daylight,just,I picked them all up and placed them in their run.I wanted them to have the opportunity to have some food and water.
Chicky straight away ate the ex-batt crumb,tried the grass-not quite to her liking and checked out the run.Really pleased to find the grit......
Cheepy went to the end of the run,she pecked a bit of grass,and did look more alert.All of them had heads and tails up.
At 8.30pm,Chicky decided it was bedtime,and went up the run to bed,she was closely followed by Chirpy.
Clucky and Cheepy were busy eating the crumb,then Clucky started to eye up the ramp,but didn't attempt to go up it.As it was rapidly getting darker,I picked them up and put them to bed.
In the morning,I will open their door,and leave them to make their own way down for breakfat.
Cheepy did seem better after spending some time outside,so hopefully by the morning she will feel more confident.
I'll be keeping a close eye on all of them,but especially her.
.We got them through the ex-battery welfare trust,I didn't ask what breed/hybrid they are but am assuming they are light sussex/rhode island red.I am sad,and had decided on their names before we got them.....what is probably sadder are the names that I chose,
Clucky,Chicky,Chirpy and Cheepy :mrgreen: well I like the names :lol: .We got them at 3pm today,and,I was expecting them to look awfull,but they don't. O.k.,their wattles are very pale pink and limp,the underside of their necks is threadbare,and slightly tufty in other places where feathers are lose.Their eyes are bright,Chicky is really inquisative,I think she'll be the boss,the most stressed seems to be Cheepy,not quite as confident as the others.
By the time we got home,it was gone 5pm.I put all of them into their new home,and left them for a while,probably about an hour.I did need to let my 7 dogs,(5 whippets and 2 terriers) out to go to toilet,and supervised them around the hen house.
When I opened the door,Chicky,Clucky and Chirpy were snuggled up together in the nest box.I was cocncerned that Cheepy was lying down on the hen house floor with her neck outstretched.All though the others were snuggled up,their heads were up.Then Chicky came out of the nest box and walked over Cheepy.
I decided that Cheepy was slightly shocked,from travelling from her cage to a Farm,then being put in a box and travelling for another couple of hours,then being put in a strange house with strange hens.As it was still daylight,just,I picked them all up and placed them in their run.I wanted them to have the opportunity to have some food and water.
Chicky straight away ate the ex-batt crumb,tried the grass-not quite to her liking and checked out the run.Really pleased to find the grit......
Cheepy went to the end of the run,she pecked a bit of grass,and did look more alert.All of them had heads and tails up.
At 8.30pm,Chicky decided it was bedtime,and went up the run to bed,she was closely followed by Chirpy.
Clucky and Cheepy were busy eating the crumb,then Clucky started to eye up the ramp,but didn't attempt to go up it.As it was rapidly getting darker,I picked them up and put them to bed.
In the morning,I will open their door,and leave them to make their own way down for breakfat.
Cheepy did seem better after spending some time outside,so hopefully by the morning she will feel more confident.
I'll be keeping a close eye on all of them,but especially her.
