My Chickens!

[Stanley]

Heres a few photos of my chickens!

 

[Marigold]

They're lovely - the ex-batts don't look too moth-eaten, all things considered, and it'll be great to see them getting more confident and fully-feathered. They can see what to aim for by looking at the other glossy hens! Stanley looks a bit bemused, though....

 

[foxy]

Lovely photos and healthy birds, the dottes look very nice, good quality birds. One of those newbies looks err.. rather macho?

 

[Stanley]

no i was quite suprised, 'Bethany' is looking really well tbh, and the little tiny one whos almost bald 'Brownyn' is actually very active eating loads and the most confident out the lot, she just doesnt look too great, really cant wait til theyre looking great, they seem quite happy though..
and yes, Stanley is well Stanley, hes so very spoilt.. but total opposite to a cockerel aswell!

their extremely funny (the dottes) theyre so full of energy, zooimg round the place bouncing off the walls, whereas the older hens i was given are just well normal, unless food is involved, and lol yes, poor thing, shes such a sweetie tho.. hopefully good as new soon

 

[Marigold]

One of those newbies looks err.. rather macho?

Well, who can blame her, with her world suddenly expanding at such a great rate -
'What's that, up there? Could it be sky? And what's all that funny green stuff? AND WHO ON EARTH IS HE!!!!'

 

[foxy]

Well those barred dottes look seriously good! 17

 

[Stanley]

thanks ive not had them too long, and im no chicken expert, so i have no idea what to look for, but they never looked too bad from my point of view

 

[foxy]

One of those newbies looks err.. rather macho?

Well, who can blame her, with her world suddenly expanding at such a great rate -
'What's that, up there? Could it be sky? And what's all that funny green stuff? AND WHO ON EARTH IS HE!!!!'

That's true...probably never seen a cockerel...they do say that some of the hens can take on a rather masculine appearance in the absence of a cockerel.. :shock:

 

[Stanley]

Few more of the 'Dottes

 

[chrismahon]

They are magnificent birds. Great feathering and very yellow legs. Tiny combs and wattles compared to our laced versions though. Our hens have the same sized comb and wattles as Stanley.

 

[Stanley]

thank you
yeah, i was thinking this, theyre still young-ish.. but compared to our other 'normal' hens they seem to be lacking in that department!
they're very pink too, and not red..

 

[cuwiar]

Hi Stanley, they are gorgeous are they laying yet? Maybe that could explain the small combs and wattles?

 

[Stanley]

thanks
and nope not yet, they genuinely seem to be having too much fun being chickens, as i said somewhere else, running round bouncing off the walls etc haha..
hopefully they will start to soon, and settle down to being 'ladies' not little delinquents hehe

 

[cuwiar]

Haha...'Ladottes to Ladies' :lol: Good luck to them...and you 17

I don't know much about chickens really but I know colour and size of the comb and wattles are significant to the laying status!!

 

[chrismahon]

That's more than I knew until someone told me last year Cuwiar. And we've had chickens nearly 5 years now. He also said if you put a flat had over their back they will squat ready to be trodden if they are about to lay. They start producing eggs internally a week before they actually lay one.

 

[cuwiar]

Yep, I've got the layer who squats when we stroke her back...am looking forward to the non-layers starting the squat routine...might make them easier to catch too! :lol:

 

[Stanley]

ooh thats very interesting, ill be keeping an eye on them

 

[foxy]

Popped into our big shed, we have some exhibtion girls in there ( well divas really... :roll: ) there was a lot of squatting, legs drumming and excited squarking when I entered...and then presented with 4 eggs...made me think, they actually need a boy in there!

 

[cuwiar]

As far as I know when their combs and wattles are full sized and turn from light pink to bright red they are starting their laying cycle. The combs of hens in moult or, I guess, 'egged' out will return to a light pink.

Also, did you know the colour of their ear lobes will determine the colour of their eggs. If they have white earlobes you'll get white eggs. Red earlobes and you'll get brown eggs.