New girls

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Margaid

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Yesterday I collected two POL Exchequer Leghorns. They're housed in the small wooden house with attached run. When I opened the pop hole this morning it took them a while to come out but they flew down from the "veranda" and went straight for the warm food. Then they found the feeder, followed by the drinker.

Completely different character from the Welsummers who leg it out of the enclosure the instant the realise it's open. The leghorns seem to be reasonably content although still wary of me, and are somewhat restricted as they were running fairly free. Cocky and one of the hens were interested in them, when they came back to the enclosure for a snack, but there didn't seem to be any problems.

The run is a bit small but it's only until they're used to each other. I'm hoping to bring the other two Welsummers home next week once we've fitted the droppings board and long perches to the new hen house. I can see bedtime will be a problem as the Welsummers tuck themselves up at least half an hour before the Leghorns - who were cuddled up at one end of the perch, which is only two feet long in any case.

I'll try and take some photos over the weekend.
 
They sound lovely. I expect they will be vigorous flyers once they get their confidence. My Brown Leghorn flies up on top of the coop when I'm bending down to clean it out, and then walks on to my shoulders. She's the one who hops out if their enclosure with her vertical takeoff trick when I put them out to grass. Lovely bird, super white egg most days.
 
Mm, I was told by their breeder that when accidentally shut out of the run he found one of them roosting in a holly tree. I don't know whether they flew back up to the coop or whether they used the ladder. One of them climbed up a few rungs when I gave them their treats tonight but i didn't see them "go to bed".

One of them had started laying apparently but the cold and move will no doubt upset things for a bit.
 
I need to think about giving them some more space, although they are much smaller than the Welsummers. They behave much more like the description of chickens - emerging from the pop hole and going straight for the food. Had to clear ice out of both drinkers again this morning. They spend a lot of time in the house but I think they were more sheltered in their previous home, so as well as trying to provide a bit more outdoor space the run needs some protection from the wind. They are quite happily using the ladder although there is also enough room for them to fly up - we built a slatted platform the full width of the house/run to give them room to land and perch. I may add something similar to the new house.
 
I love the elegant beauty of the Leghorn shape - so streamlined and slim from end to end - a bit like a Viking long ship in outline. So different from the comfortable, frilly outline of Marigold with her capacious golden knickers exploding all round her bum!
 
Still no eggs from the new girls but at lunchtime I divided the electric enclosure so I could let them out of the tiny run attached to their house but still keep them separate from the Welsummers. It took the slightly bigger girl all of 5 minutes to discover the open door. It's cold and damp here today so they were in the house; I called them a bit and one came to the pophole. When I left them to it, she came out on to the "veranda" then flew down straight out through the door. They're now both happily wandering around in their own enclosure. Cocky and his two girls came to see if I'd brought their treats (I hadn't - it's too early) then they walked around the outside of the electric netting, keeping pace with the Leghorns. They have now returned to the damp patch by the hedge which is obviously a good hunting ground for bugs.

Yesterday Cocky (typical male) was very interested in the two new pretty girls in their run and totally ignored his faithful wives , so they wandered off. We then had 5 minutes of incessant crowing because he couldn't find them. He suddenly spotted them right the other side of the field and set off at a fast run to catch them up. Later on, Pink hen who is bottom of the trio's pecking order, decided to show the Leghorns that they were beneath her. There was the head bobbing that cock pheasants do and a few flutters against the wire, spurs to the fore. I'll have to keep an eye on them when I finally let them mix.
 
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