worthysmum
New member
And it feels like six months 
09 what an introduction I've had, but has it put me off, nope just love having the chooks. As some of you know I bought my very first chickens from an auction, not something I ever intend to do again. I bought a pair of blue splash orpingtons and three columbian brahma bantams. They all mixed together from the word go, lovely. Then three days later the two orpingtons started with symptoms of a cold, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal discharge and a cough. Even on antibiotics from the vet the cockerel went down hill fast, at one point he did'nt have the strength to lift his beak from the floor nor open his eyes. He was under a heat lamp, he never ate a thing for nearly a week so every couple of hours I syringed warm honey and water into him, bathed his eyes and nose to free him from the thick yellow snot that poured from him almost constantly. I even had to wash his bottom twice a day as the antibiotics gave him awful diarrohea, not being able to stand he just laid in it. But thankfully he recovered and is now bouncing with health. He is a lovely big man and is so kind. I am actually amazed at how different their characters are, never really having given chickens much thought apart from whether to have roast or mash with them 
After he recovered I posted a picture on here along with his wife, only to find out from Chuck, that he thought the wife was actually a husband! I must admit that once I studied him and looking at endless pics of cokerels and hens on the net I too was 99% sure she was a he and I was harbouring a drag queen in my flock. After much debate with my partner we decided that Maralynn as we had called her could stay, and I renamed her Mrs Doubtfire to cover all bases. I then decided I had to add a couple more hens, as having two large boys with three tiny girls was'nt feasible for the obvious reasons. So I located a lady with some chickens for sale, she was moving to a smaller property so had to part with fifty or so hens. She had a pair of black orpington girls, perfect. My partner and I set off last saturday to collect the girls, it was a beautiful place, in the middle of nowhere, just acres of fields. The ladys husband met us and walked us down to the chickens paddock which was about an acre in size all fenced and gated. As we walked in the sight we saw was absolutely heart breaking. There were dead chickens scattered every where, a fox had dug under the fencing and all but a handful of birds were laying dead. A barnvelder who was broody and sat tight on her eggs had survived, three little pekin cockerels, a sussex and two little Mulberry blue bantams. It was a sight I hope I never see again. I came home with the prescious two mulberry blue girls whom I'm sure felt very lucky to be alive.
My little lot accepted the two new girls with very little hassle. A few pecks and squawks and they have all intergrated well. So now I have the three brahma girls, Fizz who is an intrepid bug and fly hunter, she spends all day stalking flies, she leaps and runs across the run rarely catching one but so full of enthusiasm at other times she stalks them with all the stealth of a big cat, she is just adorable. Jazz who is a drama queen and always with Grayson the cockerel. Miss clara cluck who is with out doubt a little trouble maker, always one to start an argument then legs it whilst some one else sorts it out. I've only had the new girls a week today and they are still a little nervous and unsettled so I will have to wait and see what their personalities will be. I've called them Dilly and Spangle. Mrs Doubtfire is very quiet and reserved, graceful like a gazelle and very much a loner. This I have put down to the gender confusion
Anyways, my introduction to keeping chickens as a relaxing hobby, yeah right, has indeed been eventful. It hasnt put me off and I feel as if I have learnt so much already. This morning Mrs Doubtfire laid an egg :shock: so he has been a she all along albeit a butch one 07
09 what an introduction I've had, but has it put me off, nope just love having the chooks. As some of you know I bought my very first chickens from an auction, not something I ever intend to do again. I bought a pair of blue splash orpingtons and three columbian brahma bantams. They all mixed together from the word go, lovely. Then three days later the two orpingtons started with symptoms of a cold, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal discharge and a cough. Even on antibiotics from the vet the cockerel went down hill fast, at one point he did'nt have the strength to lift his beak from the floor nor open his eyes. He was under a heat lamp, he never ate a thing for nearly a week so every couple of hours I syringed warm honey and water into him, bathed his eyes and nose to free him from the thick yellow snot that poured from him almost constantly. I even had to wash his bottom twice a day as the antibiotics gave him awful diarrohea, not being able to stand he just laid in it. But thankfully he recovered and is now bouncing with health. He is a lovely big man and is so kind. I am actually amazed at how different their characters are, never really having given chickens much thought apart from whether to have roast or mash with them After he recovered I posted a picture on here along with his wife, only to find out from Chuck, that he thought the wife was actually a husband! I must admit that once I studied him and looking at endless pics of cokerels and hens on the net I too was 99% sure she was a he and I was harbouring a drag queen in my flock. After much debate with my partner we decided that Maralynn as we had called her could stay, and I renamed her Mrs Doubtfire to cover all bases. I then decided I had to add a couple more hens, as having two large boys with three tiny girls was'nt feasible for the obvious reasons. So I located a lady with some chickens for sale, she was moving to a smaller property so had to part with fifty or so hens. She had a pair of black orpington girls, perfect. My partner and I set off last saturday to collect the girls, it was a beautiful place, in the middle of nowhere, just acres of fields. The ladys husband met us and walked us down to the chickens paddock which was about an acre in size all fenced and gated. As we walked in the sight we saw was absolutely heart breaking. There were dead chickens scattered every where, a fox had dug under the fencing and all but a handful of birds were laying dead. A barnvelder who was broody and sat tight on her eggs had survived, three little pekin cockerels, a sussex and two little Mulberry blue bantams. It was a sight I hope I never see again. I came home with the prescious two mulberry blue girls whom I'm sure felt very lucky to be alive.My little lot accepted the two new girls with very little hassle. A few pecks and squawks and they have all intergrated well. So now I have the three brahma girls, Fizz who is an intrepid bug and fly hunter, she spends all day stalking flies, she leaps and runs across the run rarely catching one but so full of enthusiasm at other times she stalks them with all the stealth of a big cat, she is just adorable. Jazz who is a drama queen and always with Grayson the cockerel. Miss clara cluck who is with out doubt a little trouble maker, always one to start an argument then legs it whilst some one else sorts it out. I've only had the new girls a week today and they are still a little nervous and unsettled so I will have to wait and see what their personalities will be. I've called them Dilly and Spangle. Mrs Doubtfire is very quiet and reserved, graceful like a gazelle and very much a loner. This I have put down to the gender confusion
Anyways, my introduction to keeping chickens as a relaxing hobby, yeah right, has indeed been eventful. It hasnt put me off and I feel as if I have learnt so much already. This morning Mrs Doubtfire laid an egg :shock: so he has been a she all along albeit a butch one 07
