A new chicken keeper

[amanda58]

Hi all,

We have a new addition to our family - a beautiful chook. Golden coloured - very nice natured. It was left in the local indoor bowling alley just before midnight on Saturday night by group of young boys. It was a stormy night and she was quite frightened. My daughter rescued her and brought her home.

By now she is firmly ensconced in our backyard and I am trying to rapidly skill about keeping chickens. My husband made us a hasty chook-shed. After spending night one in the shed Fifi seemed to turn her nose up at her new home so she again spent night two in the shed! After looking at your site I realise that the shed will need more warmth with wooden boxes etc. Hubby will source more materials and get to work as the week goes by - and maybe this weekend if need be. I will again try to get mealworms and breed them (I had birds years ago and it seems that chooks love them too)

Your site will be very helpful. Thank a lot. We have not seen an egg yet but are hopeful! I have always wanted to have some chooks. I assume that they are 'pack animals' so will now have to investigate getting others. We have a small dog (a Schnauzer) and she can be a bit snappy but all seems fine although we watch her carefully when Fifi is out in the garden. Amanda

 

[Fierlin1182]

Hi and

That's great that you guys are giving the chicken a home! Yea, she will appreciate other birds to hang out with. It might take her a while to get used to sleeping in the coop, a lot of the time you have to put the chooks in there for the night for a few days before they get the hang of it.

Do you know how old Fifi is? You can expect eggs when the hen's comb turns bright red. (Or, if she's an older hen, she might be past laying age)

 

[amanda58]

Thanks very much.If the comb is the bit on the top of the head it is very small and light red. I am not sure how old she is. Is there any way to tell? She looks fully grown but is not a really big chook - bigger than a batnam but not huge. She has some skin around her eyes showing and that is pinky coloured too. Will put more fixtures and fittings into the coop and try again soon. Quite a cold winter in South Australia so we will try to make it more homey for her.

 

[GatewayGirl]

Being cold or not properly fed (who knows how long she was lost before the storm) or wormy or stressed can also cause them to lose color in their comb ... as I was reading, I just thought you had to be from AU ... welcome! I'm new here, (BYC), too.

Maybe a heat lamp (usually red, 150-250 watt, not directly over her) will help calm her some, so she doesn't feel so lonely. Lots of nesting material. Meal worms are great, but they need feed and grit, too. I'd hate to think what the poor dear went thru ... but she's already forgotten all of that!

Great job to your daughter for being so thoughtful - and you all for supporting the efforts. Most folks'd think it was too much trouble.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Being cold or not properly fed (who knows how long she was lost before the storm) or wormy or stressed can also cause them to lose color in their comb ... as I was reading, I just thought you had to be from AU ... welcome!  I'm new here, (BYC), too.

Maybe a heat lamp (usually red, 150-250 watt, not directly over her) will help calm her some, so she doesn't feel so lonely.  Lots of nesting material.  Meal worms are great, but they need feed and grit, too.  I'd hate to think what the poor dear went thru ... but she's already forgotten all of that!

Great job to your daughter for being so thoughtful - and you all for supporting the efforts.  Most folks'd think it was too much trouble.

Amanda: If the comb (yes, you got it right ) is small and pinky it could either mean young hen or old hen. it would be helpful if you could put a picture up here so we can have a look and help you figure it out.

By the way, if you are in Australia, so am I.

 

[sumi]

Wow, what a story!

 

[amanda58]

Thanks Very much. I am in Adelaide. She is actually very calm now. Not sure if she was found out in the storm by a group of girls who dumped her inside the local bowling alley. She was left there a few minutes before midnight by 6 teenage boys so I hope that she was destined for something satanic at midnight. If so, perhaps they "chickened out"- no pun intended. By now she has cost us close to $75 - chicken house materials, feed etc etc so we are are hoping for a few eggs. I will try to get my family to take a photo for me to upload. She does not seem to be at all perturbed by the dog but we are watching them carefully at all times. Thanks for your kind advice.

 

[mkcolls]

from Ohio!

 

[amanda58]

Thanks! Not sure what BYC is - someone else used that. Maybe it is an American expression that us Aussies do not know. Fifi is in the shed for night 2 but will soon need to go into her own home.

 

[philbfarm]

BYC is an abbreviation of "Backyard Chickens", this site....I am so glad you saved Fifi. I sure hope she is a girl. You did a wonderful thing saving her, and I am sure she will repay you with much entertainment and hopefully many eggs! Welcome