Newbie to chicken keeping.

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JulieCM

In the Brooder
Feb 1, 2018
9
26
38
NSW Australia
Hi everyone,

I had a chicken (hen) fly into my yard about 5 weeks ago. A friend identified her as a Rhode Island Red. I have never owned a chicken before and no one has come to claim her. She has made a temp home for herself on a tallboy/dresser shelf in the shed. She started to lay eggs around 3 weeks ago in one of the draws that i placed hay into. I have no idea on her age but she is laying eggs daily.

I got her some layer pellets and she goes a little crazy for rolled oats. Free ranges all day and hangs out with the dog. She will eat from your hand but will not by any circumstances let us touch her.

She was really sweet the first two weeks following me around the yard,at a good distance,but now she runs at my heels whenever I go outside. She hasn't pecked (yet) but i'm waiting for it and feeling a bit intimidated. Is this the start of aggressive behaviour? (I am new to these forums, so I do apologise if I have posted in an incorrect section!) Thanks for reading :)
 
Welcome to byc! You didn’t post in the wrong section, all she is doing is that she has bonded with you and enjoys being with you, my rir does the same thing and she loves snuggling. When they do peck it’s usually a quick bite and it can leave you a little sore but unless the really grip down then it shouldn’t do too much damage. It’s okay to be intimidated at first(I was too) but once you do get bit/pecked you’ll get more confident but don’t get cocky or you’ll get bit harder and harder
 
G’Day from down under Julie :frow Welcome!

I have lost count of how many times I have read where chickens have decided that they would like a new owner and wander off and find one! LOL Sounds like your girl has made a great choice and you are doing a good job! :clap

If you post a picture or two of her on the Breed or Gender Forum someone should be able to identify her.

At the risk of being an enabler, you might want to find her a friend or two, chickens are flock animals and love the company of other chickens.

I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

If you include your general location on your profile, this will assist others. Location, climate, season etc can be important factors when members are responding to any questions you may have.

You might want to also Find Your State Thread and pop in and say hello.

BYC has a Learning Centre and also Topic of the Week articles which I have found to be a great resource and a one stop shop for questions which may have already been discussed within the BYC membership group.

If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your girl, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out ;)
 
JulieCM said:
Hi everyone,

I had a chicken (hen) fly into my yard about 5 weeks ago. A friend identified her as a Rhode Island Red. I have never owned a chicken before and no one has come to claim her. She has made a temp home for herself on a tallboy/dresser shelf in the shed. She started to lay eggs around 3 weeks ago in one of the draws that i placed hay into. I have no idea on her age but she is laying eggs daily.

I got her some layer pellets and she goes a little crazy for rolled oats. Free ranges all day and hangs out with the dog. She will eat from your hand but will not by any circumstances let us touch her.

She was really sweet the first two weeks following me around the yard,at a good distance,but now she runs at my heels whenever I go outside. She hasn't pecked (yet) but i'm waiting for it and feeling a bit intimidated. Is this the start of aggressive behaviour? (I am new to these forums, so I do apologise if I have posted in an incorrect section!) Thanks for reading :)
Click to expand...
:frow :welcome
 
Teila said:
G’Day from down under Julie :frow Welcome!

I have lost count of how many times I have read where chickens have decided that they would like a new owner and wander off and find one! LOL Sounds like your girl has made a great choice and you are doing a good job! :clap

If you post a picture or two of her on the Breed or Gender Forum someone should be able to identify her.

At the risk of being an enabler, you might want to find her a friend or two, chickens are flock animals and love the company of other chickens.

I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

If you include your general location on your profile, this will assist others. Location, climate, season etc can be important factors when members are responding to any questions you may have.

You might want to also Find Your State Thread and pop in and say hello.

BYC has a Learning Centre and also Topic of the Week articles which I have found to be a great resource and a one stop shop for questions which may have already been discussed within the BYC membership group.

If you would like to share Pictures and Stories of your girl, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out ;)
Click to expand...
Hello, I'm from Australia too. Wollongong NSW. Thanks for introducing yourself and providing info on how to navigate this site. - much appreciated :)
 

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