The Day Has Arrived; I got my rescue girls!

[Unexpected chicken lover]

By

Carol, Maggie, Michonne, and Daryl. Four ladies* who have been through Hell and come out the other side stronger. I was going to call one Everdeen but it just didn't seem to fit... so one is going to be Daryl.

Absolutely love it!!! Another member has a harry potter themed flock and i went bonkers over that too lol

 

[Aerliss]

By

Absolutely love it!!! Another member has a harry potter themed flock and i went bonkers over that too lol

Magic chickens!

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

Magic chickens!

Yesssss...now they need to walk around with sticks in their beaks n my life will be complete

 

[Aerliss]

Had to take one into the shed at bed time. She was sticking her head through the hole and making plaintive noises, but not going in. I think it might have been too dark by the time she decided to go in? She was the last. Light only comes into the shed through the roof vent, which is covered to keep out the rain, and the pop hole. I am going to add some more ventilation on the sides which will help with the light also.

The biggest one has to wiggle a bit to get through the hole. So that was amusing. Guess I need a bigger cat flap...

The hen who went straight for the nesting box still hasn't come out. Hopefully she'll come out for breakfast tomorrow. Could be she's just more skittish than the others. Could be that the stress was too much and I'll only have three tomorrow. Or could be that it's so dark in that corner box that she fell asleep... Either way I'll be removing her from it tomorrow and seeing how she is. Fingers crossed.

 

[drumstick diva]

Thank you so much for rescuing these poor girls, I can tell from the start they were mighty happy to be living at your place. I wonder if the one who stays in the nest box, is going "broody," that's when they want to sit on eggs and hatch them. Sometimes the urge is so great they will even sit on rocks, or leaves or nothing at all.

Do you know if she is eating and drinking well and sometimes joining the others. She may be very frightened or sick.

 

[Aerliss]

I really hope she's not broody. It's practically bred out of commercial stock, but there's still a possibility. She didn't come out at all yesterday.

I'm going to get her out this morning and see how she is. Will update shortly. Unfortunately it's raining.

 

[Aerliss]

She's out of the box. Huzzah! And she is just so pretty. But very skittish. Making a lot of noises at me.

So I guess she's Daryl.

 

[Aerliss]

Two eggs, but one was without a shell. I think they ate the contents. The other has calcium deposits in the ends and waz a little bloody but not overly.

Big boss hen is currently in a box so I might get at least another. Woohoo!

Poops were mostly nice and firm, but one was very watery and scatter gun. Not sure who (sun rises at like 4am here, I am not getting up that early on a Sunday). Hopefully just a bit of stress and they'll all be pooping nicely soon.

 

[Aerliss]

They are surprisingly easy to heard. They'll protest, but they'll go where I'm herding them. I hope that sticks...

 

[Aerliss]

Four eggs laid. One dud (I'm guessing the skittish one from yesterday), two with a little smearing of blood, one absolutely perfect, but on the floor instead of in a box (thanks, Carol). I'd say not bad for the first day in their retirement home.

My rabbits don't know what to make of them. Milo started chasing them (which is weird because he's friendly with the cats, crows, and magpies), and Isaac stamped his feet and ran away. Hana doesn't do "outside". She's afraid of everything from slugs on up, so I don't think the chickens will be a big hit.

They really like the FF feed I had ready for them, and the compost heap is a huge hit.

I want to thank this whole community for giving me the info I needed to have everything set up well for them. You've all helped give these girls a good retirement.