UK Members Please Say HI

[boudiccasmummy]

My six feathered ladies; Boudicca, Ginger-Ninja, Chicken-licken, Layla, Harriet and Henny-Penny; at breakfast time. Experiment with the new (to us) feeding method of Warm Mash. They absolutely love it...

 

[Luddite]

My six feathered ladies; Boudicca, Ginger-Ninja, Chicken-licken, Layla, Harriet and Henny-Penny; at breakfast time. Experiment with the new (to us) feeding method of Warm Mash. They absolutely love it...

I used to feed my Leghorns on warm mash many years ago - it was the recommended way 40 years ago. They loved it too. However, I didn't much like the smell of it cooking, lol.

 

[Mrscreany]

Hi uk members, I live in Lowton, near Wigan. Got 2 beautiful hens and 3 baby chicks, courtesy of our local primary school for free

 

[ooRachyoo]

My six feathered ladies; Boudicca, Ginger-Ninja, Chicken-licken, Layla, Harriet and Henny-Penny; at breakfast time. Experiment with the new (to us) feeding method of Warm Mash. They absolutely love it...

Oooo that sounds good do you just add hot water ?
My girls love oats and pumpkin seeds for breakfast
Yes they are spoilt

 

[boudiccasmummy]

Oooo that sounds good do you just add hot water ?
My girls love oats and pumpkin seeds for breakfast
Yes they are spoilt

yes...It's a special chook mash from the farm shop. I just add hot water n it soaks it all up n makes it really yummy for my girlies. It costs about a fiver for 20kg bag so seems like good value.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Barbara

How's your flock? All good I hope? I've got more eggs in again for my sins!! 28 set this time, just polish ones this time no cross chicks. I've still got 4 cross chicks from my last hatch. Just over 2 weeks old and I've heard one practicing crowing already!! I'm not sure which one though as they are in the shed. Still got 3 also for my Mum just waiting for her to get organised with the coop and run. Have you done any processing? How about broodies?


Horses all ok? Harry been good and I'm still making the effort with him. Been out about 4 times per week, that's good for us. Hoping when the weather is good to go on a pub run with my friend. It's a lovely hack there on a track through fields.

Hope your well

 

[boudiccasmummy]

Hi Barbara

How's your flock? All good I hope? I've got more eggs in again for my sins!! 28 set this time, just polish ones this time no cross chicks. I've still got 4 cross chicks from my last hatch. Just over 2 weeks old and I've heard one practicing crowing already!! I'm not sure which one though as they are in the shed. Still got 3 also for my Mum just waiting for her to get organised with the coop and run. Have you done any processing? How about broodies?


Horses all ok? Harry been good and I'm still making the effort with him. Been out about 4 times per week, that's good for us. Hoping when the weather is good to go on a pub run with my friend. It's a lovely hack there on a track through fields.

Hope your well

I really enjoy reading about the horses as well as the chooks. Any chance of a horsey forum?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi @boudiccasmummy Hows you? All well I hope? Yes I like chatting about horses too. Here is a thread in this link for horses ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/934701/regarding-the-horses-in-our-lives/0_20

There are quite a few members on there with horses and a good variety of horse related activities.

I'm just off to put crazy Harry out!! He came in last night with the weather being rubbish, first night in for about 6 weeks so I'm thinking he may be a little wild! If not he will be stiff from being stood in.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi YC.

Putting 10 eggs under my broody Tasha, today. Sadly my black copper marans died on Friday without warning. She was fine in the morning and I found her dead, (cold and stiff) in the stack yard when I went to lock up. I'm going to include a couple of her eggs in the clutch.... her last two eggs both hatched cockerels, so I hope I will be more lucky this time. I intend to do a post mortem later today when I find time, to see if I can establish what she died of..

Amazingly, Rascal survived the feed room break in with no ill effects, but is badly lame on his near hind since Sun night. I've started him on bute and cold packs, but if he is no better this morning it will be a vet call out. It started off hot at the front of his hock but it's now starting to get hot and swollen all the way from the pastern to above the hock. He had a similar problem with a front leg last autumn and was put on antibiotics(Noridine) as well as bute and had to have compression bandages as swelling was scarily massive and he couldn't bend the knee. Hoping I've caught it early enough this time to not need vet and antibs. I'm guessing it is lyphangitis but there is no apparent wound for infection to have got in and set it off.
MeMe managed to open up her over reach injury again on Sunday, so she is out of action for a while. I'd had two really nice, steady rides out on her recently and been so careful to keep her collected, so that she didn't catch it, but I obviously wasn't careful enough on Sun. I'd even rasped her hind hooved before we went out, to shorten the toes as much as possible and round off any sharp edges but she still caught it. (she's barefoot behind and I trim them myself most of the time but the blacksmith checks them over when he comes to put her front shoes on). Of course her heel is raw and swollen again now and therefore much more likely to get hit again and I can't put an over reach boot on as it just rubs it raw. Argh!,
Looks like Rebel is going to be going out solo for a while. or perhaps my sister will bring one of hers over and ride out with me. Not taking him out today in this wind though. He's sharp at the best of times, but on his own in this wind, I would be pushing my luck.

It's great that you can ride to the pub. I might have to look into the possibilities for that. I am hoping to book a couple of days away with my sister and 2 of our horses up on the Scottish border. A friend of my partner has a farm and B&B up there that does holiday livery and it would be lovely to take them away and ride somewhere new. I've also promised a friend that we will do a Spa Break.... 'm I desperately in need of it! There are some hot stones with my name on them somewhere!!

Think that's all my news.... apart from swarming season having started early. I've caught and hived 3 so far but there will be 8-10 more to come. Weather is not being kind to the bees at the moment and the first swarm was horribly grumpy about it and took it out on me! Never known a swarm be so unpleasant to handle. My hands were like marigold gloves that have been inflated by the time I got them sorted! It's a while since I reacted so badly to stings. Little rat bags! Thankfully the other two were placid and well behaved.

Good luck with your hatch. Can't believe you have a cockerel crowing at 2 weeks. Mine are 6 weeks now and they wouldn't dare! Harry and Henry would be on them like a ton of bricks for being so audacious. And no, I still haven't processed any more of the big lads.... I always manage to find another more urgent job and I'm being supplied with meat in exchange for eggs and honey and bees, (I seem to be acquiring a knack for bartering goods.... actually, it's not strictly bartering, as I give things away to people and they give me something back but there is no obligation on either part..... It's a really nice arrangement. Actually I'm also getting marmalade and herb plants in exchange for eggs too and one lady is going to make me some cheese scones, which I love but never have time to bake.

That's definitely all my news now. Hope Harry wasn't too frisky this morning. Great to hear that you are managing to ride him so often.
Must go now and see if I'm going to need a vet today.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[hikaribug]

Incredibly long shot but my friends in Corsham, Wiltshire have just found a fancy breed chick in their garden - one with feathered feet. They are looking after her/him overnight and then calling the RSPCA and local vets in the morning.

If anyone in the area has lost a chick / young bird please message me with a description. Thanks!


edit :: they found the owner