Aaaaaaaaah - A month early!

[Noodle]

Sounds great! Maureen, that's why I volunteer, so I dont (always) feel the need to bring them all home!

[Glutton4...]

Where are you collecting from?

Sorry Hayley, not ignoring you - been busy building the Coop (bits missing, not enough screws - usual scenario) - the joys of 'flat-pack'!

I'm getting them through the Essex branch of the BHWT, and collecting them tomorrow lunch-time from someone in Great Totham. But the Hens themselves are being collected from somewhere in Surrey - Posh Birds - or Chavs?!

Off now to put up the electric fence in the sunny part of the garden then put feed into bins. My mum has decided it would be a good idea to let them loose in her veg plot to save her weeding it, so I expect they're in for a good time - hopefully one of them will get the big fat orange slug that keeps finding its way back in!

Thanks Maureen for the reminder about the Hay (I did follow the thread about Hay v Straw) Unfortunately, we don't use straw at the Stables so I'll use some of the shredded paper that I keep for packaging the stuff I sell on eBay!

Pics to follow...

G4

[vicky]

I'm getting them through the Essex branch of the BHWT, and collecting them tomorrow lunch-time from someone in Great Totham.
G4

You must be so excited!!
I suspect this is where I got mine from, if it's down a 100yards unmade road can I offer the advice to park on the road outside as it got VERY busy and just walk down with your basket!

Hope you have batteries in your camera as we will all be yelling for photos tomorrow!
Good luck and enjoy meeting your girls!

[HayleyB]

Thank you Glutton it's just that I'm on the list for Essex but not expecting to get mine until December so maybe I'll be a month ahead, now I'm getting eggxcited

[Glutton4...]

You must be so excited!!
I suspect this is where I got mine from, if it's down a 100yards unmade road can I offer the advice to park on the road outside as it got VERY busy and just walk down with your basket!

Hope you have batteries in your camera as we will all be yelling for photos tomorrow!
Good luck and enjoy meeting your girls!

Yes, I reckon it was the same place - just like Liverpool Street Station in the rush-hour! Except the Station's under cover. What with being uprooted from their warm house into a crate, followed by a journey in a trailer. Then unloaded in the wind and rain and being boxed up and put in a car for another journey - I'm surprised the Hens haven't all died of shock!

They're all tucked-up for the night in their new abode. I checked them half an hour ago, and they were quite warm, which pleased me a great deal. I felt so guilty not having a heat lamp for the poor buggers, but I don't think I need worry.

Pics tomorrow if I can tear myself away long-enough to put them on the pooter!

[vicky]

Well done!
Hope the weather improves a bit for them tomorrow, hope they've got some feathers or they're in for a bit of a shock... Mine still stand in the rain looking bewildered!

[Glutton4...]

Feather?

Poor buggers could do with a little fleece jumper each, only my sewing skills leave a lot to be desired.

Not too much rain forecast for tomorrow, when I last looked, so I will let them out for a ramble over my folks' enormous back lawn. They have a fenced-off (electric) area so the cat and dogs (and rabbits, muntjac and foxes) won't bother them. We have a few short fence panels sitting around, so I'll probably put up a wind-break too.

It's so upsetting to see them with hardly any feathers. They look almost pre-historic! I didn't want to stress them any further today, but will give them the 'once-over' tomorrow to make sure there's no damage to any of them.

I can't wait to discover their individual characters and traits, hopefully I will then begin to find names for them. I know they are hybrids, but does anyone know what sort of breeds/crosses they could be?

Pics tomorrow...

[MaureenHall]

I once asked what breed ex-batts are and they're a Rhode Island Red crossed with ................. forgot!! silly me They're all lovely though and once they get their new feathers they're all soft and silky and cuddly. Yours might be a bit wary about coming out of the coop tomorrow, don't worry though, just leave the door open for them and leave food and water where they can see it. Above all - -enjoy!

ps it's chucking it down with rain again here so my lot will be up to their knees in mud again tomorrow!!

[lynda66]

well this is my smile thread for today ..... can't wait to see the photos ...... think you better get knitting long scarves for them

i wanna see their faces when they get let out for the first time ...... *oopps got summat in my eye*

[lynda66]

I once asked what breed ex-batts are and they're a Rhode Island Red crossed with .................

was it warrens? that seems to ring a bell

[Glutton4...]

My Dad said probably Rhode Island Red x Light Sussex? Apparently it was a popular cross for the best layers when I was a kid (when my parents had chooks).

They had four little brown Hens and a large white Fella with green tail feathers - evil sod would chase my sister and I across the lawn and peck the backs of our legs (in the days when we wore skirts!). We'd scream in pain 'cos it hurt like hell! He did 'the business' with each of his ladies - then pecked them to death - put me off chickens for years!

[MaureenHall]

was it warrens? that seems to ring a bell

Yes I think it was, that seems to ring a bell with me too

[Flummery]

Warren is the name of the hybrid.

[lynda66]

lol,thought i'd seen something somewhere flum ..... glad i didn't imagine something to do with warrens

[lynda66]

G4 ..... are they up yet? have they come out yet, are they enjoying it, are they eating all your mums plants ....... wot's happeninggggggggg??

actually i'm not expecting an update till tea time, but we need the full day, and piccies ...... if you've actually managed to tear yourself away by then