new chooks

[raine]

hi all,3 ex-batts arrived today and are now tucked in for the night. Just wanted to say thank-you to all for your encouragement and knowledge, without which we wouldn't have got so far!
By the way, things that surprised us on day one
a) the size of chickens feet!
b) how vicious they can be to each other!
c) how noisey they CAN be!
What did other owners notice about their hens? you know, the kind of thing that you didn't realise/appreciate from your research/books?

[Glutton4...]

How pathetic they look with hardly any feathers.
How sad and bewildered they looked when I collected them.
How quiet they were in the car on the way home.
How they turned into REAL chickens overnight and came out pecking and scratching around like mother nature intended, even after a year in a cage. I cried bucket-loads!
How easily they adapted to eating grass and being proper chickens instead of machines.
How they put themselves to bed without any help on day three....


(The list is endless - had them since November, and still in total awe! )

[digthatchick]

How much pooh they make - great in compost though

[-pat m]

How they can have personalities – I have quiet a lot of chickens but still can identify them by behaviours rather than appearance. One always follows me away from the flock when I have thrown their afternoon treat out, then on the way back to the house she knows I will have saved a little pile just for her – She was poorly once and I did it for her then and she has conditioned me into carrying on with it.
As I am leaving the chicken area after a general visit one always jumps onto the log by the fence for a little stroke

Regards and well done for giving those birds a great life a head - the horror of their old life will be forgotten tomorrow It will be like being born again for them.

Pat

[RedThorn]

How sad they look and how little they move about on day 1.
How they always stood on 1 leg
How skittish they are ( in the beginning)
How quickly they learn.
How quickly we get trained - OH was up at 7:30 cooking them baby pasta yesterday
How never to judge them on their size or state of disrepair! - Noodle was smallest/skinniest/least feathers - turns out to be the bravest,friendliest and the most greedy

Congrats on your girls and it won't be long before you want more! May you and your girls have a long happy time ahead of you.

[MaureenHall]

It's exactly 1 year ago today that I brought my first ex-batts home, and every day they have given me soooooooooooooo much pleasure, that feeling just can't be bought! Their personalities have developed, leadership has changed, I still get excited about every egg they lay. It's just wonderful!

[Hans Mum]

all the above

and when they 1st free range they dont know how to scat like proper chickens but they soon learn.
They know the rattle of the corn tin by day 3
They still give us eggs after all theyve been through
They escape to next door even though theyve no feathers on their wings


and how much you love em

[Flum]

It's exactly 1 year ago today that I brought my first ex-batts home, and every day they have given me soooooooooooooo much pleasure, that feeling just can't be bought! Their personalities have developed, leadership has changed, I still get excited about every egg they lay. It's just wonderful!

Happy (re-)birthday to Aunty Mo's ex-batts.

From Aunty Flum

[raine]

Isn't it great- these huge learning curve! Keep 'em coming, they are really making me laugh.