Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[petal]

oh the poor thing and well done you- I have heard they are often found dead in electric netting.

[RichmondHens]

We used to zap hedgehogs regularly with our electric fencing. Couldn't bear to find them dead in it so ended up just using it as a means of keeping chooks in rather than predators out. Fortunately foxes here stay away during the day so as long as I shut up as soon as it is dark chooks are safe.

[jessmorris]

Luckily my Heras fencing arrived on Monday so I can fence the whole run properly and be done with the netting! I just have to buy the pedestrian gate now. I'm so pleased, I've been looking for some for ages...

[Snadger]

felt sorry for some of my chooks today as they will probably develope trench foot with the ammont of water in there run.
I'd already placed a pallet in there so they could at least gt off the ground.

Today I threaded tow support bars through the run at four foot high and placed some timber boarding over the top of them to allow them to get well above the sodden run.
They absolutely loved it and were lording it in the sunshine when i left the allotment.

[petal]

this blasted weather- I am fed up with carting wood chip to the runs and like your pallet or raised area idea.

[jessmorris]

Me too, my grower runs are foul. I've had to move them all again today. The bigger chicks are nearly large enough at 9 weeks to go in the unroofed pen - I'm just a bit wary of cats.....

[polo]

Well, how is eveyone today? We are always ok where we are at the top of a hill but lots of friends had major flooding issues to deal with last night and animals to rescue. At least the rain has stopped today so far.....

Took advantage of the 'dry weather' to clean out all three coops and put some more straw in the old greenhouse for the chooks to rootle through. The chicks are now 6 weeks old and are quite independant although still like the reassurance of mum nearby. They have been the most difficult to keep dry - their rabbit hutch coop and run has been mostly covered by a tarp the last few weeks!

Polo

[jessmorris]

Still recovering from the wind and rain Polo. My Heras fencing has stayed up, despite being tied together with shoelaces and not the special clamps, and that run isn't too bad mud wise (its mostly fruit bushes and docks). At home though, my poor chicks are paddling about in mud a bit. All the orloffs are now in together which is a bit scary for the smaller ones, but it gives them more run (when they dare to emerge from the coop). I'll move the big orloffs to the Heras pen tonight and bring my house hens home to the back garden where they belong. Then next week, all the chicks at home (4 orloff and 2 random) can go in together and the remaining broody can go back with her mates.
Another orloff escaped dfown the road. I had a phone call about it yesterday morning but nothing since then. Don't know if s/he will be as lucky as her sister Catherine the Invincible who returned bloody but unbowed after 3 days away. Fingers crossed.
By the way, the older orloffs croak like big bullfrogs. Its a crazee noise!

[Glutton4...]

I now have a mental picture of big Chooks, with bloated throats and 'dippy' eyes, like a frog. Ho hum.

My Chooks are mainly shielded from the worst of the weather by conifers and a rambling rose or two. The garden is fairly sheltered where we are now, and they get plenty of shade on a sunny day, so they don't get too overheated. I put their house under a tree, and they spend quite a lot of the time behind that, in among the conifer trunks, and have dug some amazing dust-baths.

Currently, I'm getting between ten and thirteen eggs a day from eighteen ex-barn Hens. Little ginger vultures, like the ex-Batts.

I'm so glad I decided to get more, after losing the others to the Fox, where we used to live. There are Foxes round here, but I now have a solar charger on my fence battery, and I think it makes a difference keeping it topped up. Fingers crossed, anyway.

Omelette, anyone?

[RichmondHens]

We're quite dry compared to the rest of the country, although getting a good deal of rain compared to what we're used to. Can't imagine how dreadful it must be for those of you in the north and west. We are having heavy downpours and thunderstorms here today, all chooks hiding under houses. But at least we have no mud and lots of grass so as soon as the sun comes out they are out pottering in the field as usual.

[jessmorris]

..the two orloff boys with feathery legs (who will get eaten or rehomed) are now in with the 'big girls' in the big pen. They seem happy pottering about together and have only had one stand of with another game bird. The pekin, d'uccle and silkin are all broody anyway so too soppy to pay much attention to youngsters, though I did see the d'uccle pick up a pellet for one of them. Aww - silly girl, he's bigger than her!!

[jessmorris]

Lucky you RH in the scorching east of the country! Even if its raining now, it'll dry up quickly I'll be bound. I used to live in Norwich and rememeber those endless summers and long sultry nights, and very little rain

[RichmondHens]

(Relatively) dry we are, warm we're not! We get a lot of cold winds coming in off the North Sea. I'm still wearing thermal vests on some days!!

[petal]

Hi there- we are camping in cromer 4th july onwards- would be lovely to pop in and say hello RH !!!!

[RichmondHens]

Oh you are most welcome, I am not far from Cromer. I shall PM you details of how to find me.

Make sure you pack plenty of warm clothes though. North Norfolk coastline is chilly in all but the hottest of weather!