Well... I did it!

[polo]

They're lovely Chris. Hope they settle quickly

[chris]

Yeah, not expecting any eggs until the light levels pick up to be honest.. I know people have told me that hybrids will lay all year round, but I'm not holding my breath! They're a bit dull I think but this morning seemed happy enough to see me, nibbled some hay from my hand didn't even attempt to run when I stroked them! Just clucked a few times in disgust.

Heard some really odd dog noises last night, my wfie and I kept thinking it were a fox!

Those long lower beaks look a bit odd - do the top ones grow back? (I had to clip my cockatoo beaks in the past).

[Glutton4...]

Oh they're lovely, Chris. I bet you're pleased! The more time you spend with them, the more tame they will become. Don't worry about the beaks, it's not nice, but it's done to reduce the pecking problems encountered when they're all confined in a small space. They can eat and drink happily, but do far less damage to each other. Wait until one pecks you, and you'll realize how strong they are - it hurts!

[chris]

Yeah had that when I took one out of the box! Wasn't happy - grumpy sod. (magpie). I'm not keen on her She's ugly as sin too.

Can't wait to let them roam around my garden! Feeling that the run is a bit restrictive for them, but at least they're safe in there and will only be in there two days a week until I'm back from work.

What's the recommended time to get them to learn where home is? I was planning on a couple weeks in the run/coop.

They've not yet worked out how to get from coop to run either (my coop is higher than the run, and has a mesh tunnel if you like from the coop to the run. After I tried to show them where to go, they didn't realise the ramp was there and just all fell down... funny to watch!

I am pleased, but I'm really happy that I'm off work ill so I can keep popping my head over the wall and looking at them

[Nicos]

I'm not keen on her She's ugly as sin too.

You're not meant to fancy them!!


Aww...you sound really chuffed...they're lovely!

[Glutton4...]

One of our Copper Marans is sooooo ugly - but she makes up for it with bags of character, I call her Chatterbox, for obvious reasons. The other one is beautiful, but mad as a march hare and scatty as anything! LOL

[Flummery]

We kept ours in the run a couple of weeks before we let them range about. I find that if you take a small handful of corn in at night and let them take it from your hand you can stroke their back while they're eating and they soon get really tame.

[chris]

Today was mad. I'd not put a door from run to garden on (just blocked up with a pallet, wood, and bricks) - so today I set about making one. Removed all the stuff, so run was open - started digging to make room for the door and the BR just hopped out, and followed me around hoovering worms up. She's really tame already. LS is a pig, and won't come as close, but waits for me to chuck worms/grubs at her, and the magpie is just utterly stupid, when finally ventured out she squeezed down a small gap and just sat down.

Fun though, glad I've got them!

[Glutton4...]

You'll have great fun getting used to their individual characters. Mealworms are a great (expensive) treat too, oh, and Raisins. But not too many treats, remember!

[chris]

They'll have to make do with the earwigs that I flick off from behind the raspberries for the time being I'm afraid! I've spent enough on them already

Yep can definitely see the personalities coming out. Not sure of the pecking order yet... first off I thought it was the magpie, but then I saw her being bullied by the light sussex, but the black rock seems to be the most curious/confident. I'm glad I've had these two days, and the next 3 to watch them - can't wait to see who's boss!

No idea how they managed to do it though, but they've pooed in their water and feeder, despite them supposedly being poo proof. Still, women will be women, eh?

[snakeshack]

I'm glad I've had these two days, and the next 3 to watch them - can't wait to see who's boss!
already the chickens hypnotic powers are asserting mind control,I suspect another chicken slave by the end of the week.

[chris]

I seriously can't believe how tame these chickens are already..

They don't mind a chortling/squealing little un trampling around after them, stroking and trying to poke their beaks (waiting for the peck, but it didn't happen - d'oh I was banking on it!!)

3rd day, and they seem to trust me already - is that normal? For some reason I thought that it'd be months and months before they'd tame up. I had one hop on my legs, settle down for a bit, then hop off to go back into the run yesterday, I was in disbelief!

[Flummery]

I find that when you have them from young (as young as yours are anyway) they are friendly, if they are used to friendly treatment. I put a chair in their run, ordinary plastic garden chair - and I sit on it. They are happy to jump up on my knee to be stroked (ok, fed, but they let me stroke them too!). They will change your life - they're fantastic little things.

[chris]

Our run is a little too small for that - it's only a metre high! Perhaps the next one I build will be a proper one like yours! Depends if I take the tree down that's in between the coop and the run - although that means loosing some privacy from the road... so we'll see. I'll more than likely be building one similar to yours, I think that angled girding stuff is great!

edit: Yep, they're def making an impact on our lives already.. my wife was just saying it's great how she'll be growing up with them, knowing what they are and what they do & the whole veg front too!

[Glutton4...]

Build the enclosure round the tree - it will keep them protected from the worst of the weather, and they'll be in their element scratching around the roots!