Introducing The Newbies...

[VirginVegGrower]

Firstly apologies for the pictures being on their sides, I will endeavor to get better quality pics once they are out and free ranging.
Two Cotswold Legbars are Coco and Lola (feathers in her hair) - son's
Two black Burford Browns are Carmen (Clementine) and Tallulah (Myrtle) - daughter's
The redhead is Paloma (Faith)
The white mama hen is Eloise, leader in charge

[VirginVegGrower]

Another five...

[Nicos]

Aww...lovely ...what a lovely new 'gift' for Xmas!!!

[veggiechicken]

They all look so at home together - really pleased for you all

[VirginVegGrower]

Aww...lovely ...what a lovely new 'gift' for Xmas!!!

Three semi French Hens
Two Cotswold Legbars and a
Marans with no pear tree!

Thanks Nicos - children were delighted with our present to Eloise of five feathered friends, four Brussels sprouts....

[VirginVegGrower]

They all look so at home together - really pleased for you all

They have surprised us by how settled in they've become. Eloise has been really good with them, but I have distracted her early with corn sprinkled all round, so no feeders were monopolised. It worked. I am learning off these eggsperienced ladeez on the vine...thank goodness I found you
They took themselves to bed eventually, after the look of confusion when Eloise disappeared through the door, clucking away. Do you think she was telling them "me first" or "hurry up dumbos!"

[chris]

Great stuff VVG I'm glad you got some more! I found when introducing 5 to 1, that it went smoothly, where as 3 to 3. Ouch.

I'm sure your original hen will be much happier now too!

[VirginVegGrower]

Great stuff VVG I'm glad you got some more! I found when introducing 5 to 1, that it went smoothly, where as 3 to 3. Ouch.

I'm sure your original hen will be much happier now too!

So am I, but I didn't want to introduce new ones if the last of the originals was going to go down with whatever it was. Now I think we had old chooks from the original seller. Now I know what I'm looking for and asking for. I miss the old girls though and hearing their occasional flap against the box en route last night, just reminded us of losing Madeline on return back from vets. We were quite tearful...good job the kids weren't with us. We still feel it as I'm sure do you. For us they are like family

[chris]

Despite not getting attached to my old hens (on purpose, I didn't want to class them as pets incase I'd have to dispatch any myself etc) I was still very angry and upset. I was just looking on facebook actually, at some of my photos and came across a few pics of them with my daughter cleaning them out etc :/

Still, I'd like to think that I saved them from a battery system (as unbeknown to me, I bought them from a battery place), and they enjoyed their life, as I'm sure yours did - looking at your surrounds - what an idyllic place for them!

[VirginVegGrower]

We love it and thank you for saying so. If I won the lottery (never play it) I'd still never leave. The fields are the ones I rode over as a child and walked over with my nan and her dogs. For me there's nowhere better. Madeline used to love striding the hedge and grubbing between the garden and the field, with me looking on nervously. It should be great for them when the fruit trees grow bigger. I let them out in two days and counting.

[VirginVegGrower]

Going to bore you with better quality pics (higher res)...apologies in advance

[VirginVegGrower]

Last two for tonight...

[Glutton4...]

Lookin' good missus! I went and rigged a tarp over part of my Girls' run, at the weekend, as it was becoming a bog. Gave them about six barrows of leaves to play with, which they loved, and it kept them out from under my feet - they do like to 'help.' Then I cleared the old bonfire pile, and gave them that too. They've spread it nicely, and the cinders have helped dry the ground. Clever Chooks.

[VirginVegGrower]

Cheers G4, they look like they are busting to come out and explore the garden, even in this wet, but come Boxing Day, my present to them will be open house or rather open garden
I know these will be in the leaf mold round the fruit trees, once they do get out and then I will have the pleasure of dumping it all back. They are clever aren't they? Eloise is already standing around with her new pals, whereas she would have been sitting on the coop edge looking wistfully at the rain. I love chooks and I love that she now has some pals.
Plus, look what we got this morning...the kids are already fighting over who is having it on toast It is twice the size of a quail egg and half the size of a Cream Legbar egg. At first when we saw her in the nest box, we assumed we had an ill chook, so paranoid are we. Imagine our relief when she stood up and we saw this

[VirginVegGrower]

Well we have another egg this morning - so FUNEX is becoming a regular question in the morning now. The girls have tucked heartily into their rice, carrots and sultanas this lunchtime - two plates and Eloïse shared. Six beaks all tapping away was a nice sound. They will get some corn and mealworms before bed as they cannot come out yet and they are looking very ready too...poor things.