Poultryheads...

[scrw.]

Poor buggers, how long before feathers are back?

[Hereward]

I think it's about a month or so for the new quills/feathers.

In the meantime they need to wear their coats!

[crofty1984]

This is Schrodinger. Everybody needs a workshop chicken.


Yellow and her first egg!


We've got 5. 3 hens, Yellow, Shrodinger and Brutus and 2 cocks, Aloe and Penguin.

[Tyre Smoke]

Do you find it difficult to keep your nails so well manicured Crofty?

[the cueball]

Egg production has now started...

They taste great!

[crofty1984]

Tyre Smoke said:

Do you find it difficult to keep your nails so well manicured Crofty?

That's what the grinder in the first pic is for :-p

[Mr Roper]

3 more added to our little clan....

[Bear-n]

Great thread. I'm not a particularly aspirational man, and I like my house, but I would love my next move to be a house with a big enough/suitable garden for chickens and whatnot.

Missus thinks I should move in with her. I hope she doesn't read PH.

[scrw.]

Clarissa laid an ostrich egg the other day, the one on the left is bigger than a large egg from the shops, the other one is silly huge...

2021-01-07_03-18-57 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

2021-01-07_03-24-37 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[Tyre Smoke]

Double yolkers.

Great byproduct of layers mash.

[scrw.]

Does everyone shut up their chucks in an evening? Ours have free run of a roofed pen and sleep in thier nestbox, so out of the worst of the ellements, but wonder if they will get too cold?

2021-02-12_09-09-50 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[Evoluzione]

scrw. said:

Does everyone shut up their chucks in an evening? Ours have free run of a roofed pen and sleep in their nestbox, so out of the worst of the elements, but wonder if they will get too cold?

Doesn't it also depend on foxes?

[scrw.]

Evoluzione said:

Doesn't it also depend on foxes?

Pen wire is fox proof (dangerous thing to say i know) & not an issue in our village

[A993LAD]

Pekin bantams. Loads of em. Free range in the garden. Produce loads of eggs and chicks in the summer.

[Tyre Smoke]

Presumably not free range at the moment?

Have to be kept under lock and key for the foreseeable.

[A993LAD]

Tyre Smoke said:

Presumably not free range at the moment?

Have to be kept under lock and key for the foreseeable.

Not really. can't see the point in it

[scrw.]

Photos for son's homework...

Nigella
20210307_170708 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Clarissa
20210307_170619 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Jennifer
20210307_170527 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[Mr Roper]

Very happy to read that the restrictions are being lifted on the 31st. Freedom at last.

[crofty1984]

Mr Roper said:

Very happy to read that the restrictions are being lifted on the 31st. Freedom at last.

Oh God, such a relief. Though we've nearly finished their permanent, biggerer pen now. Spent bank holiday weekend chopping my old 6x8 shed in half to make a 6x4 and now they have a nice new home. insulated with double walls. New nestboxes, perch, decent sized run. We're down to 4 now, one of the cocks now lives at the inlaws. Penguin is pretty quiet, even when he does crow (probably because he was born a bit wonky) but Aloe was getting loud and crowing early and annoying the neighbours. I doubt they noticed as there's a loud non-wonky cockrel a couple of doors down, but there's nothing I can do about that.

[Evoluzione]

We've been trying to buy a new home for about a year now, until we do no chickens for me. We have foxes where we are now and I have enough on my plate right now without another group of beings to look out for. If we do ever get the new place I think i'll get some rescue chickens.
Anyhow until then I've been doing the research by starting to read 'The Haynes Chicken manual', It starts by reflecting on chicken ownership over the years, as back in the day most families kept a few.
A couple of fun (maybe sad?) chicken facts for you:

In 1945 less than 1% of laying hens were caged, in 1986 93% were in cages.
Pre war it took 126 days to produce a 2kg bird for the table, now it takes 42 days.

Hopefully this Summer the house purchase will happen and i'll be able to show you mine and compare notes.