New Chickens

Yep, we now have our two new (well, second-hand actually) chickens.  Bob went to collect them a week and a half ago along with three for Rob and Becky - Rob was still building the run when Bob set off!  I have to say that these have been the easiest chickens to get settled that we have ever had.  The first time we introduced new ones to our existing ones was just so traumatic that I seriously thought we'd never do it again.  All the books you read say to keep the two lots separate, but so they can see each other and so get to know one another . . . . it was like a cock fight with chicken wire between them and one chicken even pulled a claw out in the violence.  It didn't get any better and they were 'at each other' all the time until we eventually just put them all in the run together and let them get on with it - they still fought but eventually settled and sorted out the pecking order.  We then bought some chickens from an old farmer-type and he suggested we collect them in the evening when ours were going to bed, dust both the new ones and the old ones with mite powder which has a smell, so they all smell the same and then just pop the new ones in the house on the perch next to the others, shut the door and leave them to it in the dark.  The next morning they wake up and they've got new friends who smell the same as they do.  It works and although there was a little bit of pecking and sorting out the order it was much less traumatic for all.  We did this with these ones and they didn't even argue or peck at all and have all settled down together really easily and quickly.  After a couple of days, we let the new ones out of the run for a few minutes while we were close by and made sure they found their way back to the run.  They now come out with the others and roam around all day quite happily together.  They know the lay of the land and know to go back to the nest box to lay their eggs.  After Bob picked them up, we put them all in Rob and Becky's chicken house and collected them at dusk so we could do the night introduction.  When we went to get them, one was standing up, neck stretched almost saying 'Me, me, pick me!' so we did and she's called Mimi because of that.  The other one is a bit smaller and has no feathers at all from under her chin (mmmm, do chickens actually have chins?) down to her chest in a very neat stripe almost as if she'd been to the barber for a shave or has grown sideburns.  So, she's called Sweeney - either after the barber Sweeney Todd or after the John Thaw / Dennis Waterman programme which featured sideburns.  They are both laying well, as are Horse and Lottie, and so we are back to being able to give eggs away, make lots of cakes and squander extra eggs in Yorkshire puds.

Our flock of four - from left to right Sweeney, Horse, Lottie
and Mimi

We have now cut all our wood to length ready for splitting - we're going to hire a log splitter to get the job done as it would take forever to do by hand.  We have set out some old kerb stones we had lying around (you know I can't imagine not having all this stuff around to use for various projects) for the base of a log store at the end of the 'carpark'.  We are going to use the old roof trusses from the wriggly tin barn for the roof with walls just a couple of feet tall.  Then we are going to try our hand at a random slate roof to use up some of our pile of old slates from the original house roof - it should look really nice when it's finished, especially when it's crammed full of logs.  Do you know, I'm getting quite passionate about log piles!  There is a very definite warm feeling of wealth and security in having a log store full of wood, a freezer full of pies and a shelf full of jam - who needs money?!  Well, OK we all do, but there are different riches too.

By the way, for those of you who are Facebook-minded, Bob has finally taken the plunge and set up a Facebook page (under Robert Shelton Furniture Maker).  Reluctant though we were, it seems it had to be done as websites are just soooo last year!