Flubenvet - Worming again

Just a quick note to say that I've wormed the 6 hens for a week starting Monday 16th August.

Beautiful little flock

The improvement in the appearance of my ex-batts has been amazing. Margot looks like a normal hen - she was always the most feathered. Flora is looking OK, but she seems to have a very bald neck and top of head. I remember Patsy looking like that when she moulted - I find it hard to believe that Flora should be moulting so soon, but as she seems otherwise well I shall just watch and see. Utterly butterly has grown an entire new set of fluffy feathers all over her bottom and even her stumpy tail feathers are beginning to regrow. her wings still look a little skeletal, but I'm pretty pleased with them all.

Here is the Photo Album that details their recovery.

Amber is a bit of a worry. She seems to have dirty bottom feathers and one of the hens is laying softies - my suspicion is that it is Amber. I've been giving her doses of limestone flour and I chicken-spice them up periodically but nothing seems to change. She seems very well in herself so I shall give her bottom a wash in warm soapy water today and not only take a close look, but see if that will do the trick. I've been reading the chicken clinic forum on the omlet website - and people often suggest that this could be a sign of worms. However I wormed them all quite recently with flubenvet. Still, if I see no improvement in a couple of weeks, another worming probably won't do them any harm.

Worming Time

I've been using Vermex - but I've read that it isn't 100% certain. Now that the newbies are fit and well, I've just started a 7 day treatment of flubenvet, bought from my vets. I made up 12kg of feed. This is enough to fill all three grub containers and the feed bucket. I estimate that this should last 6 chickens 7 days. Making a note of this for reference.

New Feathers

After last weekend's traumas cleaning out the eglus, I gave them a quick empty mid-week and then pottered around giving them a really thorough clean this weekend. The roosting bars needed only a quick wipe down, little and often is, I think, the answer. The sun was shining so I took a few pics of the newly feathered ex-batts.

In the first pic, they're enjoying (and wearing) a pasta treat.

In the second pic, the feather regrowth is really evident.

Nobody looks after my chickens like I do

The seemed fit and well, and the newbies are showing lovely new feathers, but the eglus are horribly full of Poo. Dave said he'd cleaned them once whilst I was away, and I'm sure that's true. Trouble is, I arrived back last Sunday with a terrible cold. Slept all morning and went to bed early. Back to work next day to prepare for the trip to Barcelona and then off on Tuesday. So, I had no time to clean them out. I just cleaned them today and it took ages. Usually the plastic bars need a quick wipe down, but the mud was caked on. I think that they didn't get wiped at all during my absence. The poo trays were pretty grotty as well, but at least they're lined with newspaper. The real nasty was the nest box. I usually clean out the shredded paper ever 2 or 3 days. This paper was a solid mass, like glue. True, we had run out of shredded paper, but long straw would have done nicely.

Ah well, Nepal was good fun. Saw lots of chickens in lovely condition, as well as all the sights. Maybe I need to leave a timetable for cleaning the chickens.

Ex-Batts Photo Album

It's now been just over 2 months since I collected 3 sad, bare little hens from the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. I'm pleased to say that their feathers are growing very nicely and they've integrated well with my existing flock of 3. It's lovely to see them pottering around the garden and getting under my feet. Here is the photographic story of their progress

Ex-batt Photo Album

Sharing the WIR

I really want to be sure that the newbies had enough room during the day. Dave is worried about bullying, but they're my hens and having spent alot of time with them, watching them from the window as I work, I think it should be OK so I've moved them in together. This gives me time to check that no bullying is going on and that all hens have equal access to food before I go to Nepal. I think this should be OK because I have 3 eglu glug containers of water, 3 grub containers of food and an extra water dispenser in the traditional style.

Snow again

Blizzard conditions outside. The two little flocks are still separate. However upon being let out, the newbies have all trotted over to the WIR and are wandering in and around that. I think that because of the nice new roof, the floor is all clear of snow and they like the organic pellets. Dave is a bit worried about moving the green eglu into the WIR this week, but I'm sitting at my desk looking out at them from the upstairs window, and I see very little bullying. They seem to be wandering around together fairly happily so I think that when it stops snowing, I'll shift the eglu into the WIR and watch what happens. I'm off to Nepal for 3 weeks on Saturday, and Dave doesn't usually work from home so I want them all to have a reasonable area to move around in during the week.

Integration going well

I've worked from home since Tuesday this week. Today is the third day. After introducing them late Monday, I let the roam together all Tuesday. I occasionally spied on them from various windows to see what they were up to but there didn't seem any big conflicts.

Tuesday saw Nutmeg making quite aggressive approaches to the three ex-batts who scuttled away in a little group like elderly ladies. By Wednesday it was better. If the two little flocks came near each other, one might make a slight dash for the newbies who would run away, but nothing more serious than that.

Today is Thursday and no sign of aggression, except I did see one of the ex-batts appearing to peck at the front chest of another ex-batt, where the new feathers are coming through. The other ex-batt didn't seem to mind at all, so not sure what is going on there. Preening perhaps?

At one point, all six were in the walk in run (WIR). There was no conflict at all. It is quite funny, the ex-batts seem really keen on the layers pellets I feed the established hens, and Nutmeg, Amber and Patsy love to gobble up the ex-batt crumb. I think I shall stop buying that from now on as the ex-batts are clearly able to eat the normal organic layers food.

It is now pouring with rain and I looked out to see the most comical sight. Each set of chickens seems fascinated by the accomodation of the other set, with my original hens spending alot of time exploring the new green eglu and run. I now have the three ex-batts sheltering under the pink eglu in the WIR, and the three original hens sheltering under the cover in the ex-batt's run.

I shall introduce the green eglu to the WIR next week, probably on Monday so I can watch what happens Monday and Tuesday. I'm in the office on Wednesday so my overall aim is that all six chickens can be in the nice dry WIR when we're away from the house during the day.

The WIR is starting to look a little small now mind. I wonder if we should build another.

Getting to know each other

Arrived home from work today before dark, and so decided to let the chooks out for a quick run. As it was only about 1h to dusk, I let them all roam together and sneaked indoors to spy on them without my presence interfering with their behaviour.

They seemed OK. The older hens made a bee-line for the ex-batt crumb. The ex-batts seemed a little scared of them. I'd just topped it up and they wanted to eat it, but wouldn't risk it. They pottered around as a little threesome. Amber and Patsy ate their food and Nutmeg approached them in a determined way from time to time and they ran quickly away from her.

It looked like the three newbies knew their place. I suspect that the others will peck at them, but I think that having spent 4 weeks separated only by a fence has allowed them to become accustomed to each other. I hope this is the case as I'd like to be able to move the green eglu into the run in March as I'm going to be away alot and they won't be able to roam the orchard during the day as they are used to. I think they'd be better off roaming the walk-in run. I plan to hang feeding and drinking things and treats from the beams on the new roof, and make it all nice for them. Need to put in some perching bars, but one thing at a time ;)

Ex-batts becoming more chicken like

It is four weeks today since we collected our three new girls. They still look pretty sparsely feathered, but they are improving. The range fairly freely in their cordoned off bit of the orchard, able to see the other three through the fence but not be bullied by them.

Today, in between the snow and rain showers, the sun shon, and to our surprise, the three newbies tried to dustbathe in the damp earth. They even did a bit of sun-bathing, lifting their stumpy little wings to catch the sun.

This must be ingrained behaviour as there is no way they would have been able to do anything like this in their battery cages. So sweet.

Fitting a new roof

The walk in run was originally fitted with a corrugated plastic roof with a slope down to one side. Sadly, we could not get the right weight of corrugated plastic, so we put up some thin stuff. This warped in the hot summer sunshine, then when it rained, the water pooled in the dips and dribbled through onto the hens.

We rigged up a rather Heath Robinson like affair with two Omlet sunshades which caught the water and channeled it down into a handy bucket, but still the chippings tended to get damp and it really wasn't the Buckinghen Palace we had intended.

We needed a new roof.

After ordering the wood, Dave cleverly created a lovely pitched roof. This was despite rather changeable conditions - pouring rain, then sun, then snow. The outside has been quickly sealed, and as you can see, Amber, Patsy and Nutmeg are looking at their new, improved, walk-in-run with awe.

4 weeks on - improving

We're approaching the 4 week mark. In Week 3 I allowed all the chickens out, separated by the mesh fence. Dave had apparently seen them fighting through the fence, but I spied on them from windows and saw nothing so I figured it was safe. Certainly they've shown no signs of damage or stress.

Went out one morning to find Nutmeg in with the newbies. They seemed to be getting on OK so I allowed all 6 to roam together while I stood and watched. However this was not a good idea. Amber and Patsy love the ex-batt crumb and the three newbies (now called Butterly, Margot and Flora) huddled down the eglu end, too nervous to try to get past Amber and Patsy.

So I moved the grub bowl to the outside of the eglu. This was fine for a bit, then the two newbies and Patsy and Amber started fighting big time, running toward each other like little rugby players. Quick action was required and I lifted Amber and Patsy out of the ex-batt enclosure, quickly pegged the entrance shut and they've remained separated ever since.

New quills are clearly present, but I'm going to wait until the ex-batts are well feathered, with no skin showing, before I allow the two mini-flocks to mix. I really want them to be good and strong to cope with the establishment of the pecking order.

Three Weeks on

An all our ex-batts seem to be thriving. They absolutely love the ex-batt crumb, as do our original 3 hens. When I bring out the big purple bucket to top up their feeders (which I have to do each day) they try to climb in. In once made the mistake of putting it on the other side of the fence, and Amber, Nutmeg and Patsy ate it. You can see Nutmeg, Patsy and Amber in this photo, looking longingly at the feed bucket from the other side of the fence.

We've more or less settled upon names. Barebum is to become Butterly, of if I find the name too difficult, Betty. The leg-friendly hen is Margot and the most feathered is Flora.

They've started growing feathers, both little wispy fluffy feathers in their nether regions (mostly applicable to Butterly), on the front of their necks (again, mostly Butterly although the other two are a little bare there as well) and on their backs and wings. This pic shows the quills poking throug the skin, and the ginger feather bits starting to sprout out of the ends, like little dusters.
I'm very impressed with Butterly. Despite being the most bare of the hens, both from the waist down and all down her neck, back, wings - well everywhere pretty much, she has exterted her dominance and has been top chicken since they arrived.

In a week or so I shall introduce them to their fellow hens, so it will be interesting (and probably a bit disturbing) to see how that pans out in terms of the hen hierarchy. This pic shows Butterly's neck, again with little quills growing out.
At the moment, they have an area of the main free-ranging part of the orchard cordoned off for their use. They can interact with the other hens at the fence, pecking through the mesh, if they wish, but they can also retreat and get away if things get too much. I want them to be strong and reasonably feathered before I start introducing them without a barrier between them.

Sunny-side up

I've been working from home all this week and so have been able to let both sets of chickens out into their separate areas. The ex-bats have a smaller area cordoned off and the three originals have most of the orchard.
As the sun moves across the sky at this time of year (OK, I know we're moving around the sun, but from a chicken-perspective this is how it looks) the orchard where the chickens live is mostly in the shade, however as the afternoon progresses a shaft of sunlight hits the left side - starting at the far corner by the hedge and then covering the ex-batt's area. Both sets of hens have a bit of sun and here are some pictures of Amber, Nutmeg and Patsy enjoying the sun. Nutmeg, shown above, is sunbathing, rolling onto her side and then lifting the topmost wing to let the sun underneath. Looks idyllic.

This pic is of the three of them after they headed down for the sunny spot. On fine days, they spend alot of time here, digging dustbaths out and generally lolling about. Hopefully the new chickens will soon be able to join them :)

Chicken pastime of foot climbing

Finally got names for the new hens. Bare bum is Butterly, the foot-climber is Flora and the other one with the slightly smaller comb but the most feathers is Margot.

I decided to try to work out what was going on with Flora the affectionate. Basically, as I take a step, she runs to that foot and climbs on top of it, then as I move the other leg, she scampers over to that one, stands in front of it until I have to put it down or step on her, and then climbs on that foot. And so on. I don't make a great deal of forward progress unless I lift my legs over the top of her.

Like a work out I guess. I'm sure it will do me good and, all this leg lifting. Or maybe she'll get over it.

They're all very people-centric now which is nice, following us all over. They don't seem to be having conflicts across the mesh with my original birds - so maybe when I introduce them together there won't be too much pecking order violence.

One can but hope.

Video of the Ex-Batts in Wk1

Here is a video I took of my new chickens at the end of their first week with us:

Purple Comb

I was thinking how nicely my ex-batt's combs were reddening up, then I realised one was looking far too red. It was bleeding. Clearly there'd been some pecking going on in the run. I decided to treat it with the septi-spray that I'd bought just in case. Apparently blood can trigger pecking and also an untreated wound could become infected.

So I picked up the chook and sat her on my lap (with my scruffiest trousers) and carefully held her head steady and sprayed both sides of the comb. She now has a distinctive purple comb.

The sweet thing is she must have enjoyed it. Since then, everytime I go in to give them treats (sweetcorn sprinkled on the floor) instead of heading for the sweetcorn, she heads for my legs and feet. I can hardly take a step for her. She really seems to want attention.

They all seem very perky - and it's been two weeks exactly now and I can see little quills poking through their skin. Hopefully it won't be long before they cease to look like were-chickens.

My New Ex-Batts Arrive

My 3 hens were laying fewer eggs over winter - I even had to buy some over xmas. So I began thinking about some new chickens. I'd always fancied ex-batts - giving a poor maltreated chicken a home, but not really felt confident in my chicken-keeping abilities. However after 2 and a half years I thought I was probably OK.

I sourced a 2nd had green eglu on the internet - I fetched it on my way home from work. I registered with the Battery Hen Welfare Trust BHWT . If I weren't convinced before I was now. I had my phone call with one of the coordinators - they need to be sure that you know how to care for these poor little scraps - and I was all set.
I set up an Ex-Batt photo-album on Facebook to track their progress. There is a more detailed description of their arrival and lots of pictures as they (hopefully) grow more feathers.

I assembled the eglu. That was a task of itself since the Omlet chicken Chauffeur had done my first one for me. Still, after several cold hours I had a decent looking home for them. Then it snowed! The collection date was put off a week. Finally I collected them in one of our cat baskets. They were very calm during the journey - this pic was of them when we arrived. All settled. It had been an exciting day for them, rescued from somewhere in the midlands, driven down to Hertfordshire, released in a stable, picked up, put in a cat basket and driven home with us.

On the day they I was to collect them, my ex-batt crumb feed had still not arrived. I phoned the coordinator to ask if there was anywhere near the rescue centre in Potters Bar where I could buy some on the way. She kindly put together two bags for me from her own stock. Thank goodness, it was enough to tide me over until my delayed delivery arrived. I quickly scooped the feed into the grub bowls before letting the ex-batts out. Good thing too - they seem to eat tons of the stuff.

The next morning I kept the ex-batts in their run, but let our three birds out to range free. They were curious about the new arrivals and a little bit of pecking went on through the bars, but not possible to do much damage. We're going to keep them separate for 4 to 5 weeks to give the ex-batts feathers time to grow, to let them settle into their own pecking order and just to allow all the birds to get accustomed to each other before having to establish who is boss hen.

Getting Started with Chickens

I got my first two hens - Saffy and Patsy, from Omlet in August 2007. They were delivered by a handsome chicken chauffeur driving a gorgeous van. He assembled the eglu and run and I was all set to go. Things went very smoothly, however I soon felt that two weren't enough.

March 2008 saw the arrival of Amber and Nutmeg. I found a local chicken breeder, Adam and Anna, and had a fun time selecting a lovely Amber Star and a black with irridescent greeny bits (forget the breed). Pictured here on the day of their arrival, they were both pretty young. Amber was probably no more than 12 weeks and Nutmeg maybe 15 or 16. Nutmeg soon developed into a powerful and dominant hen who soon took over the top spot from Saffy and continues to rule the roost.

Sadly, later that year Saffy died. I'm fairly sure she had a stroke as one day she couldn't stand up and when I tried to stand her, she kept toppling over to one side. I was concerned in case she had something wrong with her foot so I got my son to hold her whilst I gently washed her feet and legs. Nothing wrong so I popped her in the coop. Checked her later that evening and she looked sadly over her shouder at me. Next day she was dead.

Two weeks ago I decided I needed more chickens as my winter egg production had dropped to the level that I had to buy eggs! I decided to rescue some chickens but first I needed more accommodation. I located a 2nd hand eglu that was not to far away and bought it, then collected the ex-bats. I put together a photo album to track their progress. I can now use this blog to provide a little more detail on what is interesting me.

First Steps

I have too many blogs. Some are active, some have lapsed into disuse. That's OK. Obviously nothing to say on those subjects. But my current and growing passion for chicken-keeping and associated activities (I'm seriously considering a wormery) needs an outlet.

Although I'm keen on growing and eating my own produce, energy efficiency and minimising waste, I couldn't do without the conveniences of the modern world - particularly the internet, hence the name of this blog; The Connected Peasant (not pheasant!). There seems to be a growing trend of keeping chickens in your garden, growing your own veggies (think of the recent Gardeners World Dig In campaign) and using energy efficiently. This spread of ideas and attitudes is supported by the internet with stores and support systems providing advice and services to support this trend. For example, Wiggly Wigglers provide a range of useful products for the would-be smallholder, Omlet not only provide stylish, colourful and above all practical hen houses and related products, they also have an active set of Chicken Forums where chicken keepers new and old can share their experiences, ask for and give advice, arrange to meet up and, basically, form a supportive community of interest that is unlimited by geographical distance.

Hence, The Connected Peasant.