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.
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