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tea-shot
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Posts: 92
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:58 pm
Location: West Cumbria

We've just had a marvellous gift of four hens to join our little flock.:D They are a bit bedraggled and have had to be treated for mite and other bugs but we have had two eggs from them already. They have caused a bit of a rucus in the pen with our original ladies putting them in their place, and Lenin - our cockerel - is like a dog with two tails :shock: :wink: Things are starting to settle down a bit now, there's just one who looks like the runt of the hatching that we are having to feed seperately to make sure she gets something to eat.
Happy days!
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cherrycoop
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Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:50 pm
Location: SW London

Tea-shot can you tell me if your chickens are in a heated enclosure? I have 4 qualis who are in an outdoor aviary which has been weather proofed with heavy gauge polythene (there is ventilation!) and I am a bit concerned about them especially with this cold weather about to hit - their water has been frozen each morning for the last couple of days, I have put in loads of hay and boxes for them to snuggle into.
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Diane
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Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:08 pm
Location: Wimborne, Dorset.
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What a marvellous gift. What breed are they?
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
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Diane
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Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:08 pm
Location: Wimborne, Dorset.
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Cherrycoop - what sort of quails are they? I have chinese painted quail and they are in a birdroom with minimal heat (I have a tubular heater in there just to keep it frost free). Be careful using hay as it can grow mould if it gets damp - which will be injurious to the quail. I use easibed (plenty of it) and soft barley straw.
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
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tea-shot
KG Regular
Posts: 92
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:58 pm
Location: West Cumbria

Dear Cherrycoop, our birds are in a wire mesh enclosure - open to the elements but with a mini rabbit hutch thingamajig for really bad weather. This has a deep bed of straw inside - straw thrown on compost heap every 10 days or so - and the birds appear to be thriving. They have a shed type bird house for night-time roosting, but this was inherited and is far too big for the number of hens we have, so my better half/labourer is earmarked for a rebuild project this summer :!:
Sorry Diane, have no idea what breed they are - at least crossbreed with maybe a bit of heinz thrown in. All I do know is that they are brown and lay the biggest eggs, I think they have the idea that they are really ducks with hooked feet :D
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cherrycoop
KG Regular
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:50 pm
Location: SW London

Thanks for your replies and advise - I never knew that about the hay and will get it changed to straw. They are coutnix (? sp) and I took pity and brought them indoors last night - they got very distressed and started to fight so put them back out this morning. I am waiting for spring and will then get some more hatching eggs - I rather enjoy that part - Diane, do you sell hatching eggs by the way?
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Diane
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Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:08 pm
Location: Wimborne, Dorset.
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Hi - no I don't sell the cpq eggs - but if you are ever down my way you are welcome to some for free.
'Preserve wildlife - pickle a rat'
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