Friday (start of week 2)
We continue to move the Eglu every 1.5 to 2 days. Because they are still confined to the Eglu run, the poo quickly covers the available area. We still haven't let them free range, we'll do that when they are a bit more tame.
Washed the Eglu out today. It's definitely quicker to do than the Cube, but it needs doing more often. The Eglu also destroys the grass it sits on - the Cube, being up on wheels, is a much better use of space.
The Legbar (who we've been calling "Mophead" while we think of a name for her), is really inquisitive and grabs anything and everything without any evaluation. She swallowed a poor spider who was minding her own business abseiling down the outside of the Eglu run. Unlike older birds who tend to peck gently, she pecks with a sharp jabbing movement, and with a lot of force. It actually hurts! I've had to get very deft at opening the door and shutting it without having her peck my fingers.
Saturday
Today we moved them to a completely new part of the garden. They are now directly in front of the kitchen window, on the one bit of back garden that we would classify as "lawn" rather than just "grass". This move puts them in sight of the Big Girls for the first time, although both sets of chooks are already aware the other exists.
In this latest move we had an escapee. The Welsummer (who may be named Saffron, we'll see) managed to get out and ran straight under one large shrub. Catching any free hen is a challenge, catching a Littleewho hasn't been handled that much is extra fun. We used some of the moveable netting to get her into a space where we could catch her, and popped her back home again. Her little adventure among the shrub and one of the flowerbeds seems to have done her no harm.
Saturday Evening
Well! I've managed to hold Mophead on my lap four times this evening. She doesn't run away when I stroke her in the Run, and she let me scoop her up and hold her on my lap. The cucumber I was using to bribe her with had more to do with it than my skill with birds did, but I'm still really pleased. Saffron (still not sure about that name) snatched cucumber from my hand, but skirted away from being touched.
We continue to move the Eglu every 1.5 to 2 days. Because they are still confined to the Eglu run, the poo quickly covers the available area. We still haven't let them free range, we'll do that when they are a bit more tame.
Washed the Eglu out today. It's definitely quicker to do than the Cube, but it needs doing more often. The Eglu also destroys the grass it sits on - the Cube, being up on wheels, is a much better use of space.
The Legbar (who we've been calling "Mophead" while we think of a name for her), is really inquisitive and grabs anything and everything without any evaluation. She swallowed a poor spider who was minding her own business abseiling down the outside of the Eglu run. Unlike older birds who tend to peck gently, she pecks with a sharp jabbing movement, and with a lot of force. It actually hurts! I've had to get very deft at opening the door and shutting it without having her peck my fingers.
Saturday
Today we moved them to a completely new part of the garden. They are now directly in front of the kitchen window, on the one bit of back garden that we would classify as "lawn" rather than just "grass". This move puts them in sight of the Big Girls for the first time, although both sets of chooks are already aware the other exists.
In this latest move we had an escapee. The Welsummer (who may be named Saffron, we'll see) managed to get out and ran straight under one large shrub. Catching any free hen is a challenge, catching a Littleewho hasn't been handled that much is extra fun. We used some of the moveable netting to get her into a space where we could catch her, and popped her back home again. Her little adventure among the shrub and one of the flowerbeds seems to have done her no harm.
Saturday Evening
Well! I've managed to hold Mophead on my lap four times this evening. She doesn't run away when I stroke her in the Run, and she let me scoop her up and hold her on my lap. The cucumber I was using to bribe her with had more to do with it than my skill with birds did, but I'm still really pleased. Saffron (still not sure about that name) snatched cucumber from my hand, but skirted away from being touched.
