How Old to Let Them Out of the Run

Thomzo · Post: # 63432Post **Thomzo** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:45 pm

Oh Bezzie. I am really sorry to hear that. I had really hoped that no-one on the forum would have been affected. How annoying to know that it was avoidable as well.

I do hope everything gets fixed quickly.

Zoe

Bezzie · Post: # 63436Post **Bezzie** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:53 pm

Hmmm the chooks have ended up doing really well out of this. My mum came along today and insisted I took her down the road to the local shed producer who had a sale on.

She's purchased them an 8ft x 6ft shed to be delivered in five days. All we've got to do then is install perches, nest boxes and created a pop-through door and they'll have more room than they ever had before!

We recently knocked down a wall that was blocking the view from the kitchen window so we've got a load of bricks we can use to raise them off the ground more in case it ever happens again.

They've got better out of this deal than us humans, that's for sure!! Hurrah for mums!!

Thanks for the sympathy and support. Cheers

Insurers today have told us it will take a long time for the claim to be worked out due to the volume of claims going through at the same time. Downstairs taking forever to dry out.

Millymollymandy · Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:33 am

Lucky chooks! Anyway look on the bright side (I hope you have a sense of humour

) - you didn't have to have the hens in the bedroom with you as well as the cats!

Bezzie · Post: # 63524Post **Bezzie** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 11:10 am

Heaven knows I've certainly got a sense of humour ...... have to with our respective families!

It would certainly have been fun with cats and chooks in the bedroom! They'll be sorted out into a nice warm posh home way before we're sorted out. Four days and the new shed is here for them.

Finished the final bit of fencing in the garden today (now that the water has receded), so I'll now be safe to let them range as well. By the end of next week, these chooks will be having a wonderful time.

It's raining today, and given it out to be finer tomorrow, so moving them back into their original run tomorrow to get them back into 'normal' weather conditions instead of the luxury sauna that is the greenhouse.

Thanks everyone for the comments and support.

Bezzie · Post: # 63542Post **Bezzie** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:12 pm

Changed my avatar so you can see how comfy the chooks are in the greenhouse.

Haven't got a clue how to add a piccy in the normal comments box?

Millymollymandy · Sun Jul 01, 2007 5:43 am

They look cosy!

For the images have a look at this thread where the mysteries are explained.....

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... .php?t=626

Bezzie · Post: # 63750Post **Bezzie** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:48 am

Thank you!

Now I'll need to find a reason to insert another picture. Well, they've got their new home arriving at the end of the week - suppose I could take a photo of that ......... don't get me going!

Millymollymandy · Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:25 am

Oh go on! We want to see their new luxury shed!

Bezzie · Post: # 63951Post **Bezzie** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:02 pm

Its due to arrive at the end of the week, so I'll bore you then.

Very brave and let them out into the garden yesterday. I got a big dish and went raspberry picking whilst they were exploring so that they would get used to us doing things in the garden at the same time from the outset. They thoroughly enjoyed eating the ones I threw down for them.

Later, we looked out from the kitchen window and couldn't see anybody. So we crept around the corner to look ...... and they were all having a fantastic time dust-bathing under the conifers and getting thoroughly filthy - white jersey giants looking a strange shade of grey!

Later, they all came running back to the pen the instant I showed up with corn without any hassle at all. Phew!! They took themselves to bed early, so think their adventure tired them out. They're expanding their range today and found the orchard.

Millymollymandy · Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:35 pm

And tomorrow - you will have no raspberries left!

Sounds like they will be fine free ranging in the garden now - they know where their food comes from!

Woodburner · Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:41 pm

If you are getting a human sized shed, a good plan is to put a partition in so you have a chook half and a human half. You need a door in the partition to access the chook side for cleaning etc. Put the nest boxes on the partition in the human side with chook access from their side and hand access from your side. Being inside the shed means they don't need to be weather proof (ours were ordinary hardboard) and you are dry while you collect the eggs. You also have storage for feed etc right where you need it.
Another bonus of having a full size shed is the ease of cleaning out, having a partition means you can have the door outside the run. Although it seems escapees would not be a problem for you anyway :)

Ognen · Post: # 64057Post **Ognen** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:07 am

Sorry to hear about your floods, would love to have some of your water tho'. We have had about 5 hours of water in the past 7 weeks so I am fed up with a) going 1/2 mile to the spring and filling up 10lt bottles for drinking, washing , cooking etc anf b) pumping up water from the well to water the veggies. We have lost a field of potatoes to the drought and all our Aubergines have given up the ghost. The onions will have to come up now as they are to far gone. The one surprise is the parsnips they seem to love having no water!!!

On the subject of chooks: we let ours out when they were about 12 weeks old. they have the run of the village and dissapear all day until about 7 - 7.30 when they decid to come back to grab some supper and we herd them into their house. We have one white hen and she is or was quite beautiful until she has got herself into some scrape as she has grease mark all down her back!! I think she has been sitting under a car! Only had one bit of bother, they kept getting into the sweetcorn patch and they scratched up a dozen or so plants! We had put straw down around them as a mulch to try to keep any moisture in and the chooks just love scratching in straw!!

Bezzie · Post: # 64062Post **Bezzie** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:39 am

Thanks Woodburner - think you've been looking at the plans I've shown to hubby (he needs to 'see' things rather than be 'told')!

Hi Ognen - sorry to hear about your lack of water. Not sure you'd really want mine - it was raw sewerage, though I suspect ANY water at this stage would be acceptable.

I wish your garden a healthy rainfall asap!

the.fee.fairy · Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:42 pm

I'm sorry to hear about your flooding. i too had my fingers crossed that no-one on here was affected.

The chickens will be frantically praying ro rain every year now - they get wet and get a brand new cosy house!!

I've still got the mental images of 2 people, 3 cats and a load of chickens in the bedroom!!