This was my first chance to properly look at them - I got 3 little beauties. When you see the horrific condition some Ex Batts are in these were fantastic. Only a couple of bald patches and not at all scrawny.
One is called Lucy (my Mum named her). My niece will be naming one tomorrow but for now I'll call her ElliesHen.
Ever since I saw Toy Story and the scene with Buzz wearing a hat and having tea with the headless dolls, I've wanted to name a pet Mrs Nesbitt and this was my intention with my hen.
However, when she got in the run she stood looking all round the edge of the door and I'm sure, as soon as my back was turned, got a pencil and paper from under a wing and started plotting her escape. She is therefore now named Ginger after the hen in Chicken Run. She doesn't yet have a little knitted hat, but give it time!
My Mum and I got the garden chairs and cups of tea and settled down for a spot of "Time Wasting Watching Hens" which, according to the Ex Battery Hens Forum, is a well known condition and occurs frequently.
They pecked about in the grass and dirt under the house and Lucy was eating beakfulls of earth then she settled down in the dirt and started dust bathing.
They explored their new home, pecking here and there and had a few beakfulls of mash, but I didn't see them drink.
All was going well, Lucy had a beak covered with mud, ElliesHen pecked it off for her, Ginger was measuring the door and making notes. Then Ginger started eating some grass and a long piece got stuck in here beak. ElliesHen tried to pull it out and all hell broke loose. Squawking and flapping then jumping and pecking - Ginger is a Bully!
She then turned her attention on Lucy who ended up cowering in the corner. Ginger then went back to bullying ElliesHen and Lucy made a dash up the ramp and hid in the house.
I left them to it while I had dinner then resumed my Hen Watching. Ginger had found her way in the house and was picking on Lucy in there.
They've all been in the house, out of the house and finally Ginger settled down in the doorway with Lucy trapped behind and ElliesHen was busy tucking into the food under the ramp in safety.
My cats, Poppy and Ralph, seem scared (well Ralph is terrified) but Poppy bravely settled down on the grass to watch and did eventually get a bit closer - which started quite a bit of clucking. Ralph meanwhile won't come out of the house!
By now it was getting time for them to be tucked up in bed. I had to push Ginger off her doorstep perch and back into the house so I could pick up ElliesHen and gently put her in. I shut the door, cleared the run of food, water and poop.
There was a bit of arguing and flapping going on in the house and I covered the door window with a black bin bag to blackout the house which hopefully would make them settle down and sleep.
I just hope I don't find a massacre in the morning.
I went out later (about 11.30pm) and all was quiet on the Chicken Front so I guess they had settled down.
Then it was off to bed as I was going to have to get up early to get them out of bed.
WHAT !!! No Mrs Nesbitt !!!! Well I don't know about that - I thought that was laid down in the International Rescued Hen Naming Convention. All Barbara Hobbs' must have a hen called Mrs Nesbitt.
ReplyDeleteor Strider ! ;-)