After spending a rather large wad of cash on materials, the husband and son have revamped the at-home chicken coop/run to make it potentially impervious to wild birds. It still needs to be netted on top to be so, but as we are not yet under a government housing order for poultry, I'll keep it unnetted (and because there is a big horse chestnut tree currently shedding conkers and the start of its autumn leaf fall, right above the run).
Now because of this turn of events, we have now adopted another four rescue hens, bringing our total to eight chickens. These new ones are settling in at home; unlike some rescues, they seem pretty calm and are curious rather than nervous. They are a bit ragged looking with maybe more bald patches than some we've had. But they seem healthy and should be back to full feather (and bright red combs) in a few months.
We'd arranged to pick the new ones up a few weeks in advance, but it turned out to be the hottest day of the year. I was really concerned about them dying of heat exhaustion in the box on the half hour drive home, so in addition to large ventilation holes, I also put three big ice packs on the floor, covered with an empty paper feed sack. All four made it home alive; I set their box on its side inside the run and left them to find their own way out. Within half an hour there were two scratching a nice new dustbath, one having a big drink, and one flapping up to perch on various surfaces: obviously they weren't too bothered!
The old lady hens are still at the allotment with the ducks for another week or two at least; I'm not quite ready to introduce everyone until the new ones have completely settled in. Integrating new chickens is hard on everyone.
The two ducks, boy and girl, rule the run at the allotment I'm sorry to say. Every day I visit, I have to peek inside the little coop to count all the hens, as boy duck won't let them out! Well, they are allowed if they sneak out, but when he catches them he chases them back in. Naughty duck. I would particularly like the ducks back home to go on a little slug hunt in the veg patch, but again I'll probably wait another week or two at least.
Eggs; two old hens are still laying once or twice a week, as is girl duck. The new ones (the son has chosen "the Specklies" as their cohort name--we've run out of individual names) have produced six eggs in two days. Not bad.
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