It's a very hot day and we are worried that they are not drinking. We've put enough water containers in their new home but they just don't know what to do. So we've had 2 drinking lessons. Get a chook and dip her beak into the water. They do seem to get a bit of water.

We'd be extremely grateful for any tips you have.

The chook shed is all nice and clean with heaps of straw, a dust bath area, a feeder filled with goodies, perches, a trough with clean drinking water, etc....

They just need to settle and eat and drink and be merry. I'd just like to know how we can assist them in this settling-in process.

Cheers
Cosmic

it took me about three weeks to change two battery hens (poor little de-beaked sad little things) into lively members of the flock

They are still more comfortable inside the chook shed, in the corners, than out in the open enclosure.

We haven't made a ramp up to the perches yet, that'll come soon. One day at a time.

They have laid 3 eggs yesterday afternoon, and 7 today, so far! I wish they'd take it easy and just relax.

They are scrawny things, partly denuded, beaks cut back, and yesterday I felt like crying when I looked at them. And then I felt like driving right back to the guy who we bought the chickens off and put HIM in that tiny cage and cut off a few things.

Today they look a lot happier. We are less stressed, too. :)

Our 'old' chooks are curious about this new lot, too. They stand outside the enclosure (the chook shed and enclosure are divided in two) and have a good look at them. Charles, the rooster, is getting really excited, I think. ;)

Ah well I think she is in chooky heaven now.

Picked up a new one of Friday and she's a real lady. Ver cultured. Even though she has a hairlip kinda beak. The only one of the flock that didn't bolt when I entered the seller's run. Laying already. I feel sorry for them all.

Cheers, grub.

Hopeless from Armidale!

They are extremely friendly. They run towards us as soon as they see us. Then they stay around your feet and start pecking, scratching, and clucking. They are quite happy to have pats, too.

They are now outside the shed and enclosure the whole day and have the run of the whole place (except the vegie patch, of course).

They seem to be a very happy lot. :)

Only new thing at the moment which they haven't worked out yet is the rooster. When he makes his advances they either step aside elegantly or fluff up their feathers and tell him in no uncertain terms to bugger off. He keeps his distance now most of the times.

When our first chooks, Pauline, Myf, Mona, Brenda, Morag and Fat Annie spotted Big Tony the Rhode Island Red with a pink gumboot fetish, they would compete with each other to fluff up but all the time pretending they weren't interested. Then on his approach they would get snotty but secretly whisper out the corner of their mouths, " meet me behind the chook shed at 1/4 to 4 ". Somehow we managed to get plenty second generation chickies but we never saw the dirty deed - not so with the guinea fowl but that's another story.........