[Simon O]

We got a lovely trio of Scots Greys from Fleecewife 2 days ago and I have been settling them in and getting them used to their new house. It is funny to see them with our other chickens which are hubbards at 9 weeks but bigger than the Scots Greys. The cockerel is taller than the Hubbards if he stretches his neck up and he is prancing about squaring up to the hubbards and they are fleeing before him quickly acknowledging that he is the boss. Juliet has already used Napoleon as a name for one of her other cockerels but this would have been suitable as he struts around like a little general - not that it would matter to use this name again - or maybe Tom Cruise or Sarkozy as he seems to be walking around with heelraises on his feet to try to make himself taller than the other chickens!

[Rosemary]

I love Sarkozy - or as Hilarysmum used to call him, Teacosy

[melodrama]

I love Scots Greys!  I have a mix of greys, Scots Dumpys and Marsh Daisys as well as Hubbards and Jersey Giants and the hubbards are currently bigger than all of them which will make for good eating when the time comes.  Enjoy

[Fleecewife]

I'm glad you like them Simon  they are great to watch    You could call him Napoleon the second (can't find Roman numerals on this keyboard).  He is clearly loving being King of the Midden now he doesn't have two more mature cocks lording it over him.

Yesterday I found the large brood we thought had been taken by the fox, living in the hedge and keeping well away from the rest of the poultry and from us - completely feral.  We are hoping that once the wheat next door is cut they will come back for feeding time and we can persuade them to sleep in the henhouses. They are still horribly vulnerable to the fox where they are.

[Simon O]

wow amazing they have survived, they must be just as wily as the fox!

[northfifeduckling]

They are probably roosting as high up as they can get!
Fleecewife, where are you staying? Maybe next year I'll have some, too 

[Fleecewife]

They are probably roosting as high up as they can get!
Fleecewife, where are you staying? Maybe next year I'll have some, too  

Yes it's a layed hedge so there should be plenty of near-horizontals to perch on and it is fairly dense and impenetrable - hopefully - to Mr Fox.

We are a bit north of Biggar in South Lanarkshire.  We never have very many available  . If the feral ones survive, they could come into lay in around Feb/March

[northfifeduckling]

just a thought at the very back of my mind, no hurry or stress. What happens, happens  Scots greys were the original breed I had in mind before we were given the Isa girls (and the pet chickens who both turned out to be boys  ). we do occasionally go to the Borders, and I remember Biggar as our car broke down there once...

[NormandyMary]

I love Sarkozy - or as Hilarysmum used to call him, Teacosy

He's not very popular over here!!

[Rich/Jan]

I'll second that - Charente dept 16.

[Simon O]

Oops the two hens seem to have gone feral despite my attempts to familiarise them with their home before letting out. Immediately they got out of the house they headed for the bushes. The cockerel is happy to live in the henhouse with all the big white hubbards. During the day the hens will feed with the others but disappear into the impenetrable undergrowth at the first sign of anything strange such as humans or dogs. They have obviously avoided the fox so far. The pups Molly and Meg do not help - unfortunately they chase the Scots Greys - I think they are rounding up rather than trying to hunt - though they just ignore the hubbards who do not run away. Our friend Gordon (not Mr Fleecewife but another Gordon) says he used to have Scots Greys but gave up as they all went feral and multiplied in the hedgerows of Cambusnethan and fed nothing but the local Lanarkshire airgun hunters. He says he will give me £50 if I ever get an egg from them, so I hope to make some money in this way.
Anyway it is great to see them come out to feed with the others, and now to have all the chickens including the hubbards freeranging; I am hoping to gradually get them more used to us and the other hens and get them to join the others in the house. I did manage to get hold of one of them yesterday and stroked her for a while.
Sorry Juliet for my incompetent chicken management.
Simon

[northfifeduckling]

good luck, Simon! It might be that they are just a less domesticated breed...Hope you win a few hundred quid soon!   

[Fleecewife]

Ah    They have been used to spending their days living in the bottom of our hedge and coming out to eat with the others, but they always go back to their house at dusk, so I would have expected them to carry on doing that.  The cockerel is obviously too busy showing off to the hubbards to be doing his duty of minding his own hens.  Can you sprinkle their corn just before bedtime in front of the henhouse, then persuade them in?  They are barely 4 months old so will not know how to survive outside alone. Scots Greys are a very independant breed but you can make them do what you want them to.
We'll see on Wed if we can round them up and persuade them to sleep inside if you haven't managed by then.  I wonder if they are scared of the larger hubbards - pecking orders are not always obvious

[Fleecewife]

Well I was wrong about that, I'm delighted to say    I saw the hens last night and they were flying into the branches of a lime tree from the roof of a shed, so they can clearly look after themselves perfectly well