Author Topic: New cockerel is settling in well...... (Read 4298 times)

johnmac · « **on:** February 21, 2009, 03:32:19 pm »

Hi all. Got my first ever cockerel a few weeks ago from Emma via the forum. He's a handsome devil, though still a bit shy. I'm not going to breed from him just now. The hen is the last survivor from my first batch of ten I got five years ago..... foxes!!!!

Anyway, she's a different bird now she has a love interest! Anyway, here's a few pics of the love birds together for Emma and anyone else to have a look at. I also treated them to a new hen house and larger fully enclosed run for when i'm not around, the rest of the time they can have the run of the whole garden!

doganjo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2009, 04:35:41 pm »

I've just realised my old cockerel may have been a Welsummer. He was very like yours - I always thought he was a RIR. Are the breeds related? I like the interest in your run - the stones and logs add a bit of character. What is on the ground - is it bare earth? I have a problem with mine as it gets and stays very muddy. I have my 4 LS and 6 ex batts separate just now but want to get them altogether. Not enough room in the little shed I bought (6 x 4) so might turf the ducks out if I can get another one for them by the stream. Can someone out there with knowledge tell me if the shed is big enough fro 10 before I got o that expense. I'd need more perches in it but wondered about the space.
Here are my runs

johnmac · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2009, 05:37:13 pm »

Hi doganjo.... I'm not sure if Welsummers and RIR are related? but they are similar looking, so maybe?

As for the run, it's one third grass a 6ftx6ft corner of earth (for sun bathing/baths) and 2/3's sharp sand. Like you I had big problems with mud..either baked solid or like the Somme...so i put in a few drainage channels lined with big stones and put a ten inch layer of sharp sand over the mud.... the chickens soon flatten it and it drains very quickly. Every few weeks I give it a rake to clean up leaves and droppings and it looks like new again. I've had my run like that for four years and the chickens love it.... if they dig down deep enough they can get all the worms and bugs...

I buy it from the local quarry for I think £10/tonne? (last yr) two tonnes was plenty to do the run and some.... then every year or two buy a half tonne top up! When I get my battery hens in March the bit of grass may die off very quickly, in which case i'll add more sand!

As for you shed...a 6x4 will easily hold ten chickens... just add more perches like you say.

doganjo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2009, 05:50:26 pm »

Thanks, John. I've emailed my son and son-in-law as they'll be the labourers! How big is your whole run? If it's one third grass and a 6ft x 6ft corner of earth does that mean the whole thing is 9ft by 9ft? I no longer have any grass in mine although it started out all grass - hens have devastated it! I needed a proper fence to keep my dogs out too - they'd have smashed through chicken wire.

Thanks for info - next time the boys are both off work together I'll get them onto it.
Annie

pikilily · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2009, 06:28:32 pm »

hey john i found your post.

MR Green looks great...His tail is up so he is looking very happy.....so pleased he has a good new home and a beautiful girlfriend to boot!. I just found a new home for Mr Blue- he will be moving up to north of Inverurie, to a friends place. He will have lots of new playmate of various breeds....so soon he will be strutting his stuff like John Travolta

Your run looks very plush, when are you going into house design for humans!!
Ems

carl · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2009, 08:15:10 pm »

looks a neat set up . I have a welsummer bantam cockerel " Napolean", who is a handsome smaller version, but alas he is surplus to requirements. he just popped out of a batch of e bay eggs last year. I had to re house him yesterday to make room in one of the breeding runs, and as he has no suitable mate he has gone in with " the boys". went out this afternoon to a god daughters birthday and got back a touch late, just after dark. I'm not sure what they all got upto but there had been a bit of a rebellion. chickens all over the place. i had to carry them back to their bed. N apoleon and his buddy, goofy had taken up roosting next to their old pen, and had obviously been eyeing up the young ladies I had moved in. One LS pullet is still missing and i hope she has gone into next doors chicken shed to be near her old boy friend who lives there now. a couple of days of warmer weather and they all go rampant

doganjo · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2009, 08:20:10 pm »

Ha ha - sounds like they all had a party too!

johnmac · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2009, 11:12:57 pm »

Quote from: doganjo on February 21, 2009, 05:50:26 pm

Thanks, John. I've emailed my son and son-in-law as they'll be the labourers! How big is your whole run? If it's one third grass and a 6ft x 6ft corner of earth does that mean the whole thing is 9ft by 9ft? I no longer have any grass in mine although it started out all grass - hens have devastated it!

Hi doganjo..... Maths was never my strong point! Measurements and fractions being a particular problem!!

In actual fact my run is about 22ft x 20ft (just measured it!

..in the dark!) By my maths thats 440ft square...of that about 90ft square is grass..... and about 30ft square of dirt for bathing/chilling out on.... leaving about 300ft square which is sharp sand and on which the house also stands!

It's huge in terms of the amount of space that two chickens need.... though numbers will be up'd to eight once I get my six ex-bats in March... but I found from previous experience that there is no such thing as too big! The bigger it is the more chance the ground gets to recover and rest! And like you say, chickens kill all the grass in no time!

Emma, I'm glad you approve of Mr Greens new home.... he's settling in very well...and doing a fair wee bit of cock-a-doodle-doing...though not very loudly (yet!) The wife seems happy with him too!

Hope your sister is on the mend!!

...and i'm glad to hear that Mr Blue is in with the ladiesssss!! It's good to see the bullied one's coming off so well!

doganjo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2009, 12:12:27 am »

Quote

Maths was never my strong point! Measurements and fractions being a particular problem!!

Good grief, you ain't flippin kidding!!

6 x 6 = 36sq ft = one third, so I reckoned the whole thing would be 3 times that which is 108 sq ft - I was well out! Maybe I just misread your post

My run is about 8ft x 36ft = 288 sq ft, and I'm NOT going out in the dark to measure it - I know how many panels of 6ft long fencing I have

So my 10 have about half what your 2 have!

Poor chicky wickies! Sharp sand a great idea and my daughter says we'll manage it without bothering the menfolk, so thanks for your great idea!
Annie

pikilily · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2009, 05:16:11 pm »

Hey John, Mr Green is an uncle!!! So that makes you a Great Uncle John

I had four Welsummer female chicks hatch yesterday. It was 'Mother' my Isa Brown who did all the hard work...she is such a great broody hen.
Anyway thought id let you know!
Emma

sausagesandcash · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:21:48 am »

johnmac, it's great to see someone putting so much thought and effort into their chicken run. One things for sure, your birds aren't bored. Well done, lovely setup!