Urban Cluck - Bespoke Living Spaces for Chicks!

Neale came round today to discuss 'fencing options' (what an exciting life we lead!) He has booked in for a week on Sunday to come round with Graham to do the deed! The girls are going to live in a fenced area behind the workshop at the bottom of the garden.

In the meantime, I have been given the task of clearing the area before the fencing goes in. 'No problem...' I said. 'I can do that easily....' I said. Then me and Geordie squeezed, clambered and climbed down the side of the workshop to have a better look...

Hmmmm! me thinks it might take a while... But it will be worth it when the girls have somewhere gorgeous to live!

Speaking of the girls, Geordie made them a 'chick treat' today...mashed hard boiled egg. Apparently it is good for their feather development. We boiled it...waited for it to cool...peeled it...mashed it and put it in the broody cage. Did they love it after all of Geordie's effort?
No! they stood in it and then pooed in it and then we put it in the bin! If they end up bald it is their own fault!

Perish the thought!

Here are our gorgeous girlies today. Their wing feathers are really coming in now. Nancy's are a beautiful colour they look like they are shot brown and orange. What a stunner!!

re: 'going spare'

I think what you meant was 'we are about to put our incubator and broody cage back on Ebay where they belong'?

If anyone fancies chick sitting (and in case you haven't been following, don't worry, it isn't the role of a mother hen, you don't actually have to sit on them) that would be great. At the moment I'm more concerned that Alistair 'chick whisperer' Clegg might not actually join us in France as he needs to look after the ladies!!

Toulouse anyone???
Fee x

Big Girls!!

WHAT?

Okay, sorry Janice - but I bet you laughed!!

I cannot believe how much our girls have grown since yesterday!! This is ace! Everyone should do it. We will have a broody cage and incubator going spare, so if you fancy it let us know. Also we need chick sitter in a couple of weeks so if you fancy looking after our girls, then leave us a message.

Here are our girls today. They are becoming so tame! tomorrow is day 18 for Fee and Geordie's eggs so we will stop turning and add more water to the reservoirs. Monday is THE day. Lets hope Madame Coco is indeed a Madam and that she pops out!!

Cleggy, can't believe you posted that picture....

...our (lovely) social worker reads this!
Also can't believe you have a favourite chick and have been spending so much time 'soft focusing' her photographs. Cute though.
I see you have made your postings funny....feel a little outdone. As I can't seem to find my sense of humour today (something to do with cleaning Geordie's sick off the seagrass carpet???) I won't bother trying but mark my words I'll be on fire tomorrow! Fee x

I know you shouldn't have favourites...

Can't believe how fast they are growing and how much of a personality they are getting already (don't worry, I know how sad that sounds)!

Can already see how quickly that fluffy cuteness is going to be replaced by the gangly hormones of the teenage chicken...

I reckon it is only a matter of time for Dolly and Pearl!

Girls were very popular today. Granny visited with her friend Margaret. They were followed Kendal's lovely friend Megan and her sister Lois (who had been up at 5.30am with chick excitement)!

They were followed by Kendal's other lovely friend Nadine! Kendal even missed Waterloo Road (unheard of) to show off her chick - it must be love!!

Here are our girls today...

For those numbnuts out there...The number on the block tells you how many days old they are! Ahhhhhhhhhhh! do you get it now? MAN ALIVE!

Jane I am so with your post about my wife's style and Julianne Moore...

I also found this.... It reminds me so much of my Fee - Cute chick with a great pai.......



well you can do the rest!

Al

Fee thinks:

Mmmmm....think I'm probably ok with that last comment!! Love you Jane x

Nancy gets fancy!

Clegg's Eggs are branching out into a new business venture...A CHICKEN SPA !It is the future!

Was getting concerned about Nancy today as the others were 'bothering' her. Not in the same way as yesterday, they seemed to be wanting to eat the gunky stuff that was on her feathers.

I knew a shampoo and set was out of the question but remembered reading on a blog about getting the humidity REALLY high in your incubator as the chicks were hatching by putting very hot water into the reservoirs causing it to steam up. This helps the chick to slip out of the egg but also to wash off some of the gunk. You MUST leave the chicks in the incubator until they are completely dry otherwise they could catch a chill!

So that is what we did. Scabby Nancy went into the steam room/incubator and about an hour later emerged a fluff ball! She is booked in tomorrow to have a 'clawicure' buff and polish!

It was like an episode of 'Extreme Makeover'. When she did the big reveal the others cried!

All girls getting on really well and looking very fluffy and cuddly.

Nancy is trouble and never sits still or shuts up - much like Kendal!!

Here are our girls today....

Dolly - 3days

Pearl - 3days

Mertyl - 2days

Scabby Nancy

Fancy Nancy!

Nancy - 1day

Shampoo and set you say....

Cleggy - just give me the green light and I'll give them a little make-over! Since they seem to need lots of warming up maybe Jane could crochet a little hat and scarf set? Leg warmers?
Fee x

2 more!

Took mine and Kendal's egg out of the incubator today and in true 'boy' fashion had to crack them open to have a look. Kendal's only had the first signs of developing and must have died early on. Mine wasn't much further on but had gone brown and gloopy and stank like a stinky thing!

In a moment of genius decided that I would see if I could find an Orpington breeder near here and see if I could get me a chick or two for me and Kendal. Managed to find a hatchery about half an hour away that did Orpingtons. The guy that owned it suggested that he provide me with 2 fertile eggs that were due to hatch on the same day as Geordie's and Fee's.

I, of course, emailed my chicken guru, Cockerdoodle Mark, to ask his opinion and with a cautious green light I set off armed with a hot water bottle (as instructed by the hatchery man)!

Never been to a hatchery before - after taking SO much care of 6 eggs it was strange to see hundreds in machines being turned and then crates full of chicks stacked on top of each other!

Anyway, I am a sucker for a cute chick so didn't leave with 2 eggs - left with 2 chicks! One was from a white Orpington and was 1 day old the other...well...he wasn't sure! The chick is black and cream and he thinks it is probably a Gold Laced - but time will tell.

It had literally just been hatched this afternoon so it's down is still a bit gunky. Could do with a shampoo and set - but I presume we are not allowed to do that?

I am to have the white one and Kendal the mystery bird!

Mine is to be called Mertyl and Kendal's Nancy!

We have done the drop test on them both and they are both hens - beginning to think it is a load of rubbish!

Mertyl has turned in toes but otherwise seems fine and Nancy is small and looks a bit scabby thanks to her matted feathers - I am sure she will improve in time.

Have put Nancy into the incubator for a few hours and Mertyl into the broody cage. Dolly and Pearl were so pleased to see her that they have pecked her and sat on her all afternoon. Apparently this is normal, just establishing the 'pecking order'

Here are our new girls...more of Nancy tomorrow when she is out and about (and less scabby!!)

SCABBY NANCY!

Now Fee's interested!!

Turns out fluffy little chicks are cute - although when they become tall scrawny chickens I may need them removing from my kitchen!
Speaking of kitchen, I'm sure Dolly was giving me the evil (beady) eye last night as I was cooking chicken....

We have used jam pot and vase as a height chart - see pictures. Hard to believe they are different coloured chickens in the making. Cockerdoodle Mark - hope you are right!!!
Fee x

Pearl Makes 2

By the time Alfie went to bed last night his chick had made a bit more progress and we could now see its beak and certainly hear it!

After that the progress was fairly speedy and by midnight it was out!

When we came down this morning there were 2 fluffy chicks in the incubator. Alfie's is a Lemon Cuckoo, not dissimilar in colour to Kenzie's Buff - so telling the difference between the two is not going to be easy until they are a bit older.

We have done the 'dangle' test this morning (see older post 'boys or girls?') and both chicks let their legs hang loose so if you believe this 'old wives tale' we have two girls.

Tomorrow we will try the 'feather test' and see if it agrees!!!

Into the broody cage later....In the meantime, have a look at Pearl....

Still nothing from mine and Kendal's egg! COME ON CLEGG'S EGGS - YOU CAN DO IT!!

Hello Dolly!

What a day - it has been fab!


It has taken our chick 19 hours to get out of its egg! Despite a quick 'whip off' of the lid to turn the other eggs and grab a quick photo, we have been very good and just left it to get on with it. That has been REALLY hard as the kids are desperate to get their hands on it - especially Kenzie.


Despite my best efforts to try not to let them get to attached - just in case it doesn't make it...or turns out to be a boy... How can you not get attached to such a cute bundle of fluff!



Kenzie has decided that if it is a girl then he would like to call it Dolly - so Dolly it is!


Alfie's egg is cheeping but has not made much progress since this morning. As for mine and Kendal's.....still nothing! Fingers (and toes) crossed for a bit of action before tomorrow.



Have a look at Dolly....