Keeping hens and ducks chat.

skipton · 9 April 2016 at 10:38PM

This is an interesting post by Terry who is in America. I am having the same problem with my 3+yr old white leghorns.

http://hencam.com/henblog/2016/04/shell-less-eggs/

Better_Days · 10 April 2016 at 7:51AM

Thanks for posting Skipton.

Some interesting stuff here too on egg yolk peritonitis and the use of hormone injections to stop laying.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/643985/suprelorin-implant-virbac-stops-hens-with-egg-peritonitis-laying-anymore

suki1964 · 10 April 2016 at 11:13AM

skipton wrote: »

This is an interesting post by Terry who is in America. I am having the same problem with my 3+yr old white leghorns.

http://hencam.com/henblog/2016/04/shell-less-eggs/

My leghorn is new to laying and she also produces mostly soft eggs. Maybe about one in four is formed properly

oldandhappy · 10 April 2016 at 7:27PM

When we lived in Uk we had a real issue with foxes...they take no prisoners for sure and is a real upsetting situation when the fox takes one...ours where free range so the risk is always going to be there whether countryside or town location...here in rural France foxes are timid and the risk is lower as long as we put our girls away in the light hours....we have other animals that will take a chicken but we have a secure fencing in place not wired but as safe as can be... freedom for our girls is what makes them happy and they really are so happy here with us..Ican call them at any time and they come to me..(treats have been the training for that of course...)our girls are called...from the boss downwards...Henryetta she is Grey..Chickpea is Black...Cuckoo is speckled and Madge is white...had them a year now and they lay 4 eggs every day and the biggest so far was 110 grams not a lie...the next largest was 90 grams and we belive our Madge lays them super large ones..average is 55 grams...good luck with yours when you get them...

Dizzy_Ditzy · 11 April 2016 at 7:07PM

Am I claiming the first broody of the year?! :wall: :wall: :wall:

edwink · 11 April 2016 at 8:21PM

Hi everyone Hope you are all ok.

Welcome to dingdongsaving and oldandhappy great to have you both on board our happy friendly hen thread. Any questions either of you have just fire away because someone on here will be able to help you or offer you some advice.

Oldandhappy I do love the name chickpea for one of your hens. The other names are great too but I have taken a liking to chickpea the best. You are right there are loads of foxes here in the UK. Our girls are all freerange and have the run of half of our garden. We have high fences with netting above them and in some places chicken wire on top of the fences. We have done everything we can to keep our girls as safe as possible. Our ducks and hens enclosures where they sleep at night have the chicken wire cemented 2ft in to the ground all the way round. If that lot does not keep them safe I don't know what will. I suppose you never know if a sly fox could get in but all we can do is our best to stop it happening.

Dingdongsaving I promise you if you get ex battery hens you will not be disappointed with them. They really are the friendliest creatures ever. They may arrive looking almost oven ready but they soon grow their feathers back with a bit of TLC from us humans. I started with 12 ex batts and I would not have changed that for the world. They were so grateful to have a new friendly home to retire to, somewhere cosy and warm to sleep and most of all proper feed with one or two or maybe three or four treats too. They absolutely love their treats especially grapes and sweetcorn.

Thank you to Skipton and Betterdays for the interesting links you have posted. I enjoyed reading both of those. You can always learn more when it comes to our feathered friends. Thanks again.

Oh no Queenofcheap NOT a BROODY hen already. I think I can safely say that you have the first of 2016 on here. Sadly we lost my one and only broody hen just before Christmas, bless her. Will have to wait and see if any of the others take her place. I really hope not to be honest.

Happy hen keeping everyone

Edwink x

Dizzy_Ditzy · 11 April 2016 at 8:54PM

I had my suspicions yesterday that she was broody but left her to it and when I went back round again she was out and all was fine.

This morning 'im indoors went round and she was in the nest box - nothing unusual there but when I went round after work she was still in there :eek:

Last time she went broody she snapped out if it of her own accord so I'm hoping she'll do the same thus time. She didn't go for me when I got the eggs out from underneath her

Happygreen · 12 April 2016 at 7:59AM

Good morning, all.
I must remember to tell my neighbour that her 2 hens are flirting with my boy! They are kicking round near the fence all day in the hope of catching a glimpse, lol. I know he's lovely but nobody has figured out yet how to get over or around the fence!
A bit worrying, I hear a fox up the hill now and they must have their young ones soon....so hair and pee it is on the boundaries again. I need more male guests I can ask to pee in the garden, lol.

Dizzy_Imp · 12 April 2016 at 9:29AM

Hello everyone :wave:

I'm still here and loving all your news, stories and links. Not much of interest from me, hence radio silence.

Our girls finally had a moult, although production only dipped slightly, so we are still giving away eggs LR&C. I feel a bit embarrassed about accepting money for them and its a nice little treat for friends and family, so as long as I don't need the eggs, I'm happy that others are enjoying them.

We have moved the coop again, to another part of the orchard. Moving the huge run was a real task, needing 4 of us, but done now. I tend to let the girls out to run in the orchard in the morning and pop them into the run late in the afternoon. That way, I'm not hunting under bushes at dusk for one of them...usually Ebony...luckily there don't seem to be many foxes here, but badgers are plentiful and not sure if they would attack chickens?

DH is talking chicks, cockerels (just one!) and more hens this year. I'd like a couple of donkeys too - will they get on do you think?

edwink · 12 April 2016 at 6:35PM

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

...luckily there don't seem to be many foxes here, but badgers are plentiful and not sure if they would attack chickens?

DH is talking chicks, cockerels (just one!) and more hens this year. I'd like a couple of donkeys too - will they get on do you think?

Hi Dizzy

Nice to hear from you again with your hen news.

As far as I am aware I believe that a Badger would attack a hen. So best to be on a look out for them.

I don't see any reason why a donkey could not be in the same place as a hen. As you have said the hens are in an orchard so I would imagine there is plenty of room for them all to be together.

HTH

Edwink x

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