Keeping hens and ducks chat.

All harmony in the camp with my girls and boys at the moment. No broody hens, hoorah for that I must say and no squabbling going on like they do from time to time. Just happy healthy hens sunbathing and enjoying the warm weather.

Cleaned out the pond and the pump thoroughly last week and already a week later we have green algae so soon. This is the only year so far that this has happened so quickly. Most annoying as a whole day was spent scrubbing the sides and floor of the pond and refilling it and it looked lovely and the water was crystal clear. I don't expect it to stay that way ever but I did expect as in other years it would stay clearer for longer. Almost looks as though it needs cleaning out again already, so most disappointed with that this year. :mad:

How is everyone else and their girls and boys getting on? Lots of sunbathing and dust bathing going on I hope although I do appreciate that not all of the county is having this warm weather.

Not looking forward to the heat tomorrow tbh as it is set to be a very hot day. Nice to get up to date with the washing and drying and great to give the veg growing a boost but I think it is going to be too hot for me.:( Never mind and I suppose I must not grumble as it could quite easily being raining instead.:)

Take care all

Edwink

CAFCGirl wrote: »

I was just pondering this, is there such a thing as too much sun causing lower egg production?

I would say yes as their bodies would try and spend time and energy keeping cool in the heat. A bit like the winter but the other way round. All of us I am sure get a drop in egg production in the winter because the hens use energy to keep warm.

I have never had my full quota of eggs from my hens. Thankfully to be honest because I wouldn't know what to do with all of them. Some hens when they get older will lay once every other day and sometimes ever bigger gaps in between or sometimes they stop laying altogether. I never know who is laying and who isn't because at the moment mine are all the same colour except for my oldest girl who is a Bluebell. Easy to spot her against all the ex batts.

Thankfully mine have a lot of shade for the warm summer months. When I walk up the garden a little head or two pops out of one of the bushes. My husband put a perch under one of our bigger bushes and at any one time when it is warm there will be at least 5 or 6 perching on it to keep cool with a few more that have jumped up in to the bush itself. There not really spoilt my lot are they?

Lots of dandelions around at the moment so the girls and boys are having those as treats at lunchtime twice a week. The 22 of them demolish half a carrier bag within one afternoon and still gobble up their pellets at supper time. Where they put all their food I'll never know.

Take care everyone.

Edwink

Hello everyone

The cooler weather is finally here YAY!!! I know others like the heat but for me I struggle if it gets too hot. I suffer with a lot of pain and on permanent painkillers so the heat for me is way too much especially trying to sleep. So the cooler weather is most welcome plus today my garden is getting a long awaited watering.

Nothing much to report here except my booootiful Cockerel is constantly giving his treat food away. I really do not see him eat any of it. In their area of the garden (that's most of it:D) we grow red and black currents and yesterday when I picked quite a few bunches for them I was watching him and everyone he picked up he dropped in front of one of the hens for them to eat. I know Cockerels naturally do that but I wish he would have eaten some himself. Even if I offer some to him from my hand he will take them and drop them for his girls. At least he is eating his pellets in the morning and the evening though.

How is everyone else getting on?. All good in your neck of the woods I hope. Any new additions anyone? No new additions here for us but I have certainly started to think about it lately (a lot):cool:

Edwink

All ok still with my girls and boys. I know there was a lot of sunbathing going on here in that hot, hot weather but I think it was a little hot for some of the hens. A few of them stayed in the shade up on the perch my husband made under one of our tall bushes. They are well covered under there bless them.

I did have a quiet girl the other day just for one day but she is absolutely fine. She was probably just having a "I am having an old and very tired day so don't want to run around like a Looney today" bless her.:j

Cockerel still giving his treat food away as per usual but at least he is scoffing down his pellets morning and night.:D

Has anyone else noticed that their grass is not growing much? Ours always shoots up after it has been cut. We were looking at it this morning and hoping to mow it and give the cuttings too the girls but there is hardly any growth since last time. Two of our neighbours give us their cuttings too and we have not had anything from them either in a while now.:( My girls like nothing more than a pile of cuttings to dive in to and look for little insects plus eat the grass obviously. Just wondered what is happening with those that give their girls lawn cuttings.

All for now folks!

Edwink