Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Dizzy_Imp · 2 January 2016 at 9:37PM

edwink wrote: »

...With regards to being fed up with pancakes why not try what my husband calls Eggy Bread. I Think it is really called Fisherman's toast. Just scramble up some eggs with some salt and black pepper. Drop a slice of bread in it and when it is soaked in the egg take it out carefully so it does not break up and fry it on both sides until it is golden and crunchy. This can be served (as we do) with freshly sliced tomatoes on the top. All you need is one frying pan to cook this up. It is like fried bread and fried egg all in one. We always blot ours on kitchen paper before serving to make sure it is not too oily. Makes a really filling breakfast, lunch or supper.

Thanks for this suggestion - went down a storm with the kids. Have been requested to make it again, so I'm very grateful to you

We have decided to move our coop, run and enclosure to another area within the orchard as where they've been for the past few months is like a quagmire, despite copious amounts of straw. The groundwater level is still high and everything is so muddy. When things dry out properly (hopefully during the blazing hot summer) we are moving them again, this time into the paddock where there is a huge open barn that they can use as shelter, which has a dry floor. They will still be free range, just a bit further from the house. Still, I could do with the exercise :rotfl: Poor things are looking bedraggled with all this horrible weather.

Hope everyone had a good New Year and that resolutions haven't been broken just yet. I'm doing the dryathlon for January, so no wine, amaretto, cooking sherry or left-over Crimble chocolate liqueurs for me....it's gonna be a loooong month....

skipton · 2 January 2016 at 11:23PM

I had a whopping 7 eggs yesterday from 9 hens (minus Cara). Nearly as good as the summer, must have been the sugar rush from a leftover Asda Doughnut they snaffled from the wildbirds.

Happygreen · 3 January 2016 at 1:10AM

Happy New Year, all!

This morning I decided to get a couple of rescue hens in spring. Can't wait!

Dizzy_Ditzy · 3 January 2016 at 4:07PM

We *think* we've managed to solve the flooding issue by diverting the water away from the roof for the time being. The girls love, love, love having new straw in there to scratch around in

of course, the fact that they are helping to soak up the water and mud while they're at it is pure bonus :rotfl:

Still getting pretty much 4-5 eggs a day from 5 girls :j

I need to figure out somewhere for them to dustbath because their usual spots have been full of water

I think inside their house will be the best place as its the driest spot in the run

Happygreen · 4 January 2016 at 9:29AM

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

We *think* we've managed to solve the flooding issue by diverting the water away from the roof for the time being. The girls love, love, love having new straw in there to scratch around in of course, the fact that they are helping to soak up the water and mud while they're at it is pure bonus :rotfl:

Still getting pretty much 4-5 eggs a day from 5 girls :j

I need to figure out somewhere for them to dustbath because their usual spots have been full of water I think inside their house will be the best place as its the driest spot in the run

Mud is getting worse by the day but I feel grateful that the house has been spared so far with all that rain, it is relentless....
The chickens hardly come out of their house, the boy is the worst, he hates rain :rotfl:
The ducks keep having their way and a lot of fun with what is left of my garden...
still one hen egg every second day. Perfect timing as I'm on the last box of duck eggs from before they went on their well-deserved break.

edwink · 4 January 2016 at 10:10AM

We are now getting the mud problem too. No where near the amount others who have been flooded have got so not grumbling in any way. The hens coop where they eat their breakfast before they are let out in to the garden is just mushy slop now. My lawn still looks like a lawn, just, with holes in it where the ducks have been sticking their beaks in looking for worms. I call the holes drainage.

It is so difficult to get all the cleaning done with this awful weather. The hens hut is cleaned once a week so we have managed that but their water bowls and feeding troughs are now looking like mud too. Wish the hens would not stand in their troughs to feed. We tried the bell shaped feeders but for some reason did not get on with them with so many hens. So we have 2 large feeding troughs made out of recycled guttering screwed to a log on each end. They are a great size especially for when we get more rescue hens because none of hens have to wait to feed.

Still getting a box of eggs a day which is great.

My ducks have not started laying again yet. Normally for us they start again mid to end of January.

How is everyone and their chooks and ducks. What is your egg situation like at the moment?

Dizzy - glad you managed to help your hens with straw because of the problems you are having. Also glad you enjoyed the Eggy bread.

Edwink x

Dizzy_Ditzy · 4 January 2016 at 10:21AM

The only thing I can suggest for those with chronic mud problems is straw.

What I've noticed with mine is that they scratch and dig around in it, which helps soak up the excess mud and water and the smell too... At the moment I'm looking at replacing the straw every 2-3 days. I thought it would be really difficult to clean it up but it was so easy - rake it all up, pile it in a bucket and chuck in compost bin

The added bonus is that you have a drier surface to walk on too :cool:

edwink · 4 January 2016 at 10:22AM

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

I need to figure out somewhere for them to dustbath because their usual spots have been full of water I think inside their house will be the best place as its the driest spot in the run

Hi queen of cheap

Could you put a large container like a cat little tray in there for them. If you put some dried compost and sand in there they will love that. You could try and put an umbrella over it by sticking the handle in the ground and putting the tray underneath. Or some temporary tarpaulin over the tray. We did this when we first got some of our new girls because the older girls did not let them dust bathe in the dusty holes they had made.

Edwink x

ali-t · 4 January 2016 at 10:38AM

our enclosure is a total mudbath too - the rain has been relentless. I am going out this morning to put more straw/hay down. Most of them are moulting just now so their poor little bodies are partially exposed and they will be getting trenchfoot if this weather continues. Egg production is still high though - averaging 6 per day.

suki1964 · 4 January 2016 at 11:34AM

Our garden is now water logged. Our garden is higher then the fields around us so we have lasted out well.

The girls don't seem to mind the rain as much as the wind. They hate the wind with a passion and tend to stay inside

Their new house is in situ and nearly completed. We have gravelled the area it's on so they won't be so muddy going in. It's very impressive. I'm so proud of hubby, he's never built a shed before and it's just perfect

He was putting soil over the fence onto the bank and came across one of next doors hens sitting on a nest of 14 eggs I guess she was clucky as she certainly didn't want to leave them and went for the neighbour when he came to get her

Our wee Honey has started to lay We are getting an egg every other day The other three stopped laying 6 weeks ago and have recently lost their head feathers so I'm guessing it will be a while before they start again. Still I'm grateful for the eggs I'm getting , supermarket eggs are tasteless, no matter what claims are made on the boxes

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