Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink · 20 March 2016 at 1:36PM

Hi everyone

I forgot to put a caption on my photo above. It is of my rescue girls demolishing my strawberry bed at the end of the strawberry growing season. I allow them to jump up there every year to have a forage about and they love it.

How are every ones hens doing? The weather has turned a little chilly here at the moment so I will expect a slight drop in the amount of eggs they lay.

Got 16 eggs from the hens yesterday and 2 from the ducks.

Have a good weekend everyone

Edwink

Happygreen · 21 March 2016 at 9:25AM

Lovely photo, edwink! Some day you must give me a tutorial how to upload pics on this forum, never managed so far

The broodiest duck on the planet (she's a Mallard) found her way in under a woodpile, which was fenced off with fine meshed chicken wire....first outdoor clutch of 3 eggs rescued . She is unbeatable, I wonder where she will go next!!
Granma duck back in the hospital wing for eye drops and oldest hen Fluffyfoot gasping again. Will get wormer later in the week. Other than that , eggs are coming steady and my friends are happy as they always miss them over the winter.

Dizzy_Ditzy · 21 March 2016 at 10:57AM

My girls are extremely grumpy because it's worming week :eek: :eek:

I'm giving them marriage layers pellets with flubenvet. Apparently we shouldn't be giving them any treats at all but I don't see what harm a small handful of corn can do

This weekend we will have had them for a whole year :j to celebrate, we are in the process of building them an extension, somewhere we can happily let them out for a couple of hours while we are at the plot. We've turfed it, there are places they can dustbath and be as free range as we can let them be

weather permitting they'll be allowed out on Sunday, which is the day we call their birthday

smallholding_antics · 21 March 2016 at 11:49AM

Awww I love that, their birthday!!! Fab.

We have 3 goose eggs now!!!! LOL.

edwink · 22 March 2016 at 12:18PM

We got 16 eggs yesterday so it looks as though the new rescue girls are feeling better in themselves as some of them are now laying. A few of them look a little frail for their age so I don't expect them to lay instead they will just have a lovely retirement here with us.

Thank you for the suggestions everyone for what to give one of my little hens that is under weight. So far I have managed to be able to give her extra bits of treats like a few extra Blueberries. It is difficult with 25 others round my feet also wanting a Blueberry. I will try a few of the suggestions and see how she goes. I've got booster here so gave her some of that yesterday. Hubby is getting more feed this week so I have asked him to pick up a bag of chick crumb whilst he is there. With regards to the cat food are we talking about a high protein one or any type of cat food?

The sun is shining and all my girls are happy so that is me smiling for the day. Oh I do love watching them dust bathe as it is the best thing in the world to watch.

Edwink x

Better_Days · 23 March 2016 at 8:09AM

Another little ditty:

Bliss
Grapes are tasty
Grapes are sweet
Grapes are nicer than
Cabbage leaves!

smallholding_antics · 23 March 2016 at 9:49AM

4 goose eggs on our little piece of England now. Rather pleased! She should start sitting on them soon, usually when there's 5 or 6 I have read. We do plan on taking on at the weekend to have with a bacon and egg salad, so I hope she doesn't mind too much

.

We're up to 5 eggs a day which means on of our oldies is still laying, unexpectedly.

The chicks which are just over 4 weeks old now, had their first outing at the weekend. We took them into a safe penned place on nice soft grass, away from the others of course, and let them feel the grass under their feet. They were scared stiff initially but we will do it again this weekend, hopefully a couple of times as that will be where they end up when they go out full time.

How many weeks old have people introduced them to living outside before? We don't plan on having them in with the older girls until they are laying which is 18/20 weeks off yet.

In the mean time the rehoming girls will be in the chicks adult new coop we've just bought until they are at full strength and by the time the chicks are ready to go in, the rehomed birds should be ok to be introduced to our current flock, maybe even sooner.

I'm picking up some layers mash, more mite powder and some pick me up liquid (Keep Well I think it's called) for the rehomed ones to arrive.

We're also getting ducks in the next week or 2, depending when we get their home built. Khaki Campbells I think we will get. 2 girls and a boy again. Any advice on ducks?

suki1964 · 23 March 2016 at 11:06AM

Edwink, from what I can gather it's any wet cat food

Most of the forums I read are American based

Well I have four hens laying regularly now, and one just starting, she drops the odd soft shell one now and then. Star who laid the treble yolker is laying huge eggs every day now. I keep wanting to crack them to see how many yolks lol. I'm getting egg boxes next week and the sign out on the road, see if the girls can earn their keep

It's amazing how much food we get through now. With four it seemed like a sack lasted forever , with nine it goes pretty fast

How much do you all charge for eggs? I was thinking £1.20 and £1.50 for the jumbos.

ali-t · 24 March 2016 at 2:31PM

What do you all use for worming your hens? I have been looking at different wormers including flubonvet that is premixed with layers pellets and one you have to mix as well as other ones. I am looking for effective worming with the least hassle or input really. All guidance and tips where you buy from would be useful too.

Hope all your hens are doing well. The slightly warmer weather and lighter days and nights is having a huge impact for our hens for the better. Egg production is pretty much at capacity and they look much happier too.

Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free