Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Gigervamp

WEEZE210 wrote: »

Should I have more than one nest area for 4 chickens? What happens if there is only one nest box and they all want to lay? We had our second egg this morning, Florences' first! They all took thenselves off to bed again last night, it still amazes me, and when hubby let them out this morning, Florence was sitting in the nest box. I went to look a bit later and she'd laid an egg!

Weeze x

From what I've read, it should be one nest box per 3 hens, but I've found that 4 of mine all lay in the same box, even though there are two other boxes. This of course causes problems, as a couple of them will want to lay at the same time and a lot of complaining goes on when one of the girls finds another already in the box! One day I even found one girls sitting on top of another! Neither seemed bothered by it though. :rotfl:

I suggest you do some research on keeping chickens as you seem to be asking very basic questions which you should really know before getting chickens. There are loads of poultry websites and books available. One book that is always recommended to people thinking of keeping chickens is Starting with Chickens by Katie Thear.

miss_t_2

Not sure how to quote yet, but if I got two new hens, wouldn't Audrey have been the one who was completely picked on? Am very confused!

I do realise that Audrey won't kill Gertrude in her sleep, :rotfl: it was an irrational fear that I had last night.

If I get any more (which won't be for a few months yet), then I will be getting them in pairs and introducing them differently, but when I got my original two, there wasn't the option of 3 from the same flock at the time.

We have just let them out into the garden and Audrey has gone to peck at Gertrude a lot. Am hoping it will eventually sort itself out.

We're taking them both to the vet today, Gertrude needs to have her wings clipped, and I want her to also have a check up to make sure everything is okay and am having Audrey be given the once over also as the last time that happened was when we had her wing clipped. Lets hope that will be a bonding experience for them!

Jenny_Wren_3

Advice Please!

On Sunday I picked up a chicken coop that I won on ebay. It came with 3 young Polish hens. I have since done a lot of research and found out that Polish lay very small, infrequent eggs, are late to start to lay (35 weeks, mine are 14 weeks and 19 weeks), and can't be mixed with other chickens as they get very bullied due to their "Hairdo's". Does anyone have any Polish chickens and can reassure me. At the moment I don't know wether to get a few more Polish hens to get more eggs or try to rehome them and start again with hybrids.

Muppet81

Oh boy! We do all worry about our girls don't we? I am just the same.

I am sure that your girls will sort themselves out Mis T but why don't you discuss the possibility of getting another new girl straight way so you get all the mayhem over in one fell swoop. It is unlikely that both new girls will team up to bully Gertrude. All 3 will just try to give as good as they get and it may just serve to keep Audrey from being too much of a bully.

I feel just the same each time I introduce new girls and I hate myself for a couple of weeks for what I have put them through. I did the unthinkable a while back and introduced 1 hen to 5 existing .... it is a long story and there was a good reason for me doing it or I would not have done.

It was carnage at first and I felt so horrified for the one new hen. Just over 2 weeks later though she was fine ... a mite battle scarred but fine and she and my remaining 2 girls all get on like a house on fire. Dusty is my favourite girl and follows me everywhere I go when I am outside and will get into the kitchen whenever she gets the chance. I am now glad I did it but at the time !!!!!!!!!

I do need to think about adding some new ladies as they are all now getting very old and not laying very much. I am reluctant though as I don't want to inflict new girls on my golden oldies. With ex battery hens, of course, it is even more important to keep them apart for a while as they are so unfit when they arrive and could not cope with being attacked.

So good to hear that you and others on here care so much.

Wheeze - why not take a look at the Omlet website www.omlet.co.uk and spend some time on their Forum. It is a great place to learn a lot about hens and to ask any questions you have. Lots of knoweldgable and helpful people on there all day long

Muppet81

Sorry Jenny but I don't know anyhting about "posh" chickens. They sound gorgeous though with "hairdos". Hope someone can advise you soon.

Again, perhaps asking that question on the www.omlet.co.uk Forum will help you decide. It really is a brilliant site. When I first got into hens I found it a godsend.

MoJo

We have a few Pet Shops around here that stock Layers Pellets - supply & demand I guess.

miss_t_2

Just thought I'd post a quick update... the visit to the vets did seem to be a bonding experience for Audrey and Gertrude and they were wandering around the garden quite merrily. Hopefully they're on the road to building a long and happy friendship!

Can I just quickly ask another question, what is better to use in their nestbox, straw or hay. I've always used straw, but have seen on a couple of sites I shouldn't as it's a breeding ground for mites, but I thought that true of hay? My chickens don't perch very often, and normally sleep in their nestbox (original 2 always snuggled together) so I want to make sure I am using the right floor covering.

Can I also say a quick thank you to everyone who has posted back a reply to my previous messages. It's been very much appreciated!

Muppet81

Great news .... thanks for letting us know. There may be further spats but at last you know they are getting better. Sleep ell tonight :-)

I prefer to use shavings in my nest boxes. It is called Easybed and is I think sold mainly for horse use. It is dust free/or low dust and so great for hens who can suffer from respiratory problems. It seems to stay claen and dry much better than straw. Don't be tempted to use shavings from a woodwork shop as these would be dusty.

If you are choosing between straw and hay, I would say good quality straw.

Good luck with Gertrude and Audrey. Two very lucky ladies.

jexygirl

just to throw the cat among the pidgeons, or hens!
I have 2 nest areas, for 16 girls. yes really thats all, and I have 16 happy laying girls!
I had 14, but Annie and Betty were on freecycle as the owner was getting new ones because these apparently pecked eggs and layed useless soft shelled eggs so were not cost effective... I took them to stop them going to chicken heaven. I dont worry about eggs, and 2 more mouths make no difference.
2 weeks in, they have not pecked a single egg, the shells are now hard due to a good varied diet, they were soft initially but no sign of pecking, simply clumsy which is totally understandable as ex bats.

I didnt do anything as advised, we simply put them in the run (which to be fair is a big run!) whilst letting the others out, let them find their feet and eat, let the others in, lots of pecking as expected, order sorted even though it wasnt great to watch, it was natural and we were there to supervise in case it got really bad - it really didnt.

I know this isnt the advised way, and trust me we had plans a b c d e and f for every eventuality, I dont want to come over as i dont care, I adore my girls, they have their own page on our website, I am totally responsible for them, and read whatever I can, I even realised there is more than one 7 o'clock each day, it isnt just one at night, as I set my alarm to let them out early! I spent a few days discussing and reading the pros and cons of introducing new girls, with their supposed potentially quite serious problems, (OH says they need to earn their keep so new ones, dont have to lay, but if they do, they cant teach the ones we have to eat eggs) but I wasnt going to let girls go to chicken heaven for no reason.

The pet shop owner where we get mash and corn from has driven past several times, and asked if I want a cockeral... I will end up taking it if it needs a home, despite me not actually wanting one. I see a new potential scottish hen rescue developing! I have always wanted girls and am such a soft touch, I am overwelmed by how much they give me.

I have relied on little hen rescue website for everything, its so full of info, as well as my guru, and found them really helpful as a resource, but also intuition is a good thing. They dont sleep where advised, they didnt lay where advised, each to their own, I found it hard to let them sort it out, and was so worried they werent doing what the research said, but its their life, which they are now living, and I was there to monitor!. They truly do rule me like you wouldn't believe but I am so proud! They are my girls, and they rock!

As many will know, our initial 15 were in a pretty poor state on arrival, and we lost one within 36 hours and I was truly devastated. I watched the secret life of chickens the night before I took the new 2 from freecycle and it reassured me so much that what we were witnessing was normal.

We have beautiful eggs, in only 2 nest areas, despite 16 hens, (until this post I had no idea there was a recommended amount, my hen guru has had girls and bred them for 15 years, and he set it up so I believed him!) we never even went as far as plan b, so I feel we are very lucky and I dont advise it, we just deided to give it a go, and had plans if it didnt work out.


They have a house full of sawdust, bolstered in the areas they sleep, but all parts covered in case they sleep elsewhere occasionally (which they dont as we check after bedtime, much to their disgust!)

Sorry to go against the grain a little, but I just wanted to say that the advice is perfect, but also in reality, they have minds of their own too, I learned the hard way not to worry so much, but it took a while!

I have also read that a minimum of 3 is advised so if you lose one, they are not lonely, makes sense from such a social animal.


A customer has hens, with a hen house they can move round the garden.
The first time they moved it after the arrival of their girls, they went out to find the girls huddled asleep on the grass outside, in the place the house HAD been...

dont you just love em
Jex

Muppet81

Fascinating reading jexy. The world (and chickens in particular) need more like you.

I do know what you mean .... they are all such individual characters and do respond differently. So pleased it worked out as it did for you and your girls. The Secret Life was very interesting and gave a great insight. As you say ... it is all natural to them.

I would still urge caution to anyone reading these posts though. Our fear with ex battery hens in particular is that those just coming out of the cages are weak and unfit. They have never stood properly or walked. When you pick them up from a rescue centre, they will only have come out a matter of hours before. To put them straight in with fit and probably dominant/agressive chickens can lead to real trauma at best and serious injury at worst. A period of gradual integration is strongly advised.

A big thank you to anyone reading who does have ex batts. :j:j:j