Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Rotwein44

I am trying to be prepared for the bad weather and prevent the run from getting muddy and smelly! Any recommendations? I have just googled and quite a few poultry websites/forums talk about using either pebbles, comcrete slabs or hemcore. I have an ark house and run which could be moved but my garden is small so I would prefer to keep it in the same place and make a more permanent surface for the run. Any advice would be appreciated? Thanks

smileyt_2

Hi Rotwein

I don't know about surfaces but I have put a corrugated plastic roof over the top of my hens' run, with a fair overhang. This has been a godsend. Some water does still get into the pen but a roof really does minimise it. My chooks are half on concrete and half on earth, with a thick layer of woodchip (easibed) to scratch around in.

On a different note - how long does bullying last? Poor Hepzibah is being bullied by both Morticia and Mavis. She has spent most of today on the roof of the henhouse, keeping out of the way. I went out this afternoon and let the other two out into the yard, but locked Hepzibah in the pen so that she could eat without getting pecked at. I do have three feeder stations at the moment (one for each hen) to try and help with the bullying. I have had them together for five days.

looby-loo_2

smileyt
I bought 3 then another 3 just one week later back in July. They just do not get on in the run, which is quiet large, 3 metres x 6 meters. When I let them out on the grass they stay in two distinct flock to forage and when they come across on another a hen from the first lot will drive away the hen from the second lot. Only in the last few days will they all come and eat their corn together but even then I can see some hold back. I had a holiday booked so didn't want my neighbour to have the responsibility so I bought a second house and they sleep 3 + 3 and I divided the run. They are a bit better now but I don't trust them.

Hope you have better luck

Money_maker

smileyt - I'm probably the last person to help with bullying but if its just a little pecking rather than lets all jump on top of her it should subside in a couple of weeks or so. Other sites I have checked to see if theres any advice suggest the usual like 'toys' and interesting things to peck at. Also it has been suggested that mash is preferable to pellet as its less boring and occupies them more (backed up by my old hens who now prefer ex batt crumb to pellet). I use vaseline on Little Baldys' comb to stop the others getting a grip as well. You could also try antipecking spray (mil says it smells foul) although they apparently don't like the taste of vicks either!

Money_maker

Update from me on my hen situation. Little Baldy is still living under the henhouse with the odd personal appearance but sat night was so cold I decided I had to do something. Strange thing is that the other hens usually ignore her when they come out of the house in the mornings and continue to until she loses her nerve and ducks and runs. Then they have a go. She is feathering up quickly too so they now have something to grab! Little Baldy hides behind me or DD (who's only 2 and panics herself) and wants to be picked up. So I was ready to order a little run for her but DH said he would build one. He spent several hours yesterday creating a run which can be enlarged or made smaller. Little Baldy is now in her run on one of my vegetable patches. She has a lined wooden planter to shelter under and is taken into the henhouse where she spends the night in another planter which has a cover to keep the other hens out. I have ordered a rabbit hide which once it arrives she will spend the night in, in her run. I am hoping to put my old and new hens together next weekend and once I do, the run will be big enough again for Little Baldy and her run to move into.

I have to say that she does not seem to miss the others at all and much prefers humans - weird considering we have made her this pitiful creature. Anyway, we'll see how we go. I may try to have her free ranging in the garden sometimes but I am out a lot so it wont be as often as I'd like.

Hope everyone else is getting on okay, hows Hepzibah smiley?

Gigervamp

Thanks for the update MM, I was wondering how Little Baldy was getting on.

Our two silkies are now free ranging in the garden but they stay away from the other girls. Tabitha who was at the bottom of the pecking order has been bullying them a bit, but it seems to be dying down now.

skipton

Giger i've just had a look at youtube and your chickens....what lovely girls.

Is Daisy the top chook? She is behaving just like my Daisy (Daisybelle). I love your Bluebelles, unfortunately the blasted fox got mine a few months ago along with my Blackrock.

.

Jenny_Wren_3

Hi all

I've had my 4 girls for nearly 6 weeks now and we have been getting 1 egg a day now for a week although we got 2 on friday. I know that they're just getting the hang of this laying thing but I wondered what I could expect over the winter. Will they each lay every other day and is it too late for me to put lights in to boost their production? They all crouch down when I stroke them now which I have read is a sign of maturity. I still feel very new to all of this!

Gigervamp

skipton wrote: »

Giger i've just had a look at youtube and your chickens....what lovely girls.

Is Daisy the top chook? She is behaving just like my Daisy (Daisybelle). I love your Bluebelles, unfortunately the blasted fox got mine a few months ago along with my Blackrock.

.

Lol, yes, Daisy is the boss! Sadly we only have one of the bluebelles left now, as a few weeks ago Agatha became poorly overnight and died the next day. We really miss her as she was the friendliest of the bunch (she's the one on my back in the videos).

Sorry to hear about the fox getting your girls.

Gigervamp

Jenny_Wren wrote: »

Hi all

I've had my 4 girls for nearly 6 weeks now and we have been getting 1 egg a day now for a week although we got 2 on friday. I know that they're just getting the hang of this laying thing but I wondered what I could expect over the winter. Will they each lay every other day and is it too late for me to put lights in to boost their production? They all crouch down when I stroke them now which I have read is a sign of maturity. I still feel very new to all of this!

This will be my first winter with chickens so I don't have any experience, but from what I've read, a lot of chickens in their first winter after starting to lay, will carry on laying. I think it also depends on the breed as some lay over 300 eggs a year whereas others lay a lot less.