Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Jenny_Wren_3

I moved my wooden hen house today to clean under it as I realised that some sawdust and poo had fallen though the slats and had built up. I haven't cleaned under it for a while and while sweeping it up I saw lots of black jumping things like fleas. Now I've just spent ages googling chicken fleas and got nowhere. Has anyone else had this, what do I do? I'm still fairly new to chicken keeping.

poohbear59

I am thinking of buying a shed LED light to go in my hen house to encourage the chooks to lay again. Has anyone else tried using one? I have found a few for around £20. I had to buy eggs this week and last. I have 9 hens but some days am not getting any eggs.

poohbear59

moominyak wrote: »

Hi Edmund,

One of my 4 hens lays a very soft-shelled (or barely-there shell) egg frequently in the coop (as if she's sleep-laying!), she doesn't lay any other eggs these days (I've only had the hens since Aug), although she used to lay a good one about once a week. Often even the better-shelled eggs would be really soft/broken at the pointy end.

She sometimes looks a bit subdued, as if she might be egg-bound, but she has generally perked up by the morning (presumably after getting rid of the soft egg). They are all free-ranging, with additional pots of grit and oystershell, so I reckon she's probably just coming to the end of her laying days.

We have had hens of 8 years old still laying occasionally. She may still lay but not one every day.

Ours tend to lay soft shells when they have had a fright eg the dog putting his head in the hen house or being chased across the field by someone walking a dog without a lead.

moominyak

Hi Poohbear59,

The non-layer laid a good 'un over the weekend, so there's still

life in her yet :j

Don't get me wrong, the eggs are just a bonus from ex-batts IMO, they are pets before they are layers! She's not for the pot or anything!

I was going to say she's not seemed to be getting as subdued recently, but tbh I hardly see them much now with the wretched darkness upon us, I check them in the evenings to make sure they're all tucked up, and I see them briefly in the morning - but not for much longer I suspect. Winter, eurgh

They're just in the back garden in the day, so I don't think much frightens them - usually the other way around, certainly where my dog is concerned, they chase him about and they are only the size of his head :rotfl:

Now... does anybody have any ideas about how to stop their water freezing when it gets reeeeaaaallly cold? I'm putting a splash of ACV in it at the moment (nothing like the 20ml per litre the label says) but I'm not sure if they're that keen on it, although I read that it would help against freezing. Time will tell I suppose.

diluvsdiscounts

My DH fitted a light in my chicken shed about 6 weeks ago it comes on around 3am and goes off at 8am and fingers crossed up until now each chicken is still laying 1 egg a day.
Apparently you have to give them around 17 hours of light a day to keep them laying or so I have been advised anyway.

edmund_blackadder

moominyak wrote: »

Hi Edmund,

One of my 4 hens lays a very soft-shelled (or barely-there shell) egg frequently in the coop (as if she's sleep-laying!), she doesn't lay any other eggs these days (I've only had the hens since Aug), although she used to lay a good one about once a week. Often even the better-shelled eggs would be really soft/broken at the pointy end.

She sometimes looks a bit subdued, as if she might be egg-bound, but she has generally perked up by the morning (presumably after getting rid of the soft egg). They are all free-ranging, with additional pots of grit and oystershell, so I reckon she's probably just coming to the end of her laying days.

The other 3 are all laying fine though - one laid an absolute whopper last week, I'll need to take a photo before I eat it!!

Hi moominyak,

Thanks for the reply. My chicken is still laying soft eggs every day, although she has perked up again and seems happy enough. I'm still a little concerned though because the way I understood it was that after a year or two their laying may reduce but not stop altogether. My hens are not ex-batts by the way.

My hens certainly wouldn't get frightened by dogs or cats as we have one of each and the hens seem to rule the roost (if you'll pardon the expression!).

I have treated them for red-mite at the weekend in case it's that.

I just hope she returns to form soon... not because I miss the eggs, but because she is a pet and we want her to be OK

happycrafter_2

Hi,

OH and I have decided we would like to get some chickens, when is the best time to look at getting some?

moominyak

The best time to get some chooks is yesterday

If you can't manage that, then as soon as you've got a house to put them in!!

As long as they have somewhere safe and dry to sleep and a safe enclosure for the daytime, then I think any time of year is fine. That's just IMHO though

happycrafter_2

moominyak wrote: »

The best time to get some chooks is yesterday

If you can't manage that, then as soon as you've got a house to put them in!!

As long as they have somewhere safe and dry to sleep and a safe enclosure for the daytime, then I think any time of year is fine. That's just IMHO though

Thanks I really want to get some ASAP but need to convert our old shed and clear out our garage to put the stuff from the shed in and make a run while we are out during the day. Then just need to find a local supplier of ex-battery or POL chickens now that are not at rip off prices like at Dobbies. Can anyone recommend places in Warwickshire or close by?

Jenny_Wren_3

I got mine from Hiedi's happy hens in rugby. They are pol and cost £12.50 for rangers, £15. for most of the rest except for some fancy blue layers which were very beautiful but at £25 each I managed to resist! Although they say pol I had to wait about 5 weeks for mine to start laying, good advice from them and they clipped the wings for me and showed me how to for next time. They also have a website to look at.