Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

poohbear59

Thank you everyone. I have just arrived home from CAB so will go and check out my girls.

We have a lot of jackdaws here at the moment so maybe they are pinching some eggs. I wanted to put a webcam on one of the girls heads but DH says we will only get to see long grass so if they are laying elsewhere we won't find them

3v3

poohbear59 wrote: »

...
We have a lot of jackdaws here at the moment so maybe they are pinching some eggs. ...

Jackdaws would do it!

My (other) girls were taken by Mr Fox a couple of months ago; since then, I've been doing a mass copse clearing (where they used to FR) ready to put up a couple of sheds and create my veg plot. My girls *always* used the nest box. So I thought! Clearing the copse, I discovered that bitter-sweet moment of their "gifts"; eggs laid when they were FR. On the one hand, its a vivid reminder of their loss; but, on the other hand, it makes me chuckle and think "cheeky girls"

So, Jackdaws and FR hidey holes would combine to your missing egg mystery

A pen is good - not ideal - but, good

poohbear59

3v3 wrote: »

Jackdaws would do it!

My (other) girls were taken by Mr Fox a couple of months ago; since then, I've been doing a mass copse clearing (where they used to FR) ready to put up a couple of sheds and create my veg plot. My girls *always* used the nest box. So I thought! Clearing the copse, I discovered that bitter-sweet moment of their "gifts"; eggs laid when they were FR. On the one hand, its a vivid reminder of their loss; but, on the other hand, it makes me chuckle and think "cheeky girls"

So, Jackdaws and FR hidey holes would combine to your missing egg mystery

A pen is good - not ideal - but, good

I have had another scout around and found a 'nest' of eggs but all have been eaten, just the shells remaining. We have weasels and stoats here too so maybe they eat them. need to look it up.

Probably the combination of free range and lots of wildlife is not so good for us having some eggs for the family.

We have the remains of a pen we built for the bird flu scare. So we had somewhere to keep them if we absolutely had to. I will see if one of the boys can rescue it this weekend. Our vicar has recommended to me that I keep them in the pen until lunch time then let them free range.

I have had a good look at the hens and all but one has a lovely bright red comb. One has a very red vent, need to look that up too.

Because two of the hens prefer to sleep (and poop) in the nesting boxes we put a piece of slate in front of it and then remove it at 5am. Maybe we should leave it out in case they want to lay earlier but they haven't laid when it has been removed.
Thanks for all your help.

3v3

poohbear59 wrote: »

I have had another scout around and found a 'nest' of eggs but all have been eaten, just the shells remaining. We have weasels and stoats here too so maybe they eat them. need to look it up.

Probably the combination of free range and lots of wildlife is not so good for us having some eggs for the family.

We have the remains of a pen we built for the bird flu scare. So we had somewhere to keep them if we absolutely had to. I will see if one of the boys can rescue it this weekend. Our vicar has recommended to me that I keep them in the pen until lunch time then let them free range.

I have had a good look at the hens and all but one has a lovely bright red comb. One has a very red vent, need to look that up too.

Because two of the hens prefer to sleep (and poop) in the nesting boxes we put a piece of slate in front of it and then remove it at 5am. Maybe we should leave it out in case they want to lay earlier but they haven't laid when it has been removed.
Thanks for all your help.

Yes, the l'il perishers do have a tendancy to poop in their nest box.
Weasels and stoats (jackdaws and rats) will all eat the eggs if they are in a FR "nest".

I think your Vicar has given you some sound advice; actually, I would go further: leave the free-ranging until the early evening. Why? Well, on the one hand, it does give them the bulk of opportunity to "lay" in the nest box; secondly, depending on the work we do, we're usually around at that time of day; thirdly, it is sooooo much easier to tempt them back "home" with a treat of meal worms (if we need to get an early night!).

Having had my previous birds disappear overnight by virtue of Mr Fox, I no longer take the "wildlife" scenario at face value. Wildlife will visit my garden, even if I didn't have chickens, because the house came with a pond. So, I have to make allowances in my chook regime, to allow for the fact that a) I have chooks I want FR; b) the house was empty for 2yrs before I moved in and any "wildlife" moved in before I did; c) I have to compromise on the needs of both.

Good luck with the pen idea (and keeping them "in-house" until a later time of day).

kayl

Hoping for some advice about introducing our 2 new hens to the 2 we have had since last year. I was aware that this can be difficult, and had an old guinea pig hutch ready for the new ones we got on Tuesday. I hadn't appreciated quite how hostile the old ones would be though - my daughters and I have spent the last 2 days on hen watch with water pistols ready for when they attack! They peck them every time they get near them, and viciously attack their necks or try to stand on them.
I have hoped that they could be in the same run within about 3 or 4 days, but that now looks doubtful. Has anyone any advice as to what else I can try, and how long it is likely to take?

Mojisola

You could try moving the old girls out to the guinea pig hutch and let the new girls have a few days in the main run so they can take ownership of it. Bring the others back one at a time - try a day before bringing in the second one.

That can shift the dynamics but stand by with the water pistols just in case. Sometimes you can't do anything about aggressive hens.

3v3

kayl wrote: »

Hoping for some advice about introducing our 2 new hens to the 2 we have had since last year. I was aware that this can be difficult, and had an old guinea pig hutch ready for the new ones we got on Tuesday. I hadn't appreciated quite how hostile the old ones would be though - my daughters and I have spent the last 2 days on hen watch with water pistols ready for when they attack! They peck them every time they get near them, and viciously attack their necks or try to stand on them.
I have hoped that they could be in the same run within about 3 or 4 days, but that now looks doubtful. Has anyone any advice as to what else I can try, and how long it is likely to take?

Hi Kayl
Pop them in the sleeping quarters at nightfall, and then, give them a few days to sort themselves out. I know how awful it can look to us when they do the hen-pecking stuff, but, unless they draw blood, it is a chooks natural way of things and we have to take a step back. The pecking order (from a hens point of view) is a security thing.
Only intervene if it draws blood!
It does look ferocious, but, (unless they draw blood!), it should settle down in a few days/a week.

Steel_2

Athome1 wrote: »

One of my chickens is not well today. I noticed a bit of blood on her rear (and an egg she’d laid) a couple of days ago, so we washed it and checked and thought it was just a ‘blood feather’ (where she or someone else, pulls a feather out). She seemed ok the next day but yesterday she was a bit fluffed up and this morning there was blood again. Once more we washed her and clipped the feathers away and spray with anti peck just in case she was being pecked. Kept checking her this morning and she was in a nesting box sort of straining, I thought he must have a broken egg inside her so brought her in again and (having cut my nails, scrubbed my hands and used Vaseline) I checked for bit of broken shell etc in her vent (poor chicken was very good,with only the occasional tensing of feet and the odd ‘Buk’ noise). There wasn’t any shell only a substance like egg white and marks that I think may be peck marks. So after drying her, I applied a liberal coating of Vaseline and a good spray of ‘Anti-Peck’.
We managed to get some soluable Asprin down her before she realised how vile it was and wouldn’t open her beak any more. She’s now back in a clean nesting box. She is about 18months old and is normally the boss hen, any advice would be gratefully received.

Excuse all the questions!

What is the breed?
How is she eating?
Is she separated from the other chickens?
How much blood?
Is it coming from outside her vent or inside her vent?
What does her poo look like and is there blood in it? (Please be as graphic and descriptive as possible )
Could you take pictures of the marks and her butt so we can take a look?
Does she have any other signs of illness? Have you noticed her doing anything out of the ordinary over the last few days?
How does she walk/stand? Tail up as normal or tail down in the penguin stance?
Has she lost weight or condition?
Have you checked the coop for mites or other parasites that could be weakening her and causing her to struggle laying?
Have you wormed her recently?


Sometimes one of my little chickens lays enormous eggs that has some blood on it - the size I think does a little damage to the capillaries inside her and recently she had a prolapse so they may have been tearing her vent muscles too.

If she's straining on the next box she may be trying to lay a large egg and have got herself 'bound'.

To help her pass the egg if that is the case, a warm bath of her rear end for around half an hour can help the muscles relax sufficiently inside her to allow the egg to start moving through her.

Athome1

Steel wrote: »

Excuse all the questions!

What is the breed?
How is she eating?
Is she separated from the other chickens?
How much blood?
Is it coming from outside her vent or inside her vent?
What does her poo look like and is there blood in it? (Please be as graphic and descriptive as possible )
Could you take pictures of the marks and her butt so we can take a look?
Does she have any other signs of illness? Have you noticed her doing anything out of the ordinary over the last few days?
How does she walk/stand? Tail up as normal or tail down in the penguin stance?
Has she lost weight or condition?
Have you checked the coop for mites or other parasites that could be weakening her and causing her to struggle laying?
Have you wormed her recently?


Sometimes one of my little chickens lays enormous eggs that has some blood on it - the size I think does a little damage to the capillaries inside her and recently she had a prolapse so they may have been tearing her vent muscles too.

If she's straining on the next box she may be trying to lay a large egg and have got herself 'bound'.

To help her pass the egg if that is the case, a warm bath of her rear end for around half an hour can help the muscles relax sufficiently inside her to allow the egg to start moving through her.

Thank you so much for responding - the silence was deafening:p
Now for the answers - she's an ex battery (we've had her for approx 2 months)and I'm not sure of the breed,quite a big girl and a lovely browny ginger colour.
She seems to be eating ok and can certainly walk and her tail is up.
But every so often today she fluffs up and just sits. The blood isn't coming from her vent, well it wasn't when I was washing her (and checking the vent for broken shell and blockages) but there was blood at the base of a couple of the feather and on the feathers under the vent (she hasn't got a fluffy bottom like the others, she's got scabby feathers that I assume she would lose and then fluff up). Her condition seems ok and I check regularly for mites etc and haven't seen any (I scrub the coup out with hot water and jeyes fluid every Sunday and change the nesting bedding (shredded paper) every day and scoop up an dropping from the coup floor daily too. I put cider vinegard in the drinking water and sprinkle parasite powder in the bedding daily too. I think she was wormed when we got her but had thought I'd get some that that stuff that sounds like Deciduous Earth (sorry very tired and brain not working) as it seems to be a cure for everything! Can't tell you about her droppings as I haven't separated her yet so don't know which is hers. Can't do pics either will get my daughter to do some tomorrow:o She seemed ok this evening and tonight but will be checking on her from 6am tomorrow. Sorry for my panicy post , I love my little choocks but didn't want to whip her off to the vets (who seems not to know much about chickens) spend £50-£100 and still have a sick animal. Thanks again Steel, I really appreciate your reply.:T

poohbear59

I have had two eggs laid in the hen-house today.:j:j

I have also spent a lot of time following hens today but to no success yet. One of the hens went to her old laying spot and made a huge amount of noise as if she had laid. I gave her 15 minutes to get away and when I went to look there was nothing there.

So now I am not sure if the scoundrel that is stealing eggs got there before me. It is probably a weasel as I see them on the garden wall.

As a precaution I also wormed all except one which has evaded me all morning.