Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Shortie

I was thinking of coloured rings accually, I seem to remember reading you can buy paper ones? That said maybe it's a bit daft, lol... maybe I should just chill and know them by character. There's only one that has totally distinct colouring (much much lighter)

I'm so jealous of OH right now - I've been getting comical messages about the chooks (these are the ones he says are Shortie's - he'll look after them but don't expect his to hold and stroke them) this lunchtime as he's fed them the maggots. First time he's seen it. The text message out of the blue was this "You weren't joking when you said the chickens liked maggots, (insert swear word here) me, it was like seeing a group of women at the Next sale lol)" :rotfl: When I asked if the crop-issue chook got some "She was kicking some chicken !!! to get her fair share" - lol.. I think it's fair to say at the moment she's still doing alright then!

I've just been collenting and drying the pooh in a bucket so far - I was thinking of making really diluted chicken poo tea for my veggies when they are fruiting, but thanks for the heads up on treating it like horse manure - I was just going to dig it into / scatter it onto my beds at any time of year, flowers in situ or not....!

poohbear59

I had one of mine that was poorly and so that I could tell which one she was I put a dab of tippex on top of her head. It meant as she was getting better I didn't give meds to the wrong one as I have two that are identical.

ionahenor2

Well sunbathing last week, snow today. My 3 wouldn't come out of their eglu this morning and as it is still snowing they have stayed put. I gave them warm porridge this lunchtime which enticed them into the run but even the covered section has snow blown on. Poor things.
My egg production has dropped to 1 these last few weeks, having laid all winter I think they are having a rest. I'm having to buy eggs for the first time in 3 years.

poohbear59

5 eggs today!!! The snow didn't bother them too much.

Gigervamp

We're getting up to 18 eggs a day now although most days it's around 14 as some girls are laying every other day or so.

Word's got around hubby's work, so now we have a waiting list of customers. The money we get from selling the eggs pays for the food for the girls which is a big help when we have quite a few.

poohbear59

Gigervamp wrote: »

We're getting up to 18 eggs a day now although most days it's around 14 as some girls are laying every other day or so.

Word's got around hubby's work, so now we have a waiting list of customers. The money we get from selling the eggs pays for the food for the girls which is a big help when we have quite a few.

Well done on all your eggs! Hopefully you will make a profit too.


I have found that a family of rats is nesting in my bale of straw in my back porch!! We are looking for a rat proof container. DH thinks an alluminium coal buker so we can keep it outside. What do you all do to protect your straw etc?

RacyRed

Wow Gigervamp, 18 a day? Fantastic!

One of my new girls is really unwell. I thought it was her crop, but that emptied and she hasn't improved. She was always the most frail of the three newbies, who came from enriched cages. I'm trying her on live yoghurt with garlic today to see if that helps.

Has anyone had any success integrating a cockerel lead flock with an established flock who just are not used to cockerels? The established girls are largish hybrids who have been together for about 10 months now and the boy is a tiny bantam who thinks he is king of the world. Every time he gets near the girls he chases them and tries to pull their feathers out. He has one little bantam mate and I'm getting him another (he is way too much for one poor little lady!). The rest of his flock are my newer hybrids and although they are too big for him to mate he is generous with food finds and is generally protective of them.

I am able to keep them apart indefinitely if I have to, I'd just love to find a stress free way of integrating them.

Gigervamp

Poohbear59 We have a couple of plastic dustbins in the shed for the feed. The rats have chewed into the shed but not the bins. They don't go for the bedding.

RacyRed We had Sebastian up with the girls when we put Blackie up there. Seb wouldn't have been able to mate with most of them due to his size and he and Blackie seemed to be ok with each other.

Blackie is also a bantam, but bigger than Sebastian was, and therefore can't *service* all the girls!

But I've not had any experience with what you're asking. When we got Sebastian, the girls, who had not seen a cockerel before, just looked at him or had a go at him depending on their mood! They all found their place, or rather, he did!

But I guess it depends on the size of the boy.

Tina20

I'd like chickens, but I have a rottweiler. And no money to make a home for them

Gigervamp

Tina20 wrote: »

I'd like chickens, but I have a rottweiler. And no money to make a home for them

Perhaps you could get together with a friend or neighbour who could have the chickens in their garden and you share the costs?

Keeping chickens as pets is much more fun than dogs or cats (and I have both). Who needs soaps when you can watch the antics of chickens? And they lay eggs! Pets with a bonus! :rotfl: