Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

oldtractor

I've 4 hens coming in early november. Am very excited!

HeatherintheHills

Had to do my first cull because of injury late last night. I hated it but the poor bird was in pain.

Been busy winter-proofing the hen house. New waterproofing to the walls. Porch added to the pop hole. It is protected above by a shrub, has a brick floor, corrugated plastic roof and an entrance on each of the wooden sides to try to stop the elements getting straight into the pop hole. Pop hole now has an automatic opener on it

The base of the hen house is paving stones so I'm going to have a go at covering it with old carpet tiles, then wood shavings to see if it stops the chill coming up through the floor. I don't imagine the carpet will last long but I have big supply of them so can change them every deep clean.

New perches added and new ladders up to them as some of my girls are very elderly now and their feet and legs are showing their age. One girl has to be lifted down off the perch every morning but is otherwise fit and healthy

What was the open sided secure run (walk in largish area with wooden walls 3 sides and a wired wall and door on the other) now has a large perspex window completely covering the wire wall and the door is covered in boards now, so hopefully that will be a good weather proof area for them to use in bad weather. Their food and water are in there so they don't have to go out if they don't want to.

I can't decide if I should leave their much used tent on the other side of the run so they can dive in there if it starts chucking it down or move it nearer to the hen house so they can use it as an extension. :undecided

What is everyone else up to?

Syman

My, You have been busy Heather! Sorry to hear about the injured girl.

Not much to report here, the girls have been with me for a month now. They know the sound of the french doors opening, meaning time to free range. One of them is a lot friendlier than the others and will happily let me pick her up. The others are a bit more standoffish.

Had a spate of softies, and then mega eggs. Tried to work out who was laying what, but still haven't.

The coop and run set up is now in optimum position after several reshuffles.

So in short we are doing OK.

Hope all is well with everyone else

caitybabes

Heather you are putting us all to shame! Sounds like you have some very lucky chickens

Glad to hear your girls are doing well Syman

We've had our 3 girls for about 6 weeks now. They're doing well, have been laying 3 eggs a day for the last 10 days up until yesterday when we had a broken egg in the nest box and then a soft egg today. It was in the coop under the perches and I found it when two of the girls were pecking and eating the egg a sorry sight indeed.

Our fence is too low to let them free range so we've been letting them onto the grass under a gazebo surrounded by chicken wire. They love it in there and we've been moving it around the garden but most of our grass is now looking a bit sorry for itself!

We're in the process of building a walk in run to go at the back of the garden. We're thinking of buying run panels from "Aviarie World" - they seem like the most reasonable at £15 per 3'x6' panel. Does anyone have any other suggestions or any experience of this company?

Thanks,
Cait

ionahenor2

Sorry about your injured girl Heather. Sounds like you have been very busy.

I've had a few softes from Lily too. The eggs are still very small. The new girls continue to eat their bedding and like to play house swop most nights. last night all 7 were in one eglu until a couple decided to change houses. The little whiteStars are not laying yet so I think they were younger than I was told. I haven't let them FR yet as OH is worried about his newly seeded/ now growing lawn. Plus I have visions of them disappearing up into the wood and that will be the last we see of them. (breakfast for Foxy)

oldtractor

Hi everyone, my 3rescue ex-cage hens are arriving on Wednesday. We have given the hen house a coat of waterprooing stuff and have nearly finished fox and badger proofing the hen run. it is very strong made out of tubular steel and chain link with a chicken mesh covering to stop them sticking their hedsthrough as I lost one to a fox that way.
my POL pullets arrive Nov 5th. Cant wait. Ilove hens.

oldtractor

they are here! 3 lovely girlies.

ionahenor2

:THow are they OT?

HeatherintheHills

oldtractor wrote: »

they are here! 3 lovely girlies.

Oldtractor, leave them alone for a minute and come and post some pics

ionahenor2

I watched this last night. It's quite basic but had some nice hens on.

http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/animals/a-guide-to-keeping-hens-in-your-garden.html