Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

phizzimum

well so far, so good...

we've had a few squabbles among the hens but they seem to be settling down. two of them had been in a run together but one was new to them so I suppose it was only natural they would have to sort out the pecking order. hopefully it won't escalate.

they had been kicking the straw out of the nesting box - with the eggs - and cracking them, but I came home this afternoon to find 3 perfect eggs safely in the box.

one of the hens seems to have more character than the others, is it natural to have favourites? I'm suprised at how fond of them I'm becoming already (its only been 3 days!)

KAAT_LADY

Yayyy ,,,we now have 2 hens laying and the eggs are so nice to eat ,, mmmmm

Frugaldom

Congratulations on the eggs!

Re the wing clipping - make sure you only cut the 'dead' part of the feathers, you should be able to see the blood line to avoid it. The wings will need clipped every time the birds moult in a new set of feathers. Just clip one wing so it unbalances them a bit, but it doesn't actually stop them fluttering about - my cockeral can still flap up high enough to get onto the top of the gate for crowing. None of my hens' wings are clipped, so I have seen them flying a fair distance. They aren't very graceful and their landings are precarious and noisy, but they can cover a good 30m no problem from a 1m starting point. I'd bet that distance could double from twice the height. :rotfl:

Nesting box problems - stick a piece of wood across the bottom at the front of the box, that should help stop the eggs rolling out with the straw when the hens are scratching. I use 2" x 2" in mine

2 of my hens have quickly developed a new habit that is most annoying! They have worked out how to get into the field without my seeing them go! Every single night they mysteriously disappear and then reappear on the horizon in among the cows then just as mysteriously, arrive home again. Last week, Mrs Black tried to follow us on our walk to the forest but decided to turn back and take a short cut through the neighbours' garden. The field trips became a habit the minute they worked out their escape route. I reckon whoever wrote the script for 'Chicken Run' really did keep chickens, so I'm going to watch it again and try to stay one step ahead. :rotfl:

phizzimum

thanks nykmedia,

Poppy (the potential escapee) seems to have calmed down now -she was the one being picked on initially so I guess that was why she was trying to get away from the others.

DH had the same idea you suggested to keep the straw in the nesting boxes and its made a big difference. Means I don't keep having to check for eggs every 5 minutes!

How often do you change the straw in the nesting boxes?

Frugaldom

phizzimum wrote: »

How often do you change the straw in the nesting boxes?

Hi Phizz - as the straw in the nestboxes is quite thick, I shake it out every day and remove any soiled parts, topping it up as I go. It's a bit like turning over a stable bed. It saves on straw, lets you separate the manure for the compost heap and then the old straw gets used for banking up the potatoes. It seems to work fine for me this way. If only the ducklings were this easy to keep clean! :rolleyes:

Katharine, I'm counting the days until hatch date, is it next Saturday they're due?

Katharine

Friday eve would be exactly 3 weeks so my money is on Saturday yes.

Angelina, the one I didn't choose to hatch my eggs is still broody and getting even more bad tempered. I have to put on thick gloves to get my daily eggs, and I can still feel her commited pecks through those. So glad I didn't choose her. I put her out yesterday and she went for my dog in a bad way! The others dont mind him and he's never bothered them. She rushed him and tried to peck and scratch his face, so he gently held the tip of her wing in his mouth. I rushed in but I wasn't sure who I was saving, I think it was the dog at most risk! He did nothing to provoke her, grumpy chicken, she's the smallest but she's second in command after Felicity (mum).

Been thinking of names for my as yet unhatched chooks, probably a bad idea. Currently I have Lyall, Felicity, Angelina, Kiera and Kylie. 2 future cockrels will be Quattro and Ovlov, sticking with the attractive women theme the hens will include Natasha, Elizabeth, Kelly, Dita, Jeri and Eva.

Frugaldom

I think my Mrs Grey is trying to go broody again as she's spending more time than normal in the nest box and she refused to budge this afternoon. I'd to push her off the nest amidst fierce pecking, cheeky old bird that she is.

Katharine, make sure your camera or phone batteries are charged for Thursday just in case any eggs hatch early. Can't wait to see the chicks (if they hatch).

jonny2510

Can anyone recommend a good book for beginners interested in keeping hens?

It's for a present for someone who'll be getting some soon.

Many thanks

Frugaldom

Hi Jonny2510, I can recommend any of the Katie Thear books as I always found them very informative. Try searching Amaz0n for the author name and see what comes up

phizzimum

I've been keeping all the egg shells but not had the courage to use them yet - worried about encouraging them to eat their eggs.

I don't have a microwave, so could I just "cook" them in the oven? then crush them up very small - how small? whizz in the food processor?

thanks!

DH has finished chicken proofing the veg patch (hopefully!) so my girls are having their first scratch around the garden! I'll go out later and assess the damage...