Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Frugaldom

Phizz, I just wash mine then crush them up in my hand and have never had a problem with hens eating their own eggs.

Ned the Thug managed a full 'cockadoodledoo' this morning - he's all growed up now LOL

phizzimum

thanks nyk,

how early in the morning did Ned crow?

Marigold123

When I had my girls I used to wash the shells out under a dribble of water from the tap, using my fingers, leave them to dry, crush them in my hands and pop them into a jam jar.

When the jar was nearly full of little bits, I'd tip them out onto a flat plate with a rim and crush them by rolling a straight-sided mug over them. They ground fairly easily to a fine meal consistency, which I would then store in another jar and mix a handful with some sticky boiled potato peelings and whatever other nutritious goodies I had saved for the hens' 'treat'.

Once I had enough shells to add regularly I never bothered with oyster shell, and we always had lovely thick-shelled eggs. So much so that you sometimes hurt your hand crushing the shells!

I miss my hens, and their lovely eggs, (although I don't miss having no grass and having the patio covered in chicken s**t!) I'd still have them if it weren't for a particularly bold Mr Fox moving into the neighbourhood. He twice came into the garden and tried to take one of the girls right under my nose. I literally had to pull the chicken from his jaws! After that he kept coming, and they were so terrified by it, even when safe and secure in their run, that I had to give them away. It was a wonderful three years, though.

Marigold

phizzimum

thanks marigold, that's very helpful re the egg shells.

our next door neighbour said he's seen a fox in his garden recently, so I'm worrying now

angelavdavis

phizzimum wrote: »

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?

Whenever we use an egg, we put the shell in an old metal dish that sits in the bottom of the oven. Whenever the oven is used, the shells are "cooked" and we take the whole dish out after a few minutes (watch out they are like heated glass and really delicate).

We then let them cool and they crush up really well as they are dried out and brittle. I just put them in a sandwich bag that they are stored in and crush them by hand.

Frugaldom

phizzimum wrote: »

thanks nyk,

how early in the morning did Ned crow?

He didn't crow properly until I let him out about 6.30am. The Pekin cockeral starts before 5am but there's no way I'm getting into the habit of letting them out at that time when they don't go in until almost 11pm

Worrying now about neighbour's veggies as 'Mrs Black' has taken to going visiting! If there are any problems, I'm thinking there may be a couple of hens being penned for wing clipping here afterall.

Katharine

No chicks yet, update tomorrow.

Frugaldom

Katharine - Any chicks yet?

My broody with the chicks laid an egg yesterday, so I let her out with the other hens for a run around and she was fine. Chicks were quite happy without her for a few hours and then she went back in with them last night. I'll do this for the next few days until she forgets about her chicks and then that'll the the 6 [STRIKE]old[/STRIKE] mature hens back together as a laying 'flock'. Surely I can get a couple dozen eggs a week from 6 hens. :rolleyes:

julietiff

phizzimum wrote: »

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...

I just put them on a baking tray if I am using the oven then
crush them up by putting in a bag and bashing it

ljonski

http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=54271602&photo_id=2089907394

Here is my completed hen house plus run. It cost £50 to make from recycled materials ( pallets and hardboard) Dimensions = house 3ft square. Run 10"x 6".
I believe chickens dont care for aesthetics but i dont care as it should be warm, dry and dark. Just one thing missing- that's it- need to get some chickens