Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Hi Horseygirl


Can't answer your first question. But, with regards to being put off of eating the fertilised eggs, we never really gave it any thought when we first got our rescued cockerel. We just carried on eating them as we normally did. Also we still sell them to our neighbours which pays for our hens and ducks feed.


I am sure someone else will come along and help with your other question.


Glad that the weather has cheered up now. My hens got absolutely soaked last week. Poor little things!!!

suki1964

My cockeral is having to go

Even though we have picked him up daily and petted him, opening the coop in the morning is taking your life in your hands. And today he got me and drew blood. He was in full flight kicking right up. Luckily he only got my leg, just a massive bruise and a hole where he pecked that hard

So ringing the guy we got him off to see if he will swop for a POL, if not a neighbour will take him for Christmas - I don't have the heart to cull myself

Fertilised eggs won't do any harm as long as you lift them daily. If you have any kosher friends they can't have them

And yes your cockerals are keeping the girls where they can see them. They see it as their job to protect the girls and that's what they are doing

Horseygirl123

Thanks Edwink and Suki. We are going to carry on eating them as normal. I am very keen to collect them daily and get them in the fridge asap to avoid anything growing!

I thought that must have been the case Suki. It seems a shame as the hens used to love wandering.

Sorry to hear about your cockerel. I can imagine it's quite frightening. One of the bantam cockerels chases me. My daughter thinks it's funny but it's only because he's so small that he doesn't do any harm. Anything bigger would have me worried also.

suki1964

Horseygirl123 wrote: »

Thanks Edwink and Suki. We are going to carry on eating them as normal. I am very keen to collect them daily and get them in the fridge asap to avoid anything growing!

I thought that must have been the case Suki. It seems a shame as the hens used to love wandering.

Sorry to hear about your cockerel. I can imagine it's quite frightening. One of the bantam cockerels chases me. My daughter thinks it's funny but it's only because he's so small that he doesn't do any harm. Anything bigger would have me worried also.

My cockerel comes up to my thigh - and is getting bigger by the day :eek:

Its a shame hes got to go, hes a stunning bird, but hes pulling the hens around as well and whilst Im not afraid of him, Im afraid he will go for the grandkids. So far they have been free to mingle around - kids, dog and chooks all doing their own thing in the garden with no incident, but I darent take the risk now. Hes done some serious damage to my leg,I was lucky I was nimble enough to move from his feet, if he had got any higher Id have been in serious bother

yer man we got him from has about 12 cockerels and they are all pretty friendly, wander about the lawn no bother. I guess its because he keeps the hens and cockerels separate that he doesnt have the same problem

Horseygirl123

Good grief, I'm not surprised he's got to go, especially with the children around. I'd be petrified but I am a bit of a wuss:)

A friend brought her two children over yesterday with bags of treats for the chickens. I was going to mention to the kids to watch the cockerels but thought it would be a shame to instill any fear in them until it was obvious there was a problem. They were as good as gold though. I think it's just the back of my legs Little Tom doesn't like:)

I was talked into rearing some turkeys one year by a friend who hadn't got the room himself. I was told that they could be quite aggressive but they were the sweetest, gentlest characters and me and my daughter were very upset when D Day arrived. I wish I'd kept them as pets but they weren't really mine to keep. I wouldn't want to go through that again.

Dizzy_Ditzy

Well the bloody foxes are still having a good go :mad: not just at my girls either, a lady a few plots down is having the same trouble. Sadly, I think that the fox will be more successful at getting to her girls than mine, her run is nowhere near as secure as mine.

The fox(es) are trying to get in through the roof, which is tarp and two layers of mesh which deliberately is not taut so the fox can't get a good grip.

And Mrs Broody is still broody. I can't justify putting her in broody jail while this is still ongoing, it's effectively using her as bait

So I'm really not having a good time of it at the mo when it comes to my girls. We will be depositing some man wee there later, hopefully it'll be enough to keep the little b*ggers away until we can come up with a permanent solution

Dizzy_Ditzy

This evening we have put strips of plastic spikes along the edges of the roof where the foxes are clearly jumping up onto the roof. Another night of making the girls sleep in their house even though they didn't want to one of the girls sounded almost like she was crying

I hate all this. This wasn't part of the deal. My girls are meant to have the freedom to do what they want when they want within the confines of their run. I didn't ever realise that I'd become so attached to them

edwink

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

This evening we have put strips of plastic spikes along the edges of the roof where the foxes are clearly jumping up onto the roof. Another night of making the girls sleep in their house even though they didn't want to one of the girls sounded almost like she was crying I hate all this. This wasn't part of the deal. My girls are meant to have the freedom to do what they want when they want within the confines of their run. I didn't ever realise that I'd become so attached to them

Hi Queen of Cheap


You will most definitely get attached to them. Most say they won't but they change their minds. Means you love them I guess!!


Sorry you have the foxes still!! When you say they are in their run are you allowing them to stay out in the run at night if they want too??? and not in their hut???


Ours are freerange but they are always locked up at night for their safety. We back on to a wood so I would be worried if they were out all night. I hate locking mine up but it has to be done. If it is very warm we leave their hotel door open until around midnight just to keep it a bit cooler for them. Then after that they are shut in until the morning.


You might need to put some male urine all the way around their run and maybe a little on the roof until the foxes back off. And don't forget to soak a cloth in male urine too and put it on the roof maybe. This may stop them!!


We use gripper rods on our garden gate. It is a tall wooden gate with the gripper rod screw on to the top. I forgot to mention that in my last post. My god that is sharp.


I think it will be trial and error with the foxes to be honest. Maybe someone else would share some suggestions with you to help.


Keep in touch and let us know how it is all going!!


All the best


Edwink

suki1964

The usual thing around these parts if there are foxes getting at chickens is to call in the gun club

Its effective, but obviously not to everyone's taste

Well the cockerel has gone. Hes been re homed beside the sea with more mature hens. The fella who took him had a cockerel but it was old so he was looking a replacement. I dont think he realised how big buster was, he sure took a run when buster fought his way back out the box lol

Is a shame we had to let him go, handsome chap he was and usually as good as gold to us humans. Just very hard on the hens and totally mental in the coop, just couldn't risk it with the grand kids

Horseygirl123

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

This evening we have put strips of plastic spikes along the edges of the roof where the foxes are clearly jumping up onto the roof. Another night of making the girls sleep in their house even though they didn't want to one of the girls sounded almost like she was crying

I hate all this. This wasn't part of the deal. My girls are meant to have the freedom to do what they want when they want within the confines of their run. I didn't ever realise that I'd become so attached to them

I completely understand. I'm besotted by my chickens. They have more personality than a lot of people I meet:) I do hope you find a solution.