Keeping hens and ducks chat.

suki1964

My oldest girl is 4 and still lays well

Some have popped off the perch at under a year with no sign of sickness, Ive lost a few who you can tell are poorly, one was egg bound, I tried my best but I had to let the vet put her down

Next doors hens are in the field behind us. Our hens fly over the fence and forage in the field as well so I think when I whistle and mine come back, some of his follow. Plus he has Roos and Im sure my girls pop over for a bit of Hows Your Father

No one is very territorial about their hens around here. Heres some who decided a trip to a local beauty spot was the order of the day

Pyxis

It's a good job you can tell them apart!

StarShapedPeg

Hi Edwink, and others

Yes, we’ve been reading about ammonia/Mareks’ etc and don’t think theres a link.
I don’t use the deep litter method for ours. They are on sharp sand in the runs, a mixture of sand and auboise in the covered areas and in the coop they’re on straw and newspapers underneath. I clean the coop out every other day, chuck everything, they have fresh straw every time and poo pick everywhere else when I do the coop. I wipe down the coop once a week and sweep and clean everything else, refresh the sand, chuck the old stuff about once every couple of months. They’re only little bantams, so don’t produce much poo. I’ve only got three so they have plenty of space and aren’t crowded.

She’s the leader of the group, so I’m sure she’s not being picked on. They’re generally altogether, chatting amongst themselves and I often find the other two preening her. She acts totally normally when we are watching her and I don’t think the other two have realised that she keeps walking into things! We’ve kept everything exactly the same, but it’s difficult to know what she’s doing from sight or from memory. She’s eating and drinking herself, albeit it takes her a couple of goes to get to the water. We’ve tried giving her a shallow bowl but she just walked through it and got herself soaked.

I feel very helpless, watching her from the sidelines. When I was syringing water into her beak (when she wasn’t drinking at all) a couple of weeks ago I had her on my lap and had to stop her walking straight off my lap straight into thin air. The vet examined her, said she was in good health, apart from her eyes, her heart and lungs are normal, she is a good weight and has healthy reserves. We’re trying to make sure that she’s eating and drinking everyday, which she is and I’m popping a hot water bottle in with them just to make sure that she’s cosy.

I have to remind myself that she’s over five years old now, and that her age is probably a factor here but it’s very sad, and most of all frustrating for her.

Basically, a lot of heartache over a little chicken.x

edwink

StarShapedPeg wrote: »

Hi Edwink, and others

Yes, weve been reading about ammonia/Mareks etc and dont think theres a link. I dont use the deep litter method for ours. They are on sharp sand in the runs, a mixture of sand and auboise in the covered areas and in the coop they are on straw and newspapers underneath. I clean the coop out every other day, chuck everything, they have fresh straw every time and poo pick everywhere else when I do the coop. I wipe down the coop once a week and sweep and clean everything else, refresh the sand, chuck the old stuff about once every couple of months. They are only little bantams, so dont produce much poo. Ive only got three so they have plenty of space and arent crowded.

They certainly do have plenty of room you are right! Oh I do love little Bantams and would love to get some one day. We litter pick too as when we do clean them out the job is easier to do and much quicker. I am certain mine live in a cleaner house than I do

She's the leader of the group, so I'm sure she's not being picked on. They are generally altogether, chatting amongst themselves and I often find the other two preening her. She acts totally normally when we are watching her and I don't think the other two have realised that she keeps walking into things! We've kept everything exactly the same, but it's difficult to know what she's doing from sight or from memory. She's eating and drinking herself, albeit it takes her a couple of goes to get to the water. We've tried giving her a shallow bowl but she just walked through it and got herself soaked.

So glad she is eating and drinking by herself as that is always a such a good sign with hens of how they are actually feeling. Hens rapidly go off food and even a few sips of water when they are not feeling good.:(

I feel very helpless, watching her from the sidelines. When I was syringing water into her beak (when she wasn't drinking at all) a couple of weeks ago I had her on my lap and had to stop her walking straight off my lap straight into thin air. The vet examined her, said she was in good health, apart from her eyes, her heart and lungs are normal, she is a good weight and has healthy reserves. We're trying to make sure that she's eating and drinking everyday, which she is and I'm popping a hot water bottle in with them just to make sure that she's cosy.

I love the way you describe her as having healthy reserves!! Its great that her heart and lungs are in good shape that just shows that you have been looking after her very well and providing everything she needs.:j

I have to remind myself that she's over five years old now, and that her age is probably a factor here but it's very sad, and most of all frustrating for her. Basically, a lot of heartache over a little chicken.x

Yes her age could be a factor too. I know it is sad and gives you heartache but without someone to care for her like you she would be so much more worse off....Think about it. So give yourself a pat on the back for caring for her the way you do.:)

P.S. Any chance of a pic of them when you have a minute or two. We do love our pics on here we really do

Written my replies in pink under each of your paragraphs as thought it would be easier to understand what I was replying to each time. Make sense? It doesn't to me so god help everyone else on here that's all I can say :rotfl:

Take care

Edwink x

StarShapedPeg

In high summer a couple of years ago.x

StarShapedPeg

She's very entertaining!

edwink

StarShapedPeg wrote: »

In high summer a couple of years ago.x

WOW now I definitely want some and one of each colour. What a beautiful garden they have to forage in especially with that luscious green grass. Happy hens or what?:j

They look so well looked after and very very healthy. :dance:

Aww bless!! I WANT SOME!!!!!

Edwink

suki1964

The poor girls are frozen and are staying in

Ive bought home a huge bag of greens which Im just about to boil up for them for tomorrow. Its the waste from work so FOC and it gives them some greenery to eat this time of year

Pyxis

You all look after your hens so nicely, I think I'll start clucking so that one of you can adopt me!





:think:
Would I have to live in a coop, though? :eek:

suki1964

Pyxis wrote: »

You all look after your hens so nicely, I think I'll start clucking so that one of you can adopt me!





:think:
Would I have to live in a coop, though? :eek:

And lay an egg for me daily