Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Pyxis

Oh yes......... it wasn’t in the old forum!

Alfieblue posted lots of lovely smileys in the old Alphabetty thread,  that she got from a French emoticon site, and some were really good, so I pinched them and kept them!

I’ll go and see if there are any chickeny ones. 

Pyxis

Hmm.......no really good chickeny ones, just these....

    
   
    

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Trying to work out what to do with poor old Mildred. She's been a bit off colour for a few days, but still hanging round with the flock so we've left her out there with them. The last day or two her comb has been looking rather darker and a bit flaky and dry, and she looks a bit like she's struggling when she's trying to go down steps, like she's a bit stiff. 
Might see how she is tomorrow and ring the vets, although I think they're only doing emergency cases at the minute. 

I wouldn't worry too much as long as she is mixing with the others ok Cheery.  Normally as you know the first sign of a hen not being well is them not mixing with the others and just standing hunched up somewhere on their own.  Maybe she is just feeling her age a bit now and her little legs are now aching a bit as she gets older.  Like always just keep a close eye on her.

Edwink x

edwink

Here are a few more if anyone wants to use them.  I'll go and see if I can find some others and not just hen related ones that you can make use of.

Edwink x

edwink

   









I really do like the "happy Elmo". I am sure there are a few there that can be used on the forum somewhere.  Help yourself to them.

Edwink  x

in_my_wellies

edwink said:

As a rule, they say an ex-battery hen will live for around 18 months to 2 years after rescue.  But, I have had many that really do exceed that age, hoorah!  

Thank you for this. I have 9 ex-battery hens and have had one egg in the last 9 days. They moulted around January, I wormed them in February and they look magnificent and healthy in their new feathers. They follow me everywhere in a flock round the garden and complain like anything on the odd occasion I don't let them out. 
I rescued/bought them in February 2018 so it sounds like they are getting on a bit for rescue hens
Is old age the reason for the lack of eggs or is there anything I can/should do? I'm happy to keep them as pets as to be honest they are more company than the cat!  
  

edwink

in_my_wellies said:

edwink said:

As a rule, they say an ex-battery hen will live for around 18 months to 2 years after rescue.  But, I have had many that really do exceed that age, hoorah!  

Thank you for this. I have 9 ex-battery hens and have had one egg in the last 9 days. They moulted around January, I wormed them in February and they look magnificent and healthy in their new feathers. They follow me everywhere in a flock round the garden and complain like anything on the odd occasion I don't let them out. 
I rescued/bought them in February 2018 so it sounds like they are getting on a bit for rescue hens
Is old age the reason for the lack of eggs or is there anything I can/should do? I'm happy to keep them as pets as to be honest they are more company than the cat!  
  

Hi welcome to our hen friendly thread

As hens age, they lay fewer and fewer eggs over time so it is perfectly normal.  One elderly lady might lay one a week or not at all whilst another may lay two or three.  You will notice that eggs from older girls have some brown-ish markings on them like freckles, these eggs are fine to eat and it doesn't change the taste in any way.  Some eggs you will notice have a ripple effect to the shell again this doesn't alter the taste of them. 
I hope that helps.  Definitely nothing to worry about.   

Edwink x

Karmacat

Lovely emojis, thank you so much everyone!  I think I'm going to have to copy them into a pm and send them to myself  

in_my_wellies

edwink said:

Hi welcome to our hen friendly thread

As hens age, they lay fewer and fewer eggs over time so it is perfectly normal.  One elderly lady might lay one a week or not at all whilst another may lay two or three.  You will notice that eggs from older girls have some brown-ish markings on them like freckles, these eggs are fine to eat and it doesn't change the taste in any way.  Some eggs you will notice have a ripple effect to the shell again this doesn't alter the taste of them. 
I hope that helps.  Definitely nothing to worry about.   

Edwink x

What you have described is exactly what is happening. I have had speckled ones and rippled ones.  Also some with a small hole or very thin spot at the end. By chance today I got a perfectly formed egg! 
I have kept hens for many years and some have lived until quite old but I have never noticed such a  sudden change in laying habit before probably because I've had mixed ages all in together, just adding 3 to 5 each year as the older ones died. Then I had a visit from a ferret which killed them all and re-homed these ex-bats  

Pyxis

in_my_wellies said:

edwink said:

Hi welcome to our hen friendly thread

As hens age, they lay fewer and fewer eggs over time so it is perfectly normal.  One elderly lady might lay one a week or not at all whilst another may lay two or three.  You will notice that eggs from older girls have some brown-ish markings on them like freckles, these eggs are fine to eat and it doesn't change the taste in any way.  Some eggs you will notice have a ripple effect to the shell again this doesn't alter the taste of them. 
I hope that helps.  Definitely nothing to worry about.   

Edwink x

What you have described is exactly what is happening. I have had speckled ones and rippled ones.  Also some with a small hole or very thin spot at the end. By chance today I got a perfectly formed egg! 
I have kept hens for many years and some have lived until quite old but I have never noticed such a  sudden change in laying habit before probably because I've had mixed ages all in together, just adding 3 to 5 each year as the older ones died. Then I had a visit from a ferret which killed them all and re-homed these ex-bats  

Do their eggs make good upside-down cakes? 

(Sowee! Couldn’t resist! 😁😁😁)