Keeping hens and ducks chat.

suki1964

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

My biggest egg was 97g :T :T

Ouch :eek:

No egg today , must be her day of rest lol

edwink

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

I am struggling with one though as she is isn't anywhere as friendly as the others. She's the Black Rock - are they a bit more stand-offish than other breeds? The brown hens are super friendly and feed out of my hand and let me stroke and pick them up with no fuss, but Ebony looks sideways at me and runs away if I get too close

Hi Dizzy

Sorry you are struggling with your Black Rock hen. Unfortunately Black Rocks are slightly unsociable I'm afraid. The Black Rocks are well suited to Freerange and do not like being a coop with other hens. So it is nothing you are doing wrong I am sure.

I have a Bluebell hen and she is the same. To be honest I can't remember ever being able to pick her up as she runs away as soon as I go near her. She has on the odd occasion taken food from my hand but it is very rare for her to do that.

I hope that is of some help.

Edwink x

edwink

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

My biggest egg was 97g :T :T

OUCH!!!! What a whopper!!:T

fatpiggy

Mine are Mabel, Gertie and Flo. They are only 9 months old so this is their first laying season but I'm getting 3 eggs a day and someone is laying double yolkers generally about once a week, although last week she laid 3 of them in 5 days. She is probably responsible for the jumbo sized specimen I found one morning. Any goose would have been proud to sit on it. Clearly it was quite literally a big strain, as the next morning there was one suitable only for a pigeon's nest. I love my 3 brown girls, they are so comical and real characters. The cat is frightened of them, and even next doors cat who is huge, is content to simply watch from a distance. I'm amazed by the range of sounds they produce. They insistent shouts in the mornings are immediately changed to their wheedling "we love you" chunters as soon as they hear the back door open!

suki1964

Her day of rest has recharged the batteries and I got a whopping 70g egg this morning. Not bad seeing as she's only been laying a week

Fatpiggy I too love the sounds they make esp when they purr with contentment

ampersand

I should be out mowing, but reverse-treated myself with catch-up reading here first.

As for 'Just got to keep out of my head the fact they adore slugs ' I repeat my infinitum offer for all girls to free-range on &'s abundant slug supply. Even found one yesterday grazing raspberry leaf 8' up. That might be a bit high for girls to jump.

edwink

Welcome on board Fatpiggy. There are some lovely hen keepers on here glad you have joined us.

Love the names of your girls they are fantastic.

What sort of treat food do you give to your girls? Do they have a favourite food? Our girls would give a thumbs up for sweetcorn every single time as it is their absolute favourite.

Edwink

suki1964

Yayyyyyyyyy

I was leaving for work tonight and noticed two hens weren't aroung so had a quick look in their house and two were in the nesting boxes and hubby has phoned to inform me another egg was laid


So Henny is either doing double duty or Penny or Cydney have finally got their act together. Can't wait to get home to weigh it ( really need to get a life lol ):rotfl:

skipton

Hi All

I have 9 hens in 3 eglus. Theyare all in one big enclosure in the middle of an Oak wood. I know how chicken licken felt at this time of year!

The Muggers are called Sweetie and Squiffy.....2 white leghorns who are very bossy and extremely vocal. Its amazing what a high pitched squeek/whine gets them. Being nearly 3yrs old they still lay large white eggs but only 3 or 4 times a week.
The Toffs are Cara and Topsy......2 skylines that lay blue eggs every now and again and are just pretty little girls with top knots and Lawna a bluebell that only lays every other day.
The Gems are the youngest of the group. Ruby is a Gingernut Ranger, Jet a Daisybelle, Emerald a Blackrock and Amber. I get 4 eggs from them a day.
I have an old seat in their enclosure that is a great place to have a cup of tea while chicken watching. I usually finish up with Sweetie sitting on my knee, Ruby and Emerald perched on the seat back with the others milling about hoping I have a biscuit or some oats in my pocket.

edwink

Hi Skipton

Welcome to the friendly hen thread. I hope you will continue to join us on here.

Love the names of your hens by the way.

Do you give treats to your hens? If so what is their favourite? I always ask this question because I like to be given other ideas apart from what we give them here.

Have you ever weighed any of your eggs? Queen of Cheap has had a 97g one. So far this has been the heaviest we have had. Considering one of my large duck eggs weighed 100g, 97g was a whopper!!

Edwink x