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Keeping hens and ducks chat.
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MoneySavingExpert
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we get far to many eggs but sell a lot mine eat a mix of corn and oats that we get in bulk cheapily from a neighbour and pellets but are all out to forage as well
non of our hens are culled they worked hard for us so deserve a good retirement , unless of course they are suffering.
we also have ducks
We have 7 ducks too!!! Two Aylesbury's, 4 Cayuga's and one Indian Runner!! They are so funny especially the Indian Runner!!!
(Two drakes and 5 ducks)
Nice of you to join in on my thread!!!
I thought it would be nice to have a hens thread as I could not find another running at the moment!! I think I will change the title to include ducks too!!!
Thanks for posting everyone!!
Edwink x
I like the idea; the more freely-ranged the better, but I'd be worried about foxes if I let mine out over the whole acreage like that.
Do you lose many? My neighbour had an attack in day time a few weeks ago, and hers were in a (badly made) coop.
I agree. I was looking to start a hen thread but wasn't sure there'd be much response
I'm glad I have somewhere I can chat chicken now
All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert
We started with just the 4 but are convinced one is a roo, so got another
I didnt want to name them, but succumbed
I have Gertie - who I think is going to be Gert
Esme
Cydney
Henny and Penny
Penny is the smallest and as cute as can be. She knows her name now and is getting used to being lifted
The are on growers atm. They dont seem to know what to make of veg but love meal worms wich I think Im too over generous with
They have their run but we let them free range in the garden when we are home. Being in the country we do have to be careful. Woman up the lane lost 20 the other week to a fox. Gun club were out and managed to bag two vixens so hopefully we are safe for a while
As for dispatching them, Im not sure I can
Yes me too queen of cheap. I was not sure either if to start one or not too!! But, then I thought why not. I am so pleased with the responses I have had.
I think too that If any one of us has a problem with one of our hens we will be able to post here and ask for advice or some reassurance. Some on here may have more experience than others I know!! But any help would be good if needed!!
I give my hens corn on the cob as a treat and it is so funny watching them scatter off in all directions holding on to the piece they have picked up. I end up finding the hens tucked in to corners around the garden guarding their piece. So funny to watch, I love it!!!!!
My avatar is my Indian Runner duck!! We call her Pingu because she looks like the penguin that could sing but could not dance. Or was it the other way around???
Edwink x
We are down to 6 chickens must get sorted to add some more in .....all of the others have died of old age ...unless they had problems.... The youngest 2 we have are 4 1/2 the rest a couple of years older
Love them ,
We have Elvis ( sure he bats for the other side) and Betsy ( grey silkies), checkers ,squarky 1 and 2 and ginger
Over the years we have had mary-jane(spider mans girlfriend) ,Winnie Mandela ( kids homework) ,rocky,pebbles ,speedy....:
So far the charity has rehomed over 470,000 hens. All those happy clucks!
2 of the hens we collected at the end of May and they are laying one or two eggs a day. The other 3 appear to be 'resting' although we have changed their layers pellets recently and hope they will start laying again soon.
We have had chickens for a number of years and don't cull when they stop laying.
Their favourite treats are spaghetti and sweetcorn and of course - chopped grapes (which they would sell their little chicken souls for)
It's great rehabilitating hens from the BHWT. When they arrive they are 'shell shocked'. They stand around on the grass not knowing what to do. Over the next few days they start to scratch around and flap their wings. Then it all clicks into place and they become 'proper' chickens. Often they are missing quite a lot of feathers, but the feathers soon regrow.
Chickens make you feel very popular. They always come rushing over whenever I go into the garden. I love all the vocalisations especially the happy trilling when they are dust bathing in the sun - they seem to go into a trance of contentment.
And to add some photos to this thread.
The latest two when we got them in May.
And two of the older ones when feathered up
James Douglas
Hubby is secretly pleased as the Roos grow to an impressive size and have lovely colourings. Thankfully we are in the country and the couple up the lane already have a roo so we won't get any complaints so he's a stayer.
the only trouble we have had, last year we lost several hens and ducks, i think 6 in total thought it was a fox that had been scared of as none were took but turned out it was a neighbours dog we were very upset seemed worse that it was someones pet rather than a fox.
we have a lot of trouble with magpies though going in to the barn and taking eggs.
edwink ds3 has an indian runner and some ducklings they have such fab characters, his adult comes when he calls her and follows him around she also loves the silkie chickens and goes of wandering with them.