Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

ali-t wrote: »

We are back to getting 6 a day and im supplementing their diet wkth porridge, banana, veg and they have 2 basins of water, one of which has bird tonic glucose powder in it. They look terrible must now with bald patches as most of them are moulting.

Hi Ali

It is a little odd that yours are moulting in December. I know it is mild this year but keep an eye on them a bit. They need their feathers to get them through a possible freezing cold January and February.

Well done with the extra treat food. Mine love porridge too especially on cold day. I give mine an extra bowl of water with tonic in too. Putting some garlic in the water is also meant to be good for them.

Remember everyone never give your girls porridge on warm or hot days because it can make the hens overheat.

Edwink x

edwink

Better_Days wrote: »

Well edwink we were getting one every other day, but in the last week it seems to have gone up to one a day (5 hens). This is the dryest winter we have ever had egg wise, usually the ex-batts continue to lay well in the winter, although not as good as the summer. Maybe its the hens, maybe its the weather, who knows?/QUOTE]

You are right Betterdays ex batts do normal lay well in to the winter. In fact I've had ex batts that don't even stop at all. I wish they would though because it gives their little fluffy bodies a well earned rest for the following season.

The thing is ex batts are almost programmed to lay 365 days per year poor little sausages. Plus they had lights on them 365 days a year to make them lay more. I think that is cruel, just so cruel.

So Glad that there are others on this thread that give the little ex batts comfy retirement homes. That does make me smile Something else that always makes me smile is when we collected our first ever ex battery hens some years ago one of them laid us a present on the way home. I cherished that little egg from them.

Happy Christmas everyone

Edwink x

Better_Days

Dizzy it sounds awful, I hope you are managing to keep warm, at least the weather isn't too cold atm. Have you had to throw away all your downstairs?

The main thing for hens in the winter is to make sure they have plenty of feed, plus their coop should not be damp as hens are prone to respiratory problems. The cold is not such a problem as their feathers keep them warm as toast. Plus some cover in their run in the day for when it rains so they don't get soaked and then chilled. Some hens are pretty silly and will sit out in the rain so I keep an eye on them on wet days.

Husbandry is so important, it sounds obvious, but good quality fresh feed, fresh water in clean container, keeping the coop de-pooed, poultry tonic for a boost, also consider garlic powder, poultry spice, etc, plus a wormer every 3 months. You can buy ground sanitiser - I've never bothered, but probably would if they were in a small area.

And treats so you can get enjoyment out of their excitement.

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

I'm going shortly to take some grapes round for them. They seem to know I've got them before I've even taken them out of my bag :rotfl:

Yes, they seem to have a 'grape-dar'

It's worth buying grapes just to see their excitement when you give them to the hens. And it makes you feel so popular :D:D

Dizzy_Imp

I hate my dogs ATM. :mad: I am mourning the sad loss of Clive, the largest of my brown hens. I'm blaming DH as he "forgot" to shut the girls in last night. Too bl***y lazy, more like and I unwittingly let the mutts into the orchard unsupervised this morning, believing the birds to be safely in their coop, or at least, their enclosure.

A sad and grisly discovery was made and lots of tears and ranting at husband. Dogs are all in disgrace, although I'm 90% sure it was the younger two. I feel absolutely mortified and guilty. One of the dogs sicked up a clod of feathers and I was glad she felt ill.

skipton

Sorry to hear about Peasha Edwink. It's always sad to loose a little one.

Mine have porridge every day no matter what the weather or time of year. Most times it's tepid but when it gets very cold I give it to them much warmer.

I also give mine chopped grapes, grated carrot, chopped cucumber and yoghurt most days. I also found this when I was looking to see if they could have pomegranate I got cheap in the co-op (3 for 30p)

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

I also ask in the supermarket if I can have any fallen cauliflower leaves. If they are wilted i just stand them in water overnight and they usually perk up. This got me in trouble in Adsa last week though because I used one of the thin plastic bags to put them in so they wouldn't fall out of the trolly. The woman on the checkout wanted to charge me 5p!!!!! so I tipped them in the trolly and gave her the bag back. She was very lucky I didn't tell her to keep the trolly of shopping too.

Still getting 3 to 4 eggs a day.

Hope you all have a good Christmas.

ps Broccoli is cheap in Aldi at present

Happygreen

Happygreen wrote: »

Still no eggs here but I found some wet mess in the hen house so I think one may have laid a soft shelled. Little black girl is poorly, so I'm going to make her some porridge. Not sure about isolating a bird in the winter, she might get too cold....:(

so sad, we need to bury her tomorrow That's Miss Feisty gone. I knew this was coming as she didn't even touch porridge. The only thing I can imagine is that we had weeks of stagnant water standing all over the garden and the bugs don't die as it is so warm....but who knows. That out a bit of a damper on Christmas spirit I hope all yours are keeping well!

ali-t

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

I hate my dogs ATM. :mad: I am mourning the sad loss of Clive, the largest of my brown hens. I'm blaming DH as he "forgot" to shut the girls in last night. Too bl***y lazy, more like and I unwittingly let the mutts into the orchard unsupervised this morning, believing the birds to be safely in their coop, or at least, their enclosure.

A sad and grisly discovery was made and lots of tears and ranting at husband. Dogs are all in disgrace, although I'm 90% sure it was the younger two. I feel absolutely mortified and guilty. One of the dogs sicked up a clod of feathers and I was glad she felt ill.

So sorry to hear that dizzyimp. Give your hubby a skelp round the head from me - the eejit!

skipton

So sorry about the loss of your little one Dizzy Imp. Give your OH a slap from me too.

Next doors dog (hound) came through the fence this morning...nose twitching. Lucky I saw him, as my girls had just come out too. I chased him back just as his owner appeared at the top of the bank....silly woman!

edwink

Aww Dizzy. Poor you and after all you have already been through with the flooding. Please kick your other half from me and really hard.

So sorry you have lost one of your girls in that way.

Hope you are managing to get your home sorted bit by bit.
Are you still living there? Must be so difficult especially with Christmas.

Sending you big (((((HUGS)))))

Edwink x

edwink

Happygreen wrote: »

so sad, we need to bury her tomorrow That's Miss Feisty gone. I knew this was coming as she didn't even touch porridge. The only thing I can imagine is that we had weeks of stagnant water standing all over the garden and the bugs don't die as it is so warm....but who knows. That out a bit of a damper on Christmas spirit I hope all yours are keeping well!

Aww big (((((HUGS))))) for you too for your loss. And at Christmas time too. They often go off of their food then.

You know sometimes we look for reasons or wonder if it is something we have done but you know what most times it is natural for them to go when they are ready. I always used to search for the answer and I can honestly say 9 times out of 10 I never found one. I have had rescue girls lived longer than some others that I purchased from a very reputable breeder. They go when they are ready normally.

I lost another of mine yesterday. I lost Peasha last week and now another. When they went to bed last night this little rescue girl did not go up on the perches but went to bed in one of the nesting boxes. So we left her there because that is where she obviously preferred to be for the night. In the morning she had gone. Bless her. I hate it every time one of mine goes, I really do. I can be upset for days.

Hope everyone is ok.

Edwink x