Keeping hens and ducks chat.

smallholding_antics

Also, we're in the North East of England in County Durham

Horseygirl123

We've had beautiful weather the last couple of days here in the East Midlands. Thank goodness everywhere is drying out. It's been a worry as the daft birds insist on sleeping in a pig ark that I only put in their enclosure as somewhere to put their trays of dust bathing sand to keep dry and as the opening is quite big, when it's kicking up a hooley it must be very draughty.

I started off with one coop and bought another one off a friend "just in case":) but these are virtually unused apart from one sensible girl who decided it was much cosier than being blasted by wind and rain. They do lay a few eggs in there though.

The threadbare girl is looking a bit better now. Nine eggs this morning from 11 hens:)

edwink

Smallholding_antics "hens" are the ones that lay the eggs and
"chickens" are purchased to eat from the shops. Hope that clears that up for you.

We have 9 eggs so far from 26 hens. More like hooligans my lot.

Oh and we are in the South East and live a semi self sufficient lifestyle. We like to call it the Goodlife and it certainly is.

Edwink x

smallholding_antics

How fabulous. We are hoping to head towards semi sufficient lifestyle over the next few years. I am not going to put a time frame on it as I think it will always be a work in progress kind of lifestyle. We both work full time so as much as we would love to spend all day, every day on the small holding, we have to fit work in too. I do often wonder and ponder over how a truly self sufficient lifestyle could be had. I am talking off grid self sufficient. A book called 'hovel in the hills' started me off thinking along those lines. That said, I am sat writing this from my mobile, using my wifi in am oil warmed house lit by electricity lol. At least I have my own home laid eggs.
Thanks you for the clarification edwink. That is easy enough to remember.
Horseygirl, yours sound like mine in where they choose to sleep!
Take care, very cold and windy night here.
SA xx

edwink

smallholding_antics wrote: »

How fabulous. We are hoping to head towards semi sufficient lifestyle over the next few years. I am not going to put a time frame on it as I think it will always be a work in progress kind of lifestyle. SA xx

Yes you are right that it is a work in progress kind of lifestyle. Solar panels is a good way to go for your own daytime electric and hot water. We have a kitchen stove that heats our large kitchen and for cooking all of our meals. No chopped wood and kindling in this house means no supper for us. . Our other stove supplies us with our central heating and hot water when not enough solar electric. Again no chopped wood and kindling means a cold house for us. We flush our loos with rainwater as we set up a rainwater harvesting system for supplying both toilets cisterns. Our metered water bill is under £100 a year and that's for a little sewage cost as well. Sewage is only charged at 14% for us because our kitchen water goes in to a soak-a way and our shower and basin water goes in to our rainwater tanks. We obviously have our hens and ducks too and they are fully self sufficient because we sell their eggs and it pays for all their feed and bedding plus our eggs are free and very fresh. We grow all our own veg too which saves us a lot of money. My hubby works part time now and we have learnt to live on the money we have. If we haven't got it we can't spend it.

Just a little tip. If you can start by getting your utility bills right down that is definitely the way to go. Plus be mindful about what you are spending each time you shop especially for groceries. Good luck and I hope all goes well for your frugal life.

There was a lot to think about when we went down this route and now we have such low bills and semi self sufficiency we feel as though we have got there. Although I wouldn't be without my Wi-Fi and laptop and my chums on my hen and duck thread.

Edwink x

Dizzy_Imp

I'm hoping we will be able to be semi self sufficient in a few years, but the preparation (and cost) to sort everything out is extensive and rather time-consuming.

I couldn't be without some luxuries - dishwasher and laundry machines are top of my list of essentials, but I'd love to be able to grow enough fruit and veg to feed my family all year round. We're working on things...

I saw the skittiest hen defending the corn feeder from marauding crows this afternoon and was very proud of her. Vanessa puffed up her feathers and looked huge (she's actually the biggest one anyway) and chased them off in a very indignant fashion, which made me chuckle. Head down, wings flapping and sudden rushes in their direction - that told them! :rotfl:

Still getting an egg from each a day and none appear to be moulting - is that normal? I've seen very few feathers around, so not sure what or when to expect it...any advice?

edwink

Hi Dizzy

Hens will normally moult in late summer/early autumn. Do not be alarmed if they look awful and very scruffy when they do. They will loose their old feathers and end up with nice fluffy new ones. As they will need too grow new feathers they will normally stop laying during this time so do expect a drop in eggs then. Some hens will also moult earlier in the year but this is normally just their neck feathers at this time.

Young hens will shed their feathers normally twice in the first 6 months. But, for youngsters this is very gradual and they have plenty of feathers so does not notice as much. Always be careful when handling baby hens when they are moulting as it can be painful for them whilst their feathers are growing.

Hope that is of some help.

Edwink x

smallholding_antics

Wow I didn't know it could be painful for them Edwink, that's great to know. We're all gearing up for the new arrivals on Saturday. Hoping for 15 chicks. Today is the day we remove their rotation panels and make sure the humidity is right.


I was looking online last night for hints on s£xing the geese. Still no further forward! I guess if we get eggs we will know we have at least 1 girl, then we can see how many eggs we get on same day (if at all) to say if more than 1 girl.


The hens all seemed really hungry this morning so I gave them a little extra feed in case their bodies are working harder due to the awful weather we're having. It was blowing a gale here last night, so much so I had to get out of bed and make sure there was nothing outside as it sounded like something motorised was just ticking over outside the farmhouse, but no, it was just the wind with no let up. Thankfully all the coops surivived just fine and the geese house is intact.


We have horses too who didn't seem to have even noticed the wind nicely tucked up in their stables.


Only 1 egg yesterday. Going back over!


Our hens are free range in what we refer to as Chickenville. It's a large sectioned off area, protected as best we can from the fox and shaded by trees but areas where they can enjoy the sun too. The reason we picked that spot was it needs someone to root through the grass, leaves and ground so we can then tidy it up a bit. The hens seem to love it. I already have my eye on Chickenville 2 but as my husband hasn't stopped working since we moved in 4 weeks ago, I don't want to push my luck


Regarding the grocery bill, this is a great tip, thanks. We do already have a grocery challenge going on and I've halved my bills over the last few years to be what they are today so in that respect I'm covered. Really interested in harvesting rain water however solar panels scare me as aren't they terribly expensive to install?


To keep this related to topic, has anyone got a solar panel powered hen house? Ie opens and closes the door with the daylight? We haven't but I was told about them. I prefer the interaction of doing it manually!

smallholding_antics

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

I'm hoping we will be able to be semi self sufficient in a few years, but the preparation (and cost) to sort everything out is extensive and rather time-consuming.

I couldn't be without some luxuries - dishwasher and laundry machines are top of my list of essentials, but I'd love to be able to grow enough fruit and veg to feed my family all year round. We're working on things...

I saw the skittiest hen defending the corn feeder from marauding crows this afternoon and was very proud of her. Vanessa puffed up her feathers and looked huge (she's actually the biggest one anyway) and chased them off in a very indignant fashion, which made me chuckle. Head down, wings flapping and sudden rushes in their direction - that told them! :rotfl:

Still getting an egg from each a day and none appear to be moulting - is that normal? I've seen very few feathers around, so not sure what or when to expect it...any advice?

Ours didn't moult much this year at all, I think it's due to being so mild maybe?


What breed is your largest?


We've got a Buff Orpington who is a big girl!

smallholding_antics

2 eggs yesterday.