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Keeping hens and ducks chat.

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  • rhosynbach
    rhosynbach Posts: 7,664 Forumite
    how nice a chicken posts, we have to many to all have names but the home hens that wander round the garden are the silkies are pompom, ginge and sally and the cockeral is smokey the misfits, are lacy, polski, and lavender, at the barn we have free range hens 40 odd over 5 odd acres only speacil ones have names we have flopsy, simple seaweed, billy, draig to name a few
    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
  • edwink
    edwink Posts: 2,959
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    So glad you allow your hens to retire too!!! Yes I agree about the point if they are suffering.


    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
    **3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5282209
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741
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    rhosynbach wrote: »
    we have free range hens 40 odd over 5 odd acres

    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.
  • Dizzy_Ditzy
    Dizzy_Ditzy Posts: 17,462
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    edwink wrote: »
    So glad you allow your hens to retire too!!! Yes I agree about the point if they are suffering.


    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 agree. I was looking to start a hen thread but wasn't sure there'd be much response :o

    I'm glad I have somewhere I can chat chicken now :D:beer:
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Health & Beauty, Greenfingered Moneysaving and How Much Have You Saved boards. If you need any help on these boards, please do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com

    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313
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    Im new to hen keeping, just got 5 new hampshire reds, just 8 weeks old now :)

    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 :( I think Ive got myself pets for life. Looking forward to eating the most expensive eggs ever :)
  • edwink
    edwink Posts: 2,959
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    I agree. I was looking to start a hen thread but wasn't sure there'd be much response :o
    I'm glad I have somewhere I can chat chicken now :D:beer:


    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
    **3.36 kWp solar panel system, 10 x Ultima & 4 x Panasonic solar panels, Solaredge Inverter **Biomass boiler stove for cooking, hot water & heating **2000ltr Rainwater harvesting system for loo flushing - **Hybrid Toyota Auris car **1 ex-battery hen - RIP Pingu, Hoppy & Ginger ****Hens & Ducks**** chat thread. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5282209
  • burtha
    burtha Posts: 903
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    Hi may I join in too ....
    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....:
    £223/ £250 GC
  • Better_Days
    Better_Days Posts: 2,742
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    We've got 5 hens, all from BHWT http://www.bhwt.org.uk/
    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.

    P1000272_zpswa0xn56m.jpg

    And two of the older ones when feathered up
    P1000274_zpszf9cbpkp.jpg
    It is a good idea to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy presences may haunt you and possess you in a reverie of suspended thought.
    James Douglas
  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313
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    Suspicions confirmed, had the first doodle doo this morning :)

    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. :)
  • rhosynbach
    rhosynbach Posts: 7,664 Forumite
    Davesnave wrote: »
    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.

    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.
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