Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink · 16 December 2016 at 8:18PM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-38342006

Hi all

Looks like bird flu is now in the UK. Worrying time for all poultry keepers now eh? So far found in turkeys in Lincolnshire. Information from BBC article link above.

Just make sure you all do your best and keep everything covered over and strapped down so any wind doesn't catch it.

Hope everyone and theirs are ok.

Edwink x

ali-t · 16 December 2016 at 10:38PM

Thats really worrying but not unexpected. Could end up being more than a month they are covered up.

edwink · 16 December 2016 at 11:55PM

ali-t wrote: »

Thats really worrying but not unexpected. Could end up being more than a month they are covered up.

Yes I'm afraid you could be right Ali-t.

If you hear any news regarding the situation please post on our hen thread and I will do the same.

Have a lovely Christmas and try not to worry too much. Easier said than done though I know.

Take care

Edwink x

edwink · 24 December 2016 at 4:32PM

Hope everyone is ok and their hens, ducks and geese too. Mine are rather miserable being undercover but it won't be for long hopefully. Have a good Christmas x

Edwink x

Happygreen · 25 December 2016 at 11:04AM

Have a lovely Christmas, everybody!
We'll spend the day repairing the enclosure from the storm damage, all is exposed again and the virus might be already here....
On a high note, we had the first duck eggs - they've never been that early in all those years! Lovely present, breakfast sorted!

StarShapedPeg · 30 December 2016 at 10:34PM

Hello all,
Just found you! So happy to have found a thread about keeping hens. We have three little bantams, the ones with feathered feet and very cheeky personalities.
We've had them about three years now, originally got three, about a year ago lost one, replaced with two and just recently lost another (end of November) terribly fast with no warning whatsoever. I was heartbroken.
So now we have the three. We keep them in a large airy barn with a house inside as we have foxes everywhere and only let them out into the gardens when someone is home, happily I only work part time so they are out all day five days a week. Inside they are on sand and straw we have gone through numerous iterations of floors, but they get so wet on earth, cleaning their feet every night was horrendous ordeal.
Anyway, I hope everyone is surviving our defra restrictions and am sure, counting down the days.
Happy New Year.

edwink · 2 January 2017 at 7:01AM

Great to have you on board our poultry friendly thread.

I think (so far) you are the only one with Bantams. We thought at one time about getting some but even though they are tiny compared to other hens we decided that we had given up enough garden to our hooligans already. Do you have any photos to post of them? We do love a photo or two on this thread. If not no worries.

Just a thought have you tried of shavings for the floor? You mentioned straw and sand and said you had tried others so maybe you have already tried shavings. We have shavings on the floor of their hotel and we find it much easier to keep clean than straw that we were previously using. It must have been so difficult with their fury feathered legs, bless them.

If you have any questions or want to share with us what yours have been getting up to do pop on here. Lots of friendly poultry keepers on here so I am sure someone will be able to offer you some good advice.

Edwink x

StarShapedPeg · 2 January 2017 at 11:08AM

Hello Edwink and all
I have millions of photos, however no idea how to upload them on here, will have a try later on.
Yes I've done shavings before but they tend to make me sneeze so I now alternate shavings/straw and sand/straw.
Yes the garden is sometimes a problem, but to be honest I've found ways of dealing with my little gardeners. I've got the couple of flowers and strawberries they absolutely love to eat in high planters which they can't get up into, everything else is theirs. They dig dust baths under the trees but I let them get on with it, they march into the vegetable garden when it's dry and eat everything they can find, my husband shouts, but they don't seem to pay much attention!
They are a joy to keep, absolutely no regrets at all.
Take care and thanks for the warm welcome.

suki1964 · 2 January 2017 at 12:14PM

My girls have upped production this past week, getting 7 eggs a day now regularly

Had the three Roos we hatched in July dispatched for us last week. One is heading for the slow cooker today, the other 2 are in the freezer

The girls are much calmer now they aren't being dragged around by the Roos.

ali-t · 2 January 2017 at 1:56PM

We use easichick or easipet bedding which is great for absorbing smells and mud off feet and doesnt blow away. We started with easichick but then saw the horse version which is the same price for double the amount so we take that when we can get it.

Keeping hens and ducks chat.

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