Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Davesnave · 9 July 2015 at 10:48AM

We mix our own feed for worming with Flubenvet. Our vet is acknowledged as one of the region's experts in chicken husbandry (most vets won't lower themselves!;)) and she won't use anything else herself.

We also sell eggs, but bearing in mind the investment involved in enabling real free ranging without predator attack, there is no way we come close to covering costs.

lostinrates · 9 July 2015 at 10:58AM

Davesnave wrote: »

We mix our own feed for worming with Flubenvet. Our vet is acknowledged as one of the region's experts in chicken husbandry (most vets won't lower themselves!;)) and she won't use anything else herself.

We also sell eggs, but bearing in mind the investment involved in enabling real free ranging without predator attack, there is no way we come close to covering costs.

This for me too.

Verm x is a nice idea, however, I am afraid I remain unconvinced. I don't use it on our other species of animals either. We do feacal egg counts with the horses, and one of our clients uses likes to use vermx. I remain unconvinced. One horse is not date to make a decision on, but its not something that makes me rush out to change practice, considering we follow other clean pasture practise.

Jimmithecat · 9 July 2015 at 3:20PM

Nell, Peggy and nugget - 2 hybrid and 1 speckeledy - just over a year old and can count on one hand the days we've dropped from 3 to 2 eggs - I was expecting egg production to stop over the winter or them to go broody but they just keep coming - they will definitely not be culled when they stop laying - when this day comes I will try to introduce another 3 hens to the group or run a parallel coop keeping them seperate. They have layers pellets, a handful of corn at night, regular buckets of weeds or cuttings, they are completely free range in the winter and have a section of the garden fenced off now for their summer residence.
Very happy hens and owners

edwink · 9 July 2015 at 3:55PM

Jimmithecat wrote: »

Nell, Peggy and nugget - 2 hybrid and 1 speckeledy - Very happy hens and owners

YAY!!!!!! Love that!!! Very happy hens and owners!!! Count us in on that too!! Best way we think!!!

Love your hens names. How did you come up with those names?

When our hens are too old to lay and retire we just look after them the same as we have always done!! With lots of love and lots of care!! They mix in with any new rescue hens very well and we always have a good supply of eggs from them!!

We sell some of our eggs to friends and neighbours. That way the hens support themselves feed cost wise. And the eggs we have ourselves are free range and free.

Edwink

Levi- · 9 July 2015 at 4:43PM

I love all these hen posts! Good on ya Edwink, you deffo seem to be a super caring hen-keeper, they are a lucky bunch

:) I've always loved the idea of having a group of them and having our own eggs and raising chicks, maybe one day! Keep it up Edwink and all of you, lovely to hear about all these hens being so well cared for by some lovely folk on this thread xxxxxx

Levi- · 9 July 2015 at 4:46PM

PS: 100% against the culling of the hens - i would happily keep them into retirement after all their hard work

with you all the way on that Edwink:)xx

Davesnave · 9 July 2015 at 6:40PM

Levi- wrote: »

PS: 100% against the culling of the hens - i would happily keep them into retirement after all their hard work with you all the way on that Edwink:)xx

If people view them as pets and only have a few, then this is possible, but with 20 or so, I can't afford to have that many pensioners and neither can those who farm them.

Also, if a decision is made to hatch chicks, an equivalent decision needs to be taken about what will be done with the 'boys.'

These are aspects people don't always consider amid the excitement of setting up their own hen keeping project.

There is a difference between wanting the best possible lives for the hens and sentimentality. I find many people, including myself at times, struggling with this.

Dizzy_Ditzy · 9 July 2015 at 7:19PM

This is my first foray into the world of chickens. As long as they're happy and healthy, I have no intention of culling once they stop laying.

Having said that, if they were suffering in any way, I wouldn't hesitate to do the right thing by them. Yes, I'd be upset but their welfare is way more important to me than sentimentality.

Dizzy_Ditzy · 9 July 2015 at 7:23PM

It's very rare that I can get all five girls in one picture. Sorry it's not the best

I decided to turn over done of the soil in the run. The girls are loving having a scratch through it

Levi- · 9 July 2015 at 7:41PM

beautiful hens queen of cheap!

Keeping hens and ducks chat.

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