Author Topic: keeping chickens (Read 8744 times)

Marymary · « **Reply #40 on:** March 25, 2007, 14:24:21 »

Congratulations! :) How many? What sort? What are their names? Where's the pics? :)

I feed mine all their food in the mornings cos during the winter it is dark by the time I get home from work & they don't want to eat then. I tend to be guided by how much they want to eat & then offer a little more. About a small handful of pellets each [in a pigeon feeder] & similar amount or a bit less of mixed corn plus leftovers from the kitchen. everyone seems to have their own regime - just need to find what suits you and yours.

About the run. The general advice seems to be if chickens are to be kept in a permanent run then they need 2! We started with one but it quickly became quite nasty & smelly so we made another the other side & now we alternate them - a couple of months each. If you are making one long one you might want to consider cutting it in half in some way & only allowing them on one half while the other recovers. You can put lime down to speed up the recovery but we've never done that.

Good luck.

OliveOil · « **Reply #41 on:** March 26, 2007, 18:46:13 »

one bird will eat 1kg food per week - so x that by the number of birds and then divide by 7 days and there you go!

Mine eat at least a mug full each per day and i add extra just in case. I'm thinking about going over to pellets though as the coarse mash they waste alot. I'm sure they wont be happy about going on to pellets but they will only starve themselves for so long LOL.

Philbasford · « **Reply #42 on:** March 26, 2007, 19:17:47 »

yea they seem to eat a lot!!!!, always wanting more!, they like grass to, cut them some and its all gone in no time:) had our first egg yesterday,hmmmm nice:)

Marymary · « **Reply #43 on:** March 26, 2007, 20:28:50 »

OO I fed mine mash for a long time but was so fed up with them just getting in the bowl & scratching it all out & wasting it that I changed to pellets in a pigeon feeder & hardly waste any. They soon got used to the pellets but much prefer their corn & scraps.

OliveOil · « **Reply #44 on:** April 03, 2007, 21:53:08 »

Pellets purchased today - will see what they thought of them tomorrow LOL Maybe they wont give me any eggs in protest LOL

Marymary · « **Reply #45 on:** April 03, 2007, 22:05:48 »

Might take a couple of days to settle down. We all went out for the day on Saturday & got back really late & there were no eggs [usually have 3 or 4] - obviously didn't like the lack of attention :)

OliveOil · « **Reply #46 on:** April 08, 2007, 08:59:54 »

It took 3 days to eat the same amount of pellets. this is going to save me a fortune... and i've benn getting 9 eggs a day!

Marymary · « **Reply #47 on:** April 08, 2007, 11:35:14 »

Wow - well done - obviously what they had been waiting for. ;D

Philbasford · « **Reply #48 on:** April 09, 2007, 20:20:41 »

Had chickens now for 2 weeks, they are fab, have built them a 18 ft by 12 ft run. they seem happy, one is laying every day, the other just started and waiting for the final one, They go bonkers when they see a spade and go after worms. Does other peoples chicken go mad for worms??

Marymary · « **Reply #49 on:** April 09, 2007, 20:45:44 »

Our run is next to the compost heaps & when OH is turning it over he picks out the worms for them & they go MAD - they also really love spaghetti - must think it's worms as well ;D

Philbasford · « **Reply #50 on:** April 09, 2007, 20:48:27 »

yep they go barmy ,

OliveOil · « **Reply #51 on:** April 10, 2007, 08:20:18 »

I let mine roam my plot every day whilst i dig or plant. At first it was lovely, there were a couple of hens who were constantly under my feet waiting for every worm opportunity. Now they wander and start eating my blooming plants - think the sweetpeas have had it... and worse still. they flattened my potato earths so while i earthed back up they went next door and started running round with neighbour onion sets.... I could have killed the little buggers... had to gather a dozen onions up and replant before anyone saw!

Trixiebelle · « **Reply #52 on:** April 10, 2007, 15:00:48 »

Hi Phil :) I'm in Nottingham too :)

I'm getting two of THESE at the beginning of May :D

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,28/topic,24178.0

2nd photo down! PURPLE CHICKENS! Think I might paint their shed pink!

Marymary · « **Reply #53 on:** April 10, 2007, 16:36:51 »

Just back from the vets having my Rhoda [Rhode Island red] chickie put down. She had been unwell for a while & just sort of sinking slowly - decided today it couldn't go on any longer - we had tried antibiotics in the past and she would perk up a bit then start sneezing & wheezing again. The vet thought she probably had an abscess so definitely the right thing to do.

A tip for those of you buying chickens for the first time. Sick chickens always have a sort of smell about them, healthy chickens don't smell of anything other than warm feathers. My daughter can tell a sick chicken at 100 yards :) so when buying new ones give them a good sniffing .

Trixiebelle · « **Reply #54 on:** April 10, 2007, 16:53:42 »

Awwww :(

PHILMT · « **Reply #55 on:** April 10, 2007, 21:27:58 »

Hello everyone.
I had planned on keeping chickens for a while and a couple of weeks ago i was given a pair (i think Barnvelders). So i have just got the 2 at the moment (1 cockerel 1 hen). I am planning on getting some more hens this week if i can.

I have a few questions if you can help me please.

1. Do all breeds of chickens mix well?

2. Fertile eggs are OK to eat aren't they? (a neighbour told me they would taste off! think he was taking the Micky but thought I'd ask anyhow).

3. Just out of curiosity! How long can you keep fertile eggs before they become infertile?

thank you for your help.

I'm just going to smell my chickens now.

Marymary · « **Reply #56 on:** April 10, 2007, 22:12:55 »

1 Probably though they will have to sort out their own pecking order - this is usually related to size but not always.

2 Fertile eggs are fine to eat.

3 My first chickens were hatched from eggs which had sat on top of a cupboard in my office at school for two weeks, but they are supposed to be as fresh as possible if you want to hatch them.

PS I think the one female will probably be getting a bit too much attention from her mate - if you mean to keep him then I think you need some more girls to keep him happy - just remember to give them a good sniffing first. :)

OliveOil · « **Reply #57 on:** April 10, 2007, 23:35:13 »

Sorry to hear about your hen mary... i have a bantam orpington off for quite a while but no symptoms other than looking sorry for herself and i often find her away from the others or perched in the house!

Fertile eggs taste the same... the only difference is the fertility spot!

Hens arent racist and will happily mix between breeds.

Freshest fertile eggs are best or within 10-12 days of collecting

PHILMT · « **Reply #58 on:** April 11, 2007, 20:47:12 »

Thank you for your advice.

Ye i'm off to try gets some more hens in the morning. Think the one i have is getting tired from all the attention!!
We have a farmers auction in Brigg on a thursday and they sell chickens and other animals, so i'l have a look there.
I'l be the one getting funny looks from sniffing the chickens. ha ha
thanks again

OliveOil · « **Reply #59 on:** April 12, 2007, 07:19:28 »

Mycoplasma infections definitely smell and it is quite distinctive.... chances are most the chooks at market will smell of it as it can be brought on by stress and obviously markets are stressful for chooks.... look out for foamy eyes too!

Which reminds me - must go to market at Melton next week for a peek... I have 3 broodys at the moment so could get some eggs!

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Author Topic: keeping chickens (Read 8744 times)