Animal Farm comes to a garden near you.

[Chuckles]

Oh dear Andy, sorry its not worked out

[chickengirl]

Well, I had to show my girls who was boss today when I finally got sick of them laying wherever they wanted. One got broody and refused to let them lay in the nest box; two made a good attempt but one decided that she would randomly lay up in the hedge way up on the lane. Then, on Friday one of my boys locked all the girls out and they laid their eggs goodness knows where! So, no eggs, but on the upside, no more broody girl either. Today, I locked them all up until they laid in the nest box again and then let them out!! ;D

[Ladygardener]

Did they lay for you then CG?

[andy]

Is there any weeds that i shouldn't give to my chooks ? just fed them a handful of willow herb and dandilions which they seemed to enjoy. What about bindweed ? i appreciate that stuff from the solonacaea family and ragwort etc shouldn't be fed but anything else ?

Ta

[Chuckles]

Neither of mine have done the 'broody' bit, you watch now I've said that ;D I'd hate it if mine laid willynilly in the garden. I remember when my neighbours sister stayed over, she said she'd see to the chickens, she let them out and shut the coop up poor things were snuggled up outside the coop door that evening.

I think they are pretty good at avoiding what they shouln't eat Andy, clever things chickens ;D Have the girls settled in now they are back to three.

[andy]

Yeah the original 3 are lovely Chuckles. wouldn't swap them for the world now.

[chickengirl]

Yes, they are all laying apart from the one that was broody LG, but not the white one is laying her eggs somewhere else. She lays everyday and I can shut her up until mid morning when I am home, but otherwise she lays goodness knows where! Chuckles, it's funny that, we were out one evening at a neighbours and when we got back our girls looked like someone had thrown them against the coop door they were so tight against it. They are very funny when they are asleep. Glad that your girls are fine Andy.

[andy]

yeah they're great ta....they've just had some chinese noodles which they seemed to think were worms !!! they demolished half a pork pie the other day !!!!!!!

[carolann]

Disaster has struck I forgot to shut the fluff balls shed up last night and the fox got in and took the 2 white ones and the 2 black ones I'm most upset this morning, I heard something about 2am which woke me up and then about 2.30am they where clucking very loudly so I jumped out of bed and ran down stairs out in the rain and to the shed there where only 2 fluffs left and blood in the back of the pen then He ran down the yard around the side of the hill and back to the back of the shed but it was closed now.

[Chuckles]

they don't miss an opportunity do they, sly Mr Charlie Fox

[Ladygardener]

So sorry to hear this Carol, they really are sly those foxes. Hope everyone else is ok.

[carolann]

It wont be sly tonight if it comes back as a trap will be waiting for it on the other side of the pop hole then it will get some lead between the eyes and I will be dancing on its head for what its put me through today. Sorry if I have upset anyone with my remarks.

[Tig]

Can't see how a dead fox is more upsetting to anyone than dead chucks Carol! Bruddy foxes!!! They don't even eat their kills half the time, they just kill for killings sake! They left my Dads pen littered with corpses on many occassions after digging beneath the buried wire and getting into the runs. Easy pickings

x Tig

[Auricula]

Oh Carolann, so sorry how awful for you.

[carolann]

Well itwont be having any easy picking anymore it came back last night at 9pm as OH and I where getting the trap set up for it, it was in the field right infont of the house where all the sheep are and No1 son came running down to the hen cote telling us it was in the field but had just jumped a wall so off they set with gun in hand to try and head it off but it jumped back over the wall so I shouted them to tell them it was back so they came running back and OH started calling it to get its attension while No 1 went up the lane to get a better shot and to make sure there where no sheep in the line of fire then BANG it was no more and i shouted YES and started We have set the trap up along with 2 camera's in the pen but nothing came past them last night, I would like to cut the thing open just to see if it had eaten my babies so we may do that today. We will leave the trap set and camera's running to be on the safe side and OH is reminding me to shut the hens up.

[Chuckles]

Well done No1

[Chuckles]

Had such a laugh with my chickens and springer spaniel today. I'd got a crust of bread so decided to give the chickens a few bits off it and the rest to the dog, well the dog took hers and milandered up the garden to her kennel for her feast and the chickens devoured thier bits like they hadn't been fed for a week ;D Then at what seemed like 100 mph one of the chickens (Bessie) took off after the dog, it followed her into the kennel a pinched the bread off her. Poor old dog just sat there and watched the chicken which was now in the kennel tuck into her bread ;D I took the off the chicken and told the dog what a good girl she was, lets face it not many dogs would have been so considerate ;D

Both my chickens are such ganits, I sat having a coffee and biscuit the other day, they spotted me eating and were soon up on the patio table looking to see what there might be to eat ;D Luckily I had my mobile phone to capture the scene.



When they realised there was nowt on the plate they stuck thier heads in the air as if to say she's not saved us any crumbs even

[Ladygardener]

They're lovely girls Chuckles ;D I think you have them spoiled.

[Chuckles]

Jun 26, 2011 16:45:02 GMT Ladygardener said:

They're lovely girls Chuckles ;D I think you have them spoiled.

Thanks LG, they are spoiled and cheeky ;D

[Ladygardener]

;D

[carolann]

A couple of mine go into the dogs kennel to see if he has left any food in his bowl, he is 19 now and as deaf as a post and very slow on his feet but has come to accept the chucks now bless him. They can give you some real belly laughs cant they.

[Chuckles]

Oh yes Carolann they do give you some laughs and belly laughs describes it well ;D

I've just had my nieces 2 Jack Russells to stay for 5 days and they have to be shut in the kennel and run while my girls have some free range time. The funniest things happen when they are here, the chicken run and coop is one half of the dog kennels and between the inside dog bed area and the coop is a perspex window. When either of the girls are in the nest box laying the bitch terrier is always in the dog bed bit watching through the window ;D I'm sure she sits there dribbling ;D

The other day I could hear the terrier and one of the chickens being really vocal, there was Bessie chicken one side giving it some, pecking at the perspex and wings in fighting position and the terrier the other side doing similar, daft things ;D

[Ladygardener]

;D Never a dull moment.

[carolann]

I was sat outside yesterday when a Ewe and her lamb came up the yard, Chunners was under the bench I was sat on and the lamb came up to me sniffing my jeans and Chunners flew out and started pecking the lambs nose which turned tail with the chicken chasing it back down the yard with its mother who needs a sheep dog.

[Ladygardener]

;D

[Chuckles]

I bet that lamb will be a bit more careful when the chickens are around ;D

Andy this is for you really as a newbie to chicken keeping.

MITES I'd recommend you get some mite powder in, no matter how clean you keep the coop and run you'll get the blighters at some point. I'm looking after my neighbours 2 chickens and the last couple of days I've been feeling creepy crawlies on me occasionaly but had put it down to thunder flies. Well today after cleaning and fluffing up the nest box I found the culprits, there were red mites (blood suckers) and the normal sandy coloured ones. Luckily I had some spray and powder so gave the whole coop a dowsing. They get into all the nooks and crannies and breed like hell. I give my nesting box a sprinkle of powder every couple of months or so in the warmer weather and pop some in corners of the coop.

Forewarned is forearmed as they say ;D I've had them once and due to my ignorance on the matter ended up with a right problem, never again. My neighbour will be mortified when I tell her about it ;D but it happens

[carolann]

I use a powder and liquid spray every couple of weeks on the perches but the best thing is a blowlamp you can hear them popping and no matter how hard you try you will always end up with a few living in some dark corner of the hen house but you can get the better of them.

[Auricula]

I'm imagining you on the rampage, with a blowlamp C

[Barbara]

I just hope it's not a wooden coop. ;D

[Chuckles]

Oooooh yes I'd love to have a go with a blow lamp Maybe I'd get a bit carried away though ;D they'd be going snap crackle pop and so would the shed knowing me ;D I can't begin to imagine them on a large scale Carolann when you have loads of chickens

I use Net-Tex Total Mite Kill Concentrate and dilute it in a sprayer, I also sprinkle thier powder in any corners and in the nest box. I don't tend to powder the chickens as I've never actualy found mites on them, the powder I put in the nest box gets on thier feathers and seems to be enough to keep them at bay.

I've just been up my neighbours and fingers crossed all seems well. Put it this way I've not found anything crawling on me since I got back in ;D