|
|
Post by carolann on Jul 18, 2011 7:30:15 GMT
I hate it when you find them crawling on you and I go and get a shower and change clothes then put them in the wash. I used to have a dust bath box but the chucks kept going in it overnight so it got more like compacted soil, I have showered the odd one with mite powder but you have to be very quick as they dont like it. Yes the shed is wood and is very well oiled so you have to be very light handed with the blowtorch, cant think which stuff I have just off hand but it works on greenfly as well I picked the wrong spray bottle up once and sprayed the Roses with it but it worked a treat.
|
|
|
|
Post by Chuckles on Jul 21, 2011 18:10:22 GMT
I'd read that some folk put the powder in a big bag and then put the chickens in the bag and sort of shake them about  poor chickens. I sprinkled the powder on the straw in the nest box so they wouls sort of self apply it ;D All seems well with my neighbours coop now so fingers crossed  |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Sept 19, 2011 20:14:44 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Chuckles on Sept 29, 2011 6:56:12 GMT
 a mink, lovely looking animals but killers all the same. Hope you don't get them coming regularly Carolann. One of my girls, hasn't laid for weeks and weeks now  I keep telling her she'll be for the pot if she doesn't pull her finger out ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Sept 29, 2011 12:09:38 GMT
Ruth was telling me her girls are laying elsewhere at the moment because they've got the builders in and they don't like the noise. Her neighbours are very pleased with their free fresh eggs. |
|
|
|
Post by Chuckles on Dec 12, 2011 10:19:02 GMT
How are everyones chickens With less day light hours and one of mine going into moult its that time of year when eggs are a bit few and far between Poor Bess is moulting and looks half plucked and ready for the oven ;D Took this just now, I bet she's feeling the cold, bless her. As soon as they've eaten that seed they'll be back in their run.  |
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Dec 12, 2011 10:21:06 GMT
It's good to get a little update Chuckles. Ruth's girls have really cut down on their laying but she's getting enough for the family at least. |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Dec 12, 2011 12:59:38 GMT
Some of mine are still in the moult I never known it go on so long before it must be this darn weather we are having and I cant seem to get any of them back into condition  they have a tonic which goes into the water and vitimins in their food and a hot mash and its not making any differance its costing me a fortune so I have decided that after Christmas they are going and I'm going to get some more POL, I do have 18 young Wellsummers which are just starting to lay but I dont have enough room in the big shed for them and they are happy in the old lambing shed for now. I'm only getting between 4/5 eggs per day off 34 older chucks so they are not paying their way so they have to go, I have even had to buy eggs from a friend all free range to keep my customers going, bloody weather ;D |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Dec 12, 2011 13:01:08 GMT
Forgot to add but I wonder how OM is going on with his girls? it would be nice to get an up-date on them he always made me chuckle with their antics.
|
|
|
|
Post by Chuckles on Dec 21, 2011 9:08:59 GMT
Glad to hear Ruth still has her girls LG and they are still keeping the family in eggs, you can't get better than home free range  I've not had an egg from mine since 27/11 Totally understand where you are coming from Carolann, needs must, sad though when you have as many as you do it has to be done. I often wonder what I'll do as Joyce my eldest is coming up 3 or 4yrs old now, Bess is 2yrs . I'd love to get a couple more POL as J has slacked off on the eggs in the last 6 months but I'll probably wait till spring now. Then I think how will I cope with 4 of them in my small garden ;D |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Dec 21, 2011 9:21:12 GMT
Just got a tip from a poultry keeper friend about the moult keep the chucks inside and dont give them any artificial light for about 2 weeks and they start to lay again, wont work with mine though as they are getting quite old now so they will have to go just need my friend CoCo to come and take some off me.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Dec 21, 2011 12:50:33 GMT
I was chatting to Ruth yesterday and she says her girls have stopped laying at the moment, she actually had to buy eggs to make pavlova for the holidays. She could'nt get over how small they were compared to the ones she gets from her girls. Is there any point putting up special artifical lights to fool them into thinking the days are longer and maybe encouraging them to lay?  |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Dec 23, 2011 9:53:37 GMT
If they are going into the moult then I would say no only 1 of my sheds has the lights on a timer thats the big one and I have that so they can feed a little longer if they want to, if the chucks are hatched in Spring then you can get up to 18 months before they go into the moult but over time they all seem to go into it together which is usually around Christmas for me so I have to wait for eggs on the big day but this year I have the youngsters laying for me so I will have some in stock for a change. I was talking to OH the other day and saying that in the New Year we will get rid of almost all the older birds and re-stock with fresh ones but I will have to ged rid of the Cock and get a new one so I can put un-related eggs into the incubator and raise more chucks. |
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Dec 28, 2011 10:11:25 GMT
You've always got something to do Carolann. |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Dec 28, 2011 20:42:10 GMT
I have had a very lazy few days seeing as No1 son (daughters boyfriend) is off work helping OH but we did muck out the chucks the other day, we are getting ready for the birth of the first lambs which should be towards the end of Jan, I must take my camera down to the shed to take a pic of Poppy so you can see how she has turned out sorry to go off subject she is a beauty well I think so.
|
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Jan 12, 2012 16:58:23 GMT
Today I have sent 15 of the older chucks to market and will be moving the younger Wellsummers into the shed with all the older girls which are left. A friend of ours will be fetching me a new Wellsummer cock in the near future so I can breed off him with the young ones he is also going to fetch me some more of the Light Susse bantamxSilkie eggs again so I can get some more of those little beauties, I only ended up with 1 from the last lot of eggs and Titch is such a little poppet I want some more of them ;D We found a tray of eggs which the young birds had laid all over the shed not where they usually lay either well they will have to lay them in the shed from now on as they will be shut in there for a few days to get used to being in there.
|
|
|
|
Post by Chuckles on Jan 15, 2012 8:39:28 GMT
Crikey Carolann, don't seem 5 minutes since last years lambs does it. I like Wellsommers, they lay those beautiful dark eggs if I recall Theres something about a brown eggs ;D Hope you have better luck with the egg hatching this time. Both my girls have thier new feathers now and look in really good fettle, Bess moulted more than Joyce this time, she did look a poor soul. Fingers crossed I'll be getting a few eggs soon. Found some old reciepts for some of the wood and wire from when we made the large run. This confirms I got Joyce in mid 2008 so she is 4 this year and has now had her best laying days |
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jan 15, 2012 11:22:36 GMT
Nice find Carolann, hope they settle into their new home for you and lay plenty. Time does seem to fly Chuckles, how long will she lay for? |
|
|
|
Post by Dutchy on Jan 15, 2012 12:17:28 GMT
New life. Good I do hope you get more babies this time Carolann.
|
|
|
|
Post by Babyswan on Jan 15, 2012 18:45:54 GMT
Hiya, I wonder if someone could help or advise me... I have a hybrid and a black Orpington, both have not laid over the winter, till this past week when the hybrid laid four days in a row. I let them out of their compound as usual for a bit of exercise and fresh grass. The hybrid looks 'funny' if you know what I mean. she is standing erect, vertically like an owl, not like a chicken. See here s2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/GrandCanal/Chicken%20life/?action=view¤t=DSC01875.jpgand...hang on a sec, more pic links to follow... |
|
|
|
Post by Babyswan on Jan 15, 2012 18:50:58 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Chuckles on Jan 16, 2012 18:03:26 GMT
Mmmmm how strange BS, definately an odd posture and not something I've seen before. She looks in good health from the colour of her comb and it's not flopping either which can be a sign of ill health.
I'm no expert, maybe Carolann might have some idea.
|
|
|
|
Post by Missredhead on Jan 16, 2012 21:51:29 GMT
What did the vet say Babyswan?
|
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Jan 17, 2012 9:48:57 GMT
Yesterday afternoon OH came in with one of the younger Wellsummers which he had found inside a bucket in the woodshed she must have been in there for a couple of days as she was so thin and full of poo so I washed her off in some warm water and dried her best I could, she was a good girl and didnt struggle once, then I put some water down in a bowl and some food and went down to the shed to section off a piece of it and put the heat lamp up for her, she seemed to be eating and drinking OK last thing but I have not been down yet to see how she is poor thing, will let you know later if she got through the night or not. We still cant figure out how she got around the shed from where she was let out as there is an 8' fence around the back and a 7' gate at the front? think we will have to clip their wings just to be safe. |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Jan 17, 2012 11:26:24 GMT
The Wellsummer is fine this morning and wanting to get out of her pen but I will keep her in there for another day at least.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ladygardener on Jan 17, 2012 15:17:58 GMT
Poor little thing, I'm glad she's ok.
|
|
|
|
Post by Babyswan on Jan 17, 2012 15:41:55 GMT
What did the vet say Babyswan? Thanks MRH, vet was pleased she's eating, shocked at the amount of 'runs' that had been produced in the box in the short walk from house to vet's. Injection, worm tablet and €40 later...with a syringe to give 10ml of antibiotic per 2L bucket of drinking water per day for three days I went home. I moved the coop to fresh grass for a couple of weeks, and will rehabilitate the old area, in the coop with fresh topsoil and stuff. Will just keep an eye on things, really... Not to eat the eggs for a few weeks though. old area...  in the main grassy part of the garden...  their 'compound' is enclosed so they are let loose later in the day and they put themselves to bed. You can see the opening. Later on, I go out and move the door closed securely. Now, they'll have to be supervised if they are out and about as we lost one to a fox at this end of the garden. It's quite long. bs |
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Jan 17, 2012 16:21:41 GMT
Glad everything is OK BS looks very lush where you have moved them to, did the vet say what it was?
|
|
|
|
Post by Babyswan on Jan 18, 2012 13:38:32 GMT
Well now, she may have!!!
I think she said it was a bug or a cold or some such thing. She seemed to think the antibiotic should clear it up.
There was an egg there this morning. I was SO tempted to keep it and eat it. Still haven't got rid of it yet, I've been outdoors since.
I said I'd change the bedding twice a day instead of daily so as the hen won't be dragging her behind in urine or #2s !!! And it'll help keep her dry. The bedding was quite wet in the last few days. The poor thing would've had a wet bottom all night!!! Just like a wet nappy, I suppose, with the rawness....
BS.
thanks for your tips.
|
|
|
|
Post by carolann on Jan 19, 2012 9:38:24 GMT
Had another thought BS do you feed bread to the girls? that can give them the runs if they have too much also too much fruit does it as well.
I let Lucky Girl thats her new name now out yesterday with the fluffs but she only just sat outside the shed and was a little un-steady on her legs so I had to pick her up to put her back in the shed she couldnt get up the step poor love but she will get stronger each day.
|
|
poor chickens. I sprinkled the powder on the straw in the nest box so they wouls sort of self apply it ;D
I keep telling her she'll be for the pot if she doesn't pull her finger out ;D
they have a tonic which goes into the water and vitimins in their food and a hot mash and its not making any differance its costing me a fortune so I have decided that after Christmas they are going and I'm going to get some more POL, I do have 18 young Wellsummers which are just starting to lay but I dont have enough room in the big shed for them and they are happy in the old lambing shed for now. I'm only getting between 4/5 eggs per day off 34 older chucks so they are not paying their way so they have to go, I have even had to buy eggs from a friend all free range to keep my customers going, bloody weather ;D 
I've not had an egg from mine since 27/11 
