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Post by Chuckles on Jan 21, 2012 16:49:40 GMT
I do hope all is well for you BS.
Thats a good thought Carolann, I give my girls the occasional scraps but you do have to be careful. Anything other than proper chicken feed should be given sparingly, I usually give scraps to them when I want to get them in the run ;D works every time ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 30, 2012 13:59:26 GMT
Hoorah ;D at long last we have an egg ;D well two actually, Bess has laid two days on the trot. I've told Joyce she has to get her finger out or she'll be kicked out and I'll get a new sister for Bess ;D not really
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 30, 2012 14:57:58 GMT
;D Happy days, you'll be making omeletts in no time Chuckles.
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Post by andy on Feb 19, 2012 6:30:51 GMT
Well i am now chook-less after a fox got in and killed the lot. I was absolutely gutted and i can't go through that again so no more chickens for me !!!  |
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 19, 2012 6:37:00 GMT
Oh Andy I'm so sorry to hear that.  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Feb 19, 2012 6:47:16 GMT
Oh no Andy - it's awful isn't it. I know how OM felt when it happened to him...
RF
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 19, 2012 7:31:33 GMT
Oh No am so so sorry |
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Post by carolann on Feb 19, 2012 9:31:32 GMT
Sorry to hear that Andy Caught a Polecat in the fen trap in the main cote yesterday morning, I heard the chucks making a racket about 11am but they are always fighting so took no notice of it went down just before lunch time to check the trap and there it was still alive but caught by its front legs so OH shot it. The joys of owning livestock. |
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 19, 2012 9:38:01 GMT
Oh the poor polecat must have suffered caught in the trap and not killed immed - not his fault a Polecat - what sort of trap is it Carolann  or was his legs just caught in wire mesh |
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Post by carolann on Feb 19, 2012 11:02:02 GMT
Its like a giant snap mouse trap and they are made of metal and even I cant get the thing open. Better that dean than my hens it would have killed them all just like a fox.
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 19, 2012 14:24:17 GMT
Nature is so cruel isnt it - just been for a very long walk over fields and notice a lot of hens running free in fields I wonder how they are protected - not sure if foxes hunt by day too |
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Post by carolann on Feb 19, 2012 14:40:07 GMT
They do hunt during the day Jen but mainly at night and its time for them to be having cubs next month so they get bolder.
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Post by carolann on Apr 7, 2012 9:13:10 GMT
We stuck some eggs under a broody Silkie last month and 3 of them have come out yesterday so we have Easter Chicks now 3 of the others have gone broody but no eggs to put under them sods law. The new Cockeral (Colin) which I have had for a couple of months now is turning a bit agresive towards me so he got a good beating in the shed last night infront of all his girls so I think he will have lost some standing serves him right for attacking the hand that feeds him ;D he may leave me alone now for a while till I teach him a lesson again.
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Post by JennyWrenn on May 5, 2012 5:03:18 GMT
My HEDGEHOG is back - he or she looked very chunky and healthy so I put down some hedgehog food to encourage him/her to stay around
Slug and snail free garden again this year ;D
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Post by Ladygardener on May 5, 2012 6:06:44 GMT
That's great news JW, I'll be you're delighted.  |
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Post by JennyWrenn on May 5, 2012 6:31:27 GMT
I am Lady I opened the front door last night to let my doggy out and there it was right by the front door - so I had to bring doggy in and put in back garden instead of front By the time found camera to take photo it had gone  |
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Post by Babyswan on May 7, 2012 16:35:41 GMT
Hiya gang,
back again for some advice.!!!
My mrs. brought it to my attention that the Black Orpington has a very full, voluminous crop. I don't handle them much at all, apart from hooshing them back into the coop. she handles them a lot and often.
I was wondering if this breed has that characteristic or if something is wrong. They both seem to be healthy enough. The antibiotics in January worked a treat.
They have started to lay in the last month but not prolifically.
many thanks in advance
b.s.
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Post by bobbiek on May 10, 2012 18:36:23 GMT
This morning I went out to my back yard. Found a burrow under the grass and a rabbit. Tamped down the sod where the burrow track was.
Don't think I should encourage rabbit to stick around, any suggestions?
(Likely a cottontail, very common here).
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Post by Rosefriend on May 10, 2012 18:43:17 GMT
Oh nooo Bobbie...Jasmine will be able to connect to this....
I seriously only know of 2 ways to stop rabbits - shoot them or put wire down to one meter around the fence...some say even that doesn't work...
There is supposed to be some kind of "smelly" stuff but Jasmine will know better than I do..
RF
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Post by Babyswan on Jun 12, 2012 8:51:10 GMT
Hiya gang, back again for some advice.!!! My mrs. brought it to my attention that the Black Orpington has a very full, voluminous crop. I don't handle them much at all, apart from hooshing them back into the coop. she handles them a lot and often. I was wondering if this breed has that characteristic or if something is wrong. They both seem to be healthy enough. The antibiotics in January worked a treat. They have started to lay in the last month but not prolifically. many thanks in advance b.s. Well, the girl seems to have recovered. Or so we think. Unfortunately the hybrid died on Saturday morning sometime or overnight Friday. Buried under a geranium. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/cry.gif |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jun 12, 2012 10:31:50 GMT
That's good news and bad news as is often the case in life BS. |
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Post by Babyswan on Jun 12, 2012 12:53:55 GMT
That's good news and bad news as is often the case in life BS. yeah, it's sad alright. Might be an opportunity to make a clean break and take a break from keeping chickens for a while...It's a commitment, no doubt about it.... ty |
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Post by carolann on Jun 12, 2012 13:38:50 GMT
A friend of mine may be going to market on thursday so I have asked him to ring me tomorrow as a lot of mine need to be going now as they a quite old some are 6yrs now and I want to go get some new layers anyway but I need the room for them first.
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Post by Babyswan on Jun 14, 2012 12:48:16 GMT
yeah, heya everyone...
further to my query recently about the Black Orpington having a very full crop...I think I know why.
I have been handing care of the chickens over to the OH, with little interference from me. We went over the instructions that came with them, and two different friends gave us a book each on the care of hens. Which we looked through aswell.
In particular the digestive system, and the need for grit in the diet. Well, seems as if my OH has NOT been putting grit in the food bowl/bucket and it's just been pellets and ONLY pellets. So, the hen's crop is swinging around like a balloon filled with water. It's very odd. Soft and I dunno, I don't think it should be that big, or remain that big.
So, I got 'exasperated', AGAIN and she went and put some grit in with the food. Will see how long it lasts.
Time for a break from keeping hens. I'm on the lookout for a new owner.....
bs
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Post by carolann on Jun 14, 2012 16:57:22 GMT
I have 2 troughs with grit in all the time so they can just pick at it when they want plus they usually get lots of grit in the farm yard, hope it clears up for your chuck BS. I have just sent 10 of the older hens and the cock to market, he was firing blanks if you know what I mean if not then here goes I have had the incubator on for the last 21 days and all the eggs from him are clear not a chick inside of them so he had to go.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jun 15, 2012 6:38:41 GMT
Just a little update, Ruth's girls continue to do well and are laying lots of eggs although 1 of them has tried several times to move to a neighbour up the road's house where she has some too.  |
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Post by carolann on Jun 15, 2012 9:23:31 GMT
Maybe she is looking for a cock LG ;D
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Post by Babyswan on Jun 15, 2012 14:03:48 GMT
thanks Carolann, will be keeping an eye on her, but it's my preference to call a halt to the Good Life experiment. For the time being at least.
b.s.
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Post by Babyswan on Aug 2, 2012 18:20:28 GMT
I am henless again. First time since 2009.
My fault entirely. Does NOT make it easier. The opposite, in fact. I finished work early, let the sole hen out loose. Took off on an errand. Got distracted/forgot and went into town for the rest of the day. Got home late and OH says "Blackie is gone. Foxes got her".
I said, "feathers and everything?". "Yes".
the air turned blue, I can tell you.
bugger.
Won't be getting any more.
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Post by Rosefriend on Aug 2, 2012 18:29:50 GMT
Oh gawd - I bet your name is mud BS.....no wonder you aren't getting any more!!
RF
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or was his legs just caught in wire mesh 
