The Chicken thread

[Gretchen]

mattdaniels said:

If you are thinking of keeping chickens to fetch tennis balls, then don't bother. Border collies are better. (sample size = 2)

This picture makes me jealous.

My Border Collie would rather play fetch with the hens. The result wasn't a happy one. The hens are now two hedged in, gated and wired off gardens away.

[Gretchen]

Four new additions today. Cream Legbars, just two days old.







From bottom right anticlockwise: Jens (pronounced Yens), Senna, House and Villeneuve.

I forget how cute, soft and characterful day old chicks are. They're currently under a brooding lamp in a brick built barn. Eating and drinking well, happily chirruping away.

They'll remain inside for around eight weeks then will be out in a separate run with the existing flock until acclimatised and everyone is happy.

[schmalex]

We're getting 3 more in April

We haven't had chooks for a year or so, so can't wait to get the new girls.

[LiamB]

My dog checking out my Mothers resident Chickens and Ducks.

[y2blade]

We got a new girl on Saturday:


First egg from her yesterday, she has settled in a treat:

[Gretchen]

She's pretty.

I've got a broody as hell hen at the moment. She's currently sitting on four (hopefully fertile) duck eggs.

I'm also having babies with my neighbour

[schmalex]

Lucky people! Fantastic Mr Fox had 3 of ours so we had to give the remaining girl to our neighbours

[theboss]

Shame... I have lost 3 to foxes (I suspect - no concrete evidence although we have had to chase a fox from the garden) since April and have just erected some electric meshing whilst planning a more permanent "penned in" solution. The true free ranging was fun whilst it lasted!

[FredericRobinson]

theboss said:

Shame... I have lost 3 to foxes (I suspect - no concrete evidence although we have had to chase a fox from the garden) since April and have just erected some electric meshing whilst planning a more permanent "penned in" solution. The true free ranging was fun whilst it lasted!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/120x30x25-HIGH-QUALITY-PEST-CONTROL/dp/B009YKXDJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406138702&sr=8-1&keywords=fox+trap

Part one of a permanent solution...

[theboss]

FredericRobinson said:

theboss said:

Shame... I have lost 3 to foxes (I suspect - no concrete evidence although we have had to chase a fox from the garden) since April and have just erected some electric meshing whilst planning a more permanent "penned in" solution. The true free ranging was fun whilst it lasted!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/120x30x25-HIGH-QUALITY-PEST-CONTROL/dp/B009YKXDJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406138702&sr=8-1&keywords=fox+trap

Part one of a permanent solution...

This has actually crossed my mind... I'm doubtful it will really alleviate the risk though, because the hens are secure at night, and if one visits by day it will surely go for the chickens before any bait gets its attention. I also heard a local gamekeeper shot no less than 60 of the buggers on local land last year... so my attempts to trap and eradicate are likely to be in vain. I'll see how I get on with keeping the chickens fenced in - there are only seven at present behind 50m of mesh so loads of space, and the wife quite likes the fact that their excrement is contained!

[schmalex]

I had considered something like that, but then I figured a shotgun combined with a motion activated camera to alert me would be a more permanent (for the fox) solution... It also means that I can gain vicarious permission to go clay shooting under the auspices of getting my eye in

[RemyMartin]

I want chickens one day. Lovely creatures. They have such unique personalities. Friends of my mum and dad kept them,always remember when I was younger being fascinated with them. I remember a Dutch chicken, who was quite small and strutted like a Sgt major his wings were vertically down so it was a funny sight...called him dutchy :-)

[Gretchen]

My new babies.

Anti-clockwise brown one is Jenson, then Hamilton & McRae.

[y2blade]

The new girl is doing well

[FD3Si]

What the hell is that?
Looks like a cross between a Legbar/Araucana and a Millefleur Pekin?
Awesome thing! Blue eggs?

[y2blade]

She is a Barbu d'Uccle
Have had her a while, lovely little girl...She makes some very peculiar noises at times.

[FD3Si]

I had to clip the wings of our ex-batts last night after finding Lentil and one of her chums strolling nonchalantly about the garden, out of their enclosure. Felt a bit cruel But it's like their wings are designed to show you where to cut!
Now to see if it actually works - If so (it's the first time I've tried it in 3.5 years of keeping hens) then I guess it opens up the possibility of what we could have, as we've previously only had heavy breeds, but I'd love a few Legbars - we just avoided them for containment reasons!
Does anyone know roughly how often you have to do this? Is it after every moult?

[y2blade]

Any PHers keep a turkey? or turkeys?

[DeuxCentCinq]

FD3Si said:

I had to clip the wings of our ex-batts last night after finding Lentil and one of her chums strolling nonchalantly about the garden, out of their enclosure. Felt a bit cruel But it's like their wings are designed to show you where to cut!
Now to see if it actually works - If so (it's the first time I've tried it in 3.5 years of keeping hens) then I guess it opens up the possibility of what we could have, as we've previously only had heavy breeds, but I'd love a few Legbars - we just avoided them for containment reasons!
Does anyone know roughly how often you have to do this? Is it after every moult?

Please tell me you only clipped one wing on each bird?

[Granville]

Normally after every moult and you only need to do one wing (just enough to make their flight a bit lopsided).

I very much doubt they would have ventured far though. My bantams often got up over a 5' fence of their enclosure but never went far, just ferreted around the lawn and the borders and very easy to get back in their fenced off area.