Ageing Chicken's

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Just been and checked after getting in from work and got my first egg happy days kids will be over moon

Great, can't beat eggs off your own bird's :-)

Atb

[fat man 4,741]

Just been and checked after getting in from work and got my first egg happy days kids will be over moon

An old woman once told me if you give your chickens a warm meal in the eve just before they roost its a cert you will have eggs next morn,seems to work,weather also plays a part in there laying patteren,you also need a nice snug warm laying box.

[Blackbriar 8,569]

Cheers chicken man.. I'm buying a layers mash at min from a chicken egg farm, bloke said it's his own blend an it's what all his get an they having greens daily on top of that

Personally, I used to feed pellet, feather than mash - less mess. Cooked mashed potato and oats in the winter, and raw greens hanging on a string.

 

They'll lay when they're good and ready, mate. My mums were about 28 weeks and hadn't laid, but she stuck with it and they're right as ninepence now !

[MoChara 1,632]

Well there you go they went and done it richnew lol

 

 

Like blackbriar I also use pellets saves on wastage

[Shamo 319]

You may also notice the arse end is swollen, if you look side on it hangs down more the closer to laying they get. They will lay even if just on scratch feed, companies make fortunes telling us otherwise.

[Chicken_man 1,651]

I would say pellets would be better than mash, simply because of the dust factor, unless dampened. A lot of dusty feed can cause respiratory problems. Whole grains/pellets will reduce that.

Atb

[MoChara 1,632]

I would say pellets would be better than mash, simply because of the dust factor, unless dampened. A lot of dusty feed can cause respiratory problems. Whole grains/pellets will reduce that.

Atb

funny you mention the dust, when the meal bag of pellets goes down far it's dusty, what I do is mist feeder with water then throw pellets in it soaks in to dust leaving pellets dry.

 

Even my pigs get pellets instead of sow meal, that shit would choke you if not steeped in water

[Chicken_man 1,651]

 

I would say pellets would be better than mash, simply because of the dust factor, unless dampened. A lot of dusty feed can cause respiratory problems. Whole grains/pellets will reduce that.

Atb

funny you mention the dust, when the meal bag of pellets goes down far it's dusty, what I do is mist feeder with water then throw pellets in it soaks in to dust leaving pellets dry.

 

Even my pigs get pellets instead of sow meal, that shit would choke you if not steeped in water

Nice one :-)

[Neal 1,920]

I used pellets too (though no chickens for two years now thanks to Mr Tod) though my Welsumer survived almost exclusively on what she found in the garden herself...well, my garden and any others she fancied visiting!

[MoChara 1,632]

I used pellets too (though no chickens for two years now thanks to Mr Tod) though my Welsumer survived almost exclusively on what she found in the garden herself...well, my garden and any others she fancied visiting!

want to hear a laugh?

 

My chickens go in next door and steal his Willicks aka winkles, but they bloody bring them in my place and I find the shells everywhere!

 

He will go mad if he finds out cause it's how he makes money :laugh:

 

No word of a lie true as the day is long!

[Neal 1,920]

 

I used pellets too (though no chickens for two years now thanks to Mr Tod) though my Welsumer survived almost exclusively on what she found in the garden herself...well, my garden and any others she fancied visiting!

want to hear a laugh?

 

My chickens go in next door and steal his Willicks aka winkles, but they bloody bring them in my place and I find the shells everywhere!

 

He will go mad if he finds out cause it's how he makes money :laugh:

 

No word of a lie true as the day is long!

 

I was always worried that my neighbours must be getting annoyed by the chickens paying occasional visits but when the fox took the last lot all the neighbours said they missed the daily visits. Some of my Welsumers refused to go in the coop and roosted in the apple tree every night...even in the snow. I had to try to time it right and herd them in, with the help of the kelpies, before they had a chance to roost. Mad things.

[MoChara 1,632]

Your not alone! I've a couple here who won't roost in coop, also won't go up the trees.

 

Instead they go into the hedges, smart eh?? Glad no foxes about anymore but even at that they could come back.

 

I just found two more young uns who's started laying ........ In the same hedge! They've made two wee nests in the undergrowth

 

To be honest I like them laying outdoors I find the eggs are spotless compared to the coop eggs!

[Neal 1,920]

Actually that's jogged my memory...mine roosted in the hedge first too and it was only because I could reach in and get them that they started using the much taller apple tree instead. If I ever get any more I'll let them pick their own spot.