Search results

3 1/2 years on, we've just laid to rest the third of these ex- commercial layers, Margot. Repecka is hanging in there, now about 5 years old, but I think she'll be joining her sisters in heaven soonish. But then I didn't expect either of them to make it through the winter, so you never know...

Hi Hayley. My heart goes out to you; they look gorgeous. Rather than giving up your remaining runner drake, could you not fox - proof your run / garden & then get him a couple of young ladies? There are quite a few old threads on the forum under "chicken runs, houses & equipment " to give you...

Hi Igor's hump. I'm not familiar with Phoenix chickens- it's just nice to see a bird in real life, where anything that touches the floor gets dirty!

Where are you?

I feed my laying (& ex-laying) pullets & hens "Smallholder Layers' Pellets". They're hard IP GM free with no soya, so I can be sure that my hens have a GM free diet. It contains the essential added vitamins & minerals that they need, and comes in slightly smaller Pellets than most feeds, so...

I couldn't tell you Josh. I never tried again!!

It's good to see a realistic photo. His dangling tail feathers look muddy!!!

Hi Josh. Do you put out clean drinking water for the birds? That'd be my recommendation.

That'll have been Suella Braverman then... 😵‍💫

I've not seen a hawfinch yet, but thanks to Merlin I heard one in a mature conifer in our garden a few months back. I wasn't sure whether it really was one, but when I played the call of a hawfinch on my phone, the bird in the conifer answered back!

Sorry Josh, I didn't mean to rub it in 😔

You'll hear people spouting all sorts of nonsense. If having cockerels encouraged hens to lay more eggs, then commercial egg producers would keep cockerels. They don't. I'll let you draw your own conclusion from that.

It depends how long you've had your setup. When you've just bought your coop, fox proof netting, onduline for the roof, tanalised timber posts, a staple gun, feeder, drinkers etc. , your first dozen eggs will look incredibly expensive!! But ten years down the line, it's a different story, when...

Do have a read through the old posts. There's some great information on runs, how much space per hen etc.

Five from five pullets. One pale blue, one chocolate brown, one mid brown, one magnolia pink matt & one magnolia pink with s shiny shell.

I'd question the theory that rounder eggs are more likely to be female than pointy ones. If this was true, guillemots would be extinct because all of their chicks would be male!!! Egg shape is partly down to the breed of hen that you keep. My Marans lay much rounder eggs than my Leghorn or my...

Hi Josh. I'm really sorry. It's heart-breaking, isn't it? Non-chicken keepers don't understand how your hens leave claw prints on your heart 😢. I hope you have some good memories to hold onto.

I agree that anything other than good quality layers' pellets should only be served as a treat & in small quantities. My youngsters are fond of the occasional carrot peeling & a few outer leaves of Brussel sprouts. If they're lucky they might get a handful of tinned red kidney beans. If they...

Thanks Chris. Any hints for removing the Postcrete that the posts were cemented in with?

I've not had any cockerels so far, so I’m not the most qualified person to comment. But I wouldn't want to be breeding from an aggressive cockerel, so I guess I'd be making room in the freezer...