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margaretinireland

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Hi everyone - I got my chickens, four ladies and a cock, as a birthday present last July. What a learning curve since then! Latest lesson - broody chicken. Three chicks hatched over this weekend, which is why I have now joined your Forum instead of watching as a guest! Help please - how long should I keep mum and chicks away from the others. Cock Henry has checked up on them each day, but this morning pecked at the latest chick so I shooed him out. (Mum and chicks are in the shed, the others in the coop) They all have free run of the garden and the field across the lane, but will new mum get stir crazy and want out of the shed? Cheers! Margaret
 
Welcome to the forum Margaret. We have friends in Feakle, County Clare.

We separate mum from chicks at 6 weeks and put her back into the main flock, assuming she has fully regained her strength. Then keep chicks separate until they are big enough to fight for themselves. Problem is hen reared chicks have no social awareness, as mum always sorted out the squabbles. So I wouldn't put them in with the others until they lay, by which time they are pretty much fully grown. It helps to keep them separate anyway as the hens should be on layers pellets and the developing chicks on crumb to 6 -8 weeks then phased in to growers pellets up to point of laying.
 
Thanks for prompt reply, we are on the side of Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo so very country. When do the new chicks start to lay? And, will Henry the Cock leave them alone?
 
Depending on the breed it will be 21 to 26 weeks. Some are even later and we've had 30 weeks with a Wyandotte. 21 weeks are commercial hybrids, so I am guessing yours are Pedigrees and so 26 weeks. Henry will not leave them alone I'm afraid. Any hen, related or not, will be fair game. If he treads one too much they will start to lose feathers and they need a saddle. Make sure his spurs are filed rounded at the ends -we use a nail file. Ignore daft suggestions about removing them with hot potatoes (I kid you not!) or cutting them off with pliars. They are full of blood and only the very ends are cutable, just like your nails.
 
Hi again. Henry is a Light Sussex, I have two Maron's and two 'not sure's' one of which has just died. She went lame and Henry wouldn't leave her alone. They were all given to me because Henry was about to meet his maker, neighbours hated his morning calls, so I didn't have a choice in the breeds. Keeping chickens is only just taking off here, so there is not much expertise, more the 'chicken in the farmyard' type of thing. Even the local farmer's don't have much knowledge - do they give you eggs? - well what more do you want??? I just want to do the right thing by them all!
 
There is a big difference between commercial and domestic poultry keeping Margaret, as you will come to realise. It's no good diagnosing problems by autopsy- when you have a sick chicken you want to get better, not be told afterwards why it died. You don't want to just cull it and buy another either. When profit is of primary concern, wealfare takes a back seat I'm afraid.
 
Hi Margaret

I'm not far from you - Achill

How are you getting on with your chooks? I haven't actually got any yet, but this forum is excellent. I'm not breeding, just keeping for eggs.

Do you have any problems with foxes or the grey-backed crows where you are?

Regards

Carol
 
Hello Carol - and what a lovely spot you live in, we used to fish from Purteen. As for Chooks, well it was not a fox, although one did come visiting about 5.30 one morning, but we had two dogs attack them. Sadly they killed my favourite Annie and one of the chicks. They got half of Henry's tail, luckily it is growing back, and all the back feathers of Lizzie you could see the bite marks. She was limping around and has now gone into early moult but she has survived. The two surviving chicks are growing like mad, I think they are hens but time will tell. We have the crows but I kept mum and chicks in the shed until they were about four weeks, then put them out for the day in an enclosure. They are all in the coop now, chicks get a pecking now and again but so far they seem happy enough. What do you have? regards Margaret
 
Hi

None yet. Just got the coop delivered today, and need to make a run. Have been looking at all the posts on this forum and trying to take it all in.
 
Hi again - had my chooks for just a year (a surprise birthday gift) they have the run of the garden - that's how the dogs got em! A gamble I know, but they are so happy strolling around and we have trees at the bottom of the garden which they spend a lot of time in. Had an old A frame coop given to us with them and have just ordered a new shed type one, ready in two weeks. Hopefully it will give them more room and then I might get a couple more ready to lay. Do you have an idea what sort you will get?
 
No, I'm going to get some from a guy who goes to Westport once a fortnight. Went to see what he has and talk to him and they look ok. Some sort of RIR hybrids by the look of them. Only getting 3 as we want them for eggs and there's only the 2 of us. Although, by the sounds of it, it's addictive once you start. Just worried about making mistakes and things going wrong. Won't be able to let them out of the run because although we have a lovely big garden, it's not fenced in properly and they would wander off.
 
Yes, the whole thing has become addictive for me, just watching them all strutting around gives me so much pleasure. We share the eggs with our neighbours who are very patient with Henry shouting his head off. There are other cocks in the area and they all send messages to each other. Our garden is not fenced and they do go into the field across the lane, but they come back and bash on the window for their tea, which is when I get them back in the coop. Who is your man in Westport?
 
He does the rounds. Ballinrobe, then Westport, then Castlebar and then to Ballina. Every 2 weeks on a Thursday, he's there this week.
 
Ohh - I'm not quite ready for any more - -but -- I suppose a quick look would do no harm?! Where is he in Westport, by the country market?
 
He's at the old Connaought Gold shop on Lodge Rd. He has ducklings as well and 'broilers' (they don't look too good). I don't know anything about hens, but they look healthy enough with bright eyes.
 
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