hi form wakefield

[phil2012]

hi all just to intoduce my slef my name is phil im form ossett nr wakefield west yorkshire new to keeping chickens but got the bug big lol
all seems to be going well so far i look forward to reading all the posts on hear and hopefully pick up good tips and advice cheers phil

 

[Marigold]

Hi Phil, nice to meet you on here. You've got an interesting collection of birds there, and quite a few, as well. Do you keep them all in together, and do they get on with each other OK?

 

[phil2012]

hi yes i keep them all together i converted a massive wendy house into a 2 story coop for them the only problem i have to date is the reds are a bit flustered with my new cream crested legbar but i hope that will settl down in the next few days when she has learnt her place in the pecking order

 

[chrismahon]

Hello Phil and welcome to the forum. Converted Wendy house sounds a great idea. We've converted one into a feed store by raising the roof and strengthening the floor. Never thought of converting it into a coop -that was a lost opportunity then! Nice collection of chickens with different coloured eggs -makes the eggs very easy to sell we've found.

 

[phil2012]

thanks for the message the chickens love their house its like a palce for them they all have thir own house which they never go in they seem more than happy in 4 to a box lol so i let them do thir own little thing i have one red laying atm we are on day 9 of egg laying got to massive ones which i hope are dobble yokers yum yum rest need to do some more growing first b4 i get all my eggs but thats the fun watching them grown and their charters devlop will eventually get all the photos up of them

 

[Trerecoco]

Hi I am from ossett near Wakefield and I am very new to owning chickens I just woundered why it is very rare I only get 1 egg very occasionally and any tips on what else to feed them but corn layer pellets and peanuts! Many thanks

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Trerecoco. Peanuts is not a feed I have ever heard applied to chickens. They are extremely fattening (look what happened to Elvis Presley) and would result in fat hens. Fat hens don't lay because the fat constricts the oviduct apparently. Replace the peanuts with a little mixed grain as a treat. We also give ours apple and onions (helps prevent cankers) plus any fresh greens we have offcuts of. They like cabbage. Perhaps the peanuts is the cause of your lack of eggs?

 

[Trerecoco]

Hi I cut there peanut supply down to odd 1 or 2 a week and perfect I started gettin 1 egg per day per chicken. But then disaster as struck again... 2 of the chickens very rarely come out of hut, stopped Layin completely , if the 3rd chicken lays a egg they just sit on it they been like this 3 week now! The 3rd chicken is spot on 1 egg every day once even 2. How can I bring the chicken out of hut and start Layin again? The 2 that's stoped are black bantam chickens think they got a bit of silkie in them?

 

[Marigold]

It sounds as if they have gone broody, Trerecoco. In other words, they have developed the hormonal condition that makes them want to sit on eggs and hatch chicks. If you don't intend to let them do this, you need to break them of the habit, because just sitting in the nestbox, with no exercise and very little food. Will be bad for their health and of course they won't lay eggs whilst broody.
You must get them out of the coop and not allow them back in until they are cured. They need conditions where they haven't got anything comfortable to snuggle down into, and where they can get light and exercise. When my Sussex goes broody I sweep the bedding away from a corner of the run and make her a small enclosure, fenced off with netting so she can see the other hens but not get out, with food and water of course. Then she stays in there day and night, for about three days usually. She spends a lot of time marching around making indignant comments, so she gets air, exercise and light. After three days I try letting her out with the others again, and watch t see if she goes back in the nestbox. If she does, I put her back in her little run for another day. If she doesn't, she is cured and an rejoin the flock, though she won't lay again for a week or two.
With my bird, it usually takes three days because I've got to knowing the signs and I treat her as soon as I see what's happening. But if yours have been like it for 3weeks and have some Silkie in them, it may be harder for you to shift them, and it may take longer. Silkies are renowned as good broodies and do it often and are very determined! Some people put them in a wire dog carrier, especially at night if its not safe to just leave them penned in the run, so they get plenty of air below them and can't perch comfortably. I think the main thing to remember is that this is a hormonal condition which can be eased in time, with humane treatment, but you have to be determined to help your birds get over it, or in some cases they will just waste away from useless sitting.