No one's told my hens!!

[Margaid]

I've read quite a few posts about hens and temperature of drinking water, and that the water should not be icy cold. Well no -one's told my hens they don't like ice!!. Not content with eating snow, they now peck at and eat the ice I remove from their drinkers!

Our water comes from a borehole and is fabulous to drink - no chlorine, no bugs, no nasties and every morning when I remove the ice from the drinkers, throw out the icy water and refill with clean water, the Cream Legbars in particular peck at the ice with obvious relish. I've given them water straight from the tap (which is very cold) and I've also tried adding a little warm water to take the chill of it, but the Legbars follow me round to peck at the ice when I deal with the drinkers in turn.

What is it with me and hens? They don't ever seem to behave as one might expect and I wonder just what they are picking up from my emotional state!!

 

[Marigold]

I think they're just trying to help, to make less trouble for you and to show how they appreciate your care!
At least its up to them whether or not they peck at ice.
Has your snow shifted yet? Daughter sent pic yesterday from the Peak District and it looked like Switzerland.

 

[Margaid]

Our land is clear now - particularly after the sunshine yesterday. it's still lying on fields that don't catch the sun and up on Wenlock Edge. It went down to minus 3.5 last night but it's up to 7 now.

 

[Margaid]

If they want to show how they appreciate my care, I wish they'd lay some eggs!! Both Leghorns are laying, 60 gram eggs and now both Legbars are laying, one 60 grams and the other 40 so four eggs so far today - the most ever. No Welsummer egg so far today and they'll be going to bed soon. I chopped up an apple for them but they didn't seem very interested until Lilly Legbar, the small one, seized a piece and ran off with it. A couple of the others chased her, then a bit later I saw them pecking at the pieces. Although they're free ranging there's very little grass. It's greenest in front of the caravan and all 9 birds were there earlier. The Legbars seem to love scratching in the puddles - the deeper the better, and they seem to be turning up quite a few bugs. It's been 10.5 during the day but will drop to freezing again tonight so more frozen drinkers in the morning!

 

[Marigold]

Minus 5 in my Hampshire hen run last night. Congratulations on your breakfast provisions.
None of them broody yet, then? Am wondering about giving Marigold some eggs to hatch as she kept going broody last year. This year, its me going broody, planning alterations to the run to make room for a little coop and a mesh screen, but she's not interested.
I netted out some dead leaves from the shallows of the pond, to clear up the area the frogs use for spawning (not awake yet) and found two newts and quite a few water shrimps in the sludge. Goldfish up on the surface in the sun too.

 

[chrismahon]

Wenlock Edge. Now that takes me back to my childhood and hunting for fossils. We used to live in Shrewsbury. Forecasting 22 degrees here next week and I've got to go back to England! Probably not the best place to keep chickens. In France they are very in tune with their environment and certain livestock are kept in distinct geographic areas.

 

[Margaid]

Let me know if you're doing your Victorian Plumber bit - I bought a passport at the weekend so I could pop in and say hello.