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Pets chickens

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Ended up getting mum that was in Perth to be able to get some eggs off the bloke I got them from before and will drop them off to us tonight.

Not sure how we'll go though, little Barlow quite often gets off the nest during the day and just sits there on the dirt next to the nest... It is bloody hot out here especially today though.

Shame there isn't another sitting to share them, the silly things always seem to refuse to get off them when you don't bloody want them doing it!
 
Kram81 said:
Ended up getting mum that was in Perth to be able to get some eggs off the bloke I got them from before and will drop them off to us tonight.

Not sure how we'll go though, little Barlow quite often gets off the nest during the day and just sits there on the dirt next to the nest... It is bloody hot out here especially today though.

Shame there isn't another sitting to share them, the silly things always seem to refuse to get off them when you don't bloody want them doing it!
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Is Barlow big enough to sit on a dozen? or didn't you get that many? (glad you've saved yourself the trip, btw!)
On a hot day like this, she'd want to get off now and then... otherwise you'll be serving the eggs with your Christmas dinner!
 
Teriyakicat said:
Is Barlow big enough to sit on a dozen? or didn't you get that many? (glad you've saved yourself the trip, btw!)
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12, 8 sussex + 4 pekin. He apparently actually said she could take small pekin chicks instead of the 4 eggs which would have been perfect but she's taking the train so couldn't, it's only a small hen 12 will very likely be too much. Did see this old bloke I know yesterday to see if he had any ready to sit on some for us but they are all halfway through incubating their own ones.
 
Teriyakicat said:
On a hot day like this, she'd want to get off now and then... otherwise you'll be serving the eggs with your Christmas dinner!
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Yeah you are right, though it did do it a bit yesterday when it wasn't that hot. Have never seen it myself but I've heard of them when in really warm areas in summer occasionally standing and flapping their wings fanning the eggs when it gets too hot through the day.

edit - that reminds me, better go up the back better give them all up the back a good spray down with the hose now I'm home, they will appreciate it when they aren't used to this weather.
 

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Kram81 said:
12, 8 sussex + 4 pekin. He apparently actually said she could take small pekin chicks instead of the 4 eggs which would have been perfect but she's taking the train so couldn't, it's only a small hen 12 will very likely be too much. Did see this old bloke I know yesterday to see if he had any ready to sit on some for us but they are all halfway through incubating their own ones.
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that's a shame..
Maybe you can do some door knocking around the place to see who has a clucky hen.
I have two... sadly- both silkies seem to be clucky again.
 
Kram81 said:
Yeah you are right, though it did do it a bit yesterday when it wasn't that hot. Have never seen it myself but I've heard of them when in really warm areas in summer occasionally standing and flapping their wings fanning the eggs when it gets too hot through the day.

edit - that reminds me, better go up the back better give them all up the back a good spray down with the hose now I'm home, they will appreciate it when they aren't used to this weather.
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Yeah, I've just sprayed both lots of mine down as well. The roos can look after themselves..
 
Kram81 said:
Just chucked all 12 eggs under it then, thought it might be too many for a bantam but she seems to be covering them alright by the looks of it. Have to see how we go.
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Good luck! I hope the weather stays warm enough for there weeks to assist!
The only problem that I can see is that, if you overload her, you risk losing them all because she's going to rotate the eggs and they will all have a chance of being on the outer at some stage. Hope they go OK!
 
Teriyakicat said:
Good luck! I hope the weather stays warm enough for there weeks to assist!
The only problem that I can see is that, if you overload her, you risk losing them all because she's going to rotate the eggs and they will all have a chance of being on the outer at some stage. Hope they go OK!
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Looking around on the net a few people reckoned a dozen+ can be fine even under a small chicken. It's also actually set up properly for about the first time ever, rather than finding its own spot in the dirt it's in an old draw full of hay which should hopefully reduce the chance of any accidently rolling out.
IMGP2126.jpg
 
Kram81 said:
Looking around on the net a few people reckoned a dozen+ can be fine even under a small chicken. It's also actually set up properly for about the first time ever, rather than finding its own spot in the dirt it's in an old draw full of hay which should hopefully reduce the chance of any accidently rolling out.
IMGP2126.jpg
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Yeah, that looks great!
She certainly looks like she's got it covered- pardon the pun... :)
 
Has anyone just had a chook just move in to your backyard? Was around the old bloke's place the other day and there was this tiny little black cockerel sitting on top of the cage, just learning to crow. I said what the **** is that? He said dunno, it just turned up a couple of days ago. Not sure what breed it is but it must be about fully grown but it's so small!! As a kid I've a hen just turn up from somewhere and move in.. and I once couldn't find my Hamburg rooster for a few days until sticking my head over the fence and the little fella had eloped into the neighbours yard moving in with their hens :D
 
Kram81 said:
Has anyone just had a chook just move in to your backyard? Was around the old bloke's place the other day and there was this tiny little black cockerel sitting on top of the cage, just learning to crow. I said what the **** is that? He said dunno, it just turned up a couple of days ago. Not sure what breed it is but it must be about fully grown but it's so small!! As a kid I've a hen just turn up from somewhere and move in.. and I once couldn't find my Hamburg rooster for a few days until sticking my head over the fence and the little fella had eloped into the neighbours yard moving in with their hens :D
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Lol :D
My neighbour had chooks from her other neighbour jump over her fence regularly, scratching in her garden and making a mess. They also used to get out on the road. After having a few chats with their owner to no avail, she chook-napped the regular offenders and put them in her pen with her own :)
Probably only 2 or 3. I don't think anything was said by the other person as, from what I understand, my neighbour kept them ;)
 

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Hey Teriyakicat little Barlow is going pretty good on the nest, I have occasionally seen a couple of eggs poking out but I think she's just been repositioning the eggs and then when I've looked back settling down during the day. Fingers crossed.

Have you put anything under the broody Silkies or did you kick them off? They are supposed to be unbeatable in mothering ability either pure or crossbreed, wouldn't mind getting a hen for a pet one day just to try them out.
 
Only lost one Pekin egg so far that it kicked out and broke. But today it has spent a LOT of time off the nest even though it's only about 30 degrees. Hope it's not getting sick of it with only 8-9 days to go.. Although when you try to get in and check them it does still go nuts, don't really want to risk it accidently breaking another when trying to check.

Main thing I guess is that it's on them during the night.
 
The runt of my crew died. My uncle warned me it was looking a sick when he gave it to me, poor thing was spending all day with its head on the ground, eyes closed.

My remaining old hen still hasn't laid an egg in, what, 3 weeks now? (Luckily the two new ones are making up for it with a couple of eggs a day). Any hints or tips I can try to get her laying again, or should I just accept she's old and useless now?
 
Kram81 said:
Hey Teriyakicat little Barlow is going pretty good on the nest, I have occasionally seen a couple of eggs poking out but I think she's just been repositioning the eggs and then when I've looked back settling down during the day. Fingers crossed.

Have you put anything under the broody Silkies or did you kick them off? They are supposed to be unbeatable in mothering ability either pure or crossbreed, wouldn't mind getting a hen for a pet one day just to try them out.
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I kick the brooders off to go and eat and drink and I steal the underlying eggs when I find any (the Pekin seems to be laying a few). I got sick of the two of them just lazing about so, yesterday, I shut them out of the laying area, then let them back in to roost there overnight. This morning, they were running around their coop as happy as anything. Hopefully that will be enough to break their cycle.

Kram81 said:
Only lost one Pekin egg so far that it kicked out and broke. But today it has spent a LOT of time off the nest even though it's only about 30 degrees. Hope it's not getting sick of it with only 8-9 days to go.. Although when you try to get in and check them it does still go nuts, don't really want to risk it accidently breaking another when trying to check.

Main thing I guess is that it's on them during the night.
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I have my fingers crossed for a successful hatching. Hopefully the eggs will stay warm for a while whenever she is off the nest. The fact that she is going back to sit on them is encouraging.

With I could send you both of my broody hens. :(
 
estibador said:
The runt of my crew died. My uncle warned me it was looking a sick when he gave it to me, poor thing was spending all day with its head on the ground, eyes closed.

My remaining old hen still hasn't laid an egg in, what, 3 weeks now? (Luckily the two new ones are making up for it with a couple of eggs a day). Any hints or tips I can try to get her laying again, or should I just accept she's old and useless now?
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I've been meaning to check up on your hen, estibador. I don't know what period of time a hen will stop laying for but, from what you've described, what happened to her was very traumatic.
I did google it for you- and found that it can be as little as a month before she might lay, up to even 6 months. There are a few options ranging from increasing the hours of light, to increasing protein in her food to just being patient. I think patience would be the easiest option of the 3 that I've listed there. :)

I am pretty sure that she hasn't suddenly become old and useless- when a hen stops laying altogether, it's a gradual decrease, with several periods of zero to low production- whether that be days or a couple of weeks. They don't suddenly stop altogether, as far as I'm aware.

She's also had the addition of the new hens to cope with- has she got an alternative food/water source or is she being chased away every time she goes to eat/drink? What about the nest? When she goes near it, does she get chased away or do the other hens pretty much leave her alone? When she feels safe, she will lay again. I've got hens that are 4 or so years old that still lay. Not a lot, but they lay.

If you aren't particularly attached to this hen, maybe you can just give it to your uncle and settle down with the two layers that ARE producing.
 

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She certainly isn't being chased away from food or water - she's the boss of the three. She sleeps in one partition in the laying hutch while the other two sleep downstairs and only go in briefly to lay in the other partition.

I'll just be patient and see what happens.
 
Kram81 I just googled a few forums regarding the length of time a hen can be off her eggs- there were people saying their hens had been gone for up to 4-5 hours at a time but 100% of the eggs still hatched. They said the eggs felt cool to the touch as well, so hopefully that will reassure you somewhat, though the proof will obviously be in your own hatching :)
Apparently Mamas pretty much refuse to leave their eggs in the last few days- that might be your first sign that all is well.
 
estibador said:
She certainly isn't being chased away from food or water - she's the boss of the three. She sleeps in one partition in the laying hutch while the other two sleep downstairs and only go in briefly to lay in the other partition.

I'll just be patient and see what happens.
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It's good to hear that she isn't being bossed- that rules out one possibility. There isn't much more that you can do- unfortunately you can't lay them for her ;)
Keep us informed as to how she's going- I'd be interested to hear how long it takes her to feel safe enough to start again.
 
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Teriyakicat said:
Kram81 I just googled a few forums regarding the length of time a hen can be off her eggs- there were people saying their hens had been gone for up to 4-5 hours at a time but 100% of the eggs still hatched. They said the eggs felt cool to the touch as well, so hopefully that will reassure you somewhat, though the proof will obviously be in your own hatching :)
Apparently Mamas pretty much refuse to leave their eggs in the last few days- that might be your first sign that all is well.
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Yeah I read the same thing, also apparently overheating any egg will kill it a lot quicker. It's been off them for hours today, but when you think about it when it's 35+ outside it's close the right temp anyway. Also even in a cage in the shade it's going to still be a lot warmer than being insulated under a house with the air con on like the other times I've had one sitting this time of year.
 
Kram81 said:

**** me look at this. I thought having tin on the bottom that they can't dig under and a 1.8M high enough.. Having to lock them away their sleeping cage every night is a massive pain in the arse.
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The fences on our back pen is about 3m high- made from old tennis court fence.
I wonder if you could get your fence to turn outward at the top? Or add a metre of wire that turns outward so an upward climbing fix can't get his front paws over it?
Something like this?

image.jpg

Otherwise a floppy sort of wire at the top might make it difficult for old Red to get his balance- though they will go to great lengths to get to your hens.

Did you make any enquiries about getting a fox trap from your council?

You're right- finding the chooks and locking them away is painful- so is getting up early in the morning and letting them out again! :(
 

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