Pookylover Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Hi, Just wondering what is the hardest thing you have found about keping chickens so far?? Look forward to seeing your results! Clare x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Not hatching (buying) too many Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FORENSICA Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Waiting for the first egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daj198 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 When they get foxed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Definately security regarding foxes. I had a fox in the garden the other day whilst the chickens were out Luckily i saw it and chased it away, within two days OH had put better fencing at the bottom of the garden, the only vulnerable spot left. The money we have raised form selling eggs is going to pay for weldmesh for the run, we couldn't afford it when we first built it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electricbarbarella Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 another vote for waiting for your first egg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoice Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I think dealing with a sick or injured bird is pretty hard. (Losing one must be awful) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs chook Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Trying to intercept eggs from my two GNR, ardent egg munchers-even with a roll away nest box there's a peck mark in the top of the egg Have lost other animals, incl. ones to Mr F but that must be awful with girlies; not just inconvenient like buying 1 doz free range eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I would vote foxes as well. Everything else (for example going through a run door the size of my head, which I have to do every night at the moment) is a minor inconvenience. Natural death of the hens is very sad, but you know it will happen and there is nothing you can do about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMitch Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Trying not to buy more chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Having to make plans for holidays and nights away. Can't just up sticks and go (apart from 1 night away in summer when they can manage fine!) I remind dh of this whenever he suggests getting a dog (the children already point out to anyone who listens that they and daddy have a chicken each but mummy just gets to do all the work ) Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 LICE . My girls seem to go from infestation to infestation at the moment. I just get rid of the bugs and they are clear for a month or two then they start dustbathing like mad things and lo and behold - stowaways! Aaargh. I hate to have a poorly hen too. They go straight to the vet if they look under the weather as I'd rather pay for a vet's check up than sit worrying about them and possibly delay treatment. Apart from that, they're fabulous . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilda-and-evadne Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hi, Just wondering what is the hardest thing you have found about keping chickens so far?? Knowing the right moment to intervene to curb Hilda pulling feathers out of Evadne. Part of me wanted to look away and hope that the situation would stabilise, before Evadne became badly hurt, but I realised from the experiences of others recounted on this forum that the balance of power might not resolve itself peaceably. Removing Hilda at night to sleep in the second eglu, giving Evadne about 10 hours of peace in the first eglu and run, does seem to have given Evadne new heart and cooled Hilda's aggression. And so far I have not needed bumper bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Am I being thick I dont see a Poll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hennymom Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 bullying gets my vote.... I hate it, it takes al of my time up trying to sort out who, why and what for! and no I don't see a poll either lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I haven't found many things hard at the moment, relatively new to this only had them a few months. But I will have my trials I guess. Not buying another chicken or two came a tad hard though, but not hard in the same sense that illnesses/deaths etc do. Whenever anyone mentions getting a bluebelle my heart jumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Foxes! Having lost one of my hens to a fox, I'm forever worrying about them breaking in to my walk-in run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Am I being thick I dont see a Poll? No, you are not thick . It's not an offical poll but a general one me thinks. So far, apart from a fox attack (Annie was taken by a fox but miraculously returned home unharmed 2 hours later ) I have not had any problems or difficulties. I wish I hadn't said that because that guarantees I'm about to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Having to keep Sparkx (my dog) indoors whilst the girls free range. This aspect of hen keeping is really hard. Sparx is proving toooooooooooo hard to train. Simply a hen obsessed dog. Too bad as he's about 11 and has always had the garden to himself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Worrying about Mr Fox! If it wasn't for him and his mate (is she entirely innocent?), my hens might be as happy as Larry. On the other hand, if they free ranged in my small garden in every waking hour, they might be trying to go over the fence. It is very distressing to keep hens in the run when they would be so much happier running round the garden, denuded as it is since they destroyed the weeds. It's Mr Fox's agenda that worries me the most. (That said, I do spend a lot more time in my garden than I ever did before!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindi Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Having not suffered a fox problem touch wood mine is realising they can be very cruel to each other. Finding Betty with her back pecked and bloody was a terrible shock. Tried using anti peck spray but in the end had to use bumper bits. Betty lost hers and as she was the bullied one we left it, only to find Mavis with a pecked back which could have only been Betty so she has one now. Saying that they have been an endless source of amusement amd life was made easier when we realised they would do anything for sweetcorn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutrix Farmers Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 worrying about an off-colour chicken, and not knowing what to do for the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsallen08 Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hiya sparkysmum! We have an overactice collie pup who loves the garden but chases choocks and bunnies when all out at once. We have invested in a 'dog corkscrew' for the him. You screw it in the ground and leash them to it. That way he can be out on the lawn and chooks and bunnies dont get chased. Monty does sulk a bit but he prefers to be out there watching them than being inside! Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...