shaun Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 When I put the girls to bed at night in their house I leave the water outside but put the food in with them. Is this OK?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 They won't eat at night so I wouldn't bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Hi Shaun, they don't need food or drink at night because they go to sleep They make sure their crops are full before they go to bed then get up in the morning ready to start all over again! I don't know if you have noticed, but their crops (in their belly) are a lot smaller in the mornings! Hope that helps BW x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 That's great!! Sorry about the obvious questions - and thanks for the replies. Thought that would be the case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Pimlott Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 crops arn't in the belly not last time i looked anyway!!! the only way to discribe without having a bird in hand is that the crop is where the neck and breast meet..... when they have had a fill it well feel like a small firm but not hard lump... a bird wont eat at night or drink but i would always make sure they had water day & night. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 The crop can be quite a surprise if you haven't noticed it: everyone should feel their hen's crop at least once near the end of the day when they are well, so that they know what a healthy full crop feels like. Otherwise you will either (1) not recognize an unhealthy/empty crop if one of your hens ever gets one or (2) find the crop for the first time when your hen is off-colour and imagine that this squidgy lump in their chest is a tumour. The problem with hens not eating anything at night is that they are absolutely starving first thing in the morning, and this means getting up early at this time of year. ("Not early enough", reply my hens, but 6am is the earliest I can face.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Well I didn't mean belly (well maybe if you wear pants as high as Simon Cowell ) I was trying to make it easier to look for it, but obviously didn't help at all Shaun sorry! I shut my eglu door at night (I feel they are safer cos of urban foxes) so I let my girls out early in the morning. I don't feel they need food and water at night, and because they are up early they will then be ready for food and water... But that is just how I do it and some people on here may do diferent to me BW x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoop Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 When ours go up to bed, the door of their house is always open and they know where the food and water is, so they can get it whenever they need it, but as others have said, once they go to roost, they won't eat or drink until they get up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I shut the eglu door at night (no food/water inside or it would get knocked over). They get let out of the eglue at 7am and into their run where they have food and water constantly. Mine are fine with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
