How can I find my old pictures?

[Mercedes55]

Today we lost Lola, the last of our ex batts. We took on 4 girls in July 2010 and this year alone we have lost 3 of them

 

We still have 3 pure breeds, one of which has been broody for ages, plus 2 hybrids. However I am feeling right now that I've just had enough of it all, which sounds awful I know. I just seem to spend so much time trying to do everything right and even though we only have 5 girls now they are in 3 separate runs because our Sussex Ranger is a feather plucker so she's lived with the ex batts for ages, but is now obviously alone. Our Welsummer I have to put in a separate run during the daytime because she will just sit in the nest all day otherwise, then our other 3 are in the Cube.

 

I've spent over 2K on the Cube, Eglu and WIR. We go miles to get their food as our local supplier is closing down. My Summer House, garage and wardrobes upstairs are full of bags of rapport, pellets and all the other paraphenalia associated with keeping hens. The roof on the WIR has leaked since we had it built and nothing we've done to it has solved that problem, so during all the wet weather we've had this Summer I just seem to spend ages replacing the rapport. The funny thing is we don't actually eat a lot of eggs and most weeks only have 2 and sell the rest.

 

I feel it's an endless battle trying to keep both the Eglu and Cube clean and every day I have to hoover downstairs because no matter how much I change my footwear I am constantly walking rapport into the house and even find it on the bedroom carpet some days.

 

OH used to help me a lot but I've noticed he helps less and less and I can honestly say I get no pleasure at all from the constant cleaning out and mess. Sorry for the rant

[Couperwife]

Oh no so sorry you are fed up

 

Have you spoken to OH about helping you?

 

(hugs)

 

Cathy

X

[Bramble]

Hello!!!

Sorry to hear you are so fed up, you and I started out in this chuck keeping lark at about the same time and both with ex-batts, although you have been much more adventurous with your chuck keeping adventure since and I know you've had more than your share of chuck problems along the way!

Lola had a lovely long retirement so you should be very proud of yourselves for that!!!

I have to say, I've had hybrids as well as ex-batts and do find the hybrids more trouble (they seem to go broody at the drop of a hat and are MUCH more noisy!!!). Have you thought about downsizing a bit? Don't add any more to your collection and just perhaps go down to one cube with a run? It is very easy to get carried away with enthusiasm with chucks, but then with the summer we've had, the reality has perhaps set in a bit harder than you might have liked?

Don't give up just yet!?

[patsylabrador]

Would it help to say that I take a rather laissez-faire approach to my chickens. When I first came on this forum there was a discussion about how much care chickens need, I think someone was finding it quite intensive. A piece of advice was given pointing out that chickens are fairly efficient at looking after themselves. I provide the basics to keep mine happy and healthy but I try to leave them alone. If one goes broody, I check her every day, make sure she eats & drinks but other than that I let her stay on her nest. If they have pecking order fights I monitor it but try not to get involved. One was being bullied a while ago so I would take her for a walk around the garden to have time alone but tried to let them sort it out - and they did.

I love having pets and take care of them but I don't get emotionally attached to them.

I was wondering if you are worrying so much that they've become work instead of a hobby.

I hope this is helpful, it's supposed to be.

Good luck but I know once I've lost spirit with something it's hard to get it back.

[Gertie]

Sorry to hear about Lola and that you are feeling down.

 

Chicken keeping is great when it's going well and stressful when it's not! I would also suggest downsizing. I had a few unfortunate events with my hens. When I moved I had to sell my cube as I had no room to store it. I had a classic already so bought some extra run extensions and housed my hens in there. I now have just 4 hens and a classic and an empty classic just in case. It's so simple and easy. I can buy those tiny cubes of wood flakes for clean out and one bag of bark chips from the garden centre. I get more pleasure now and just enough eggs to give to friends and family and for ourselves.

It sounds like you care very much about them and are doing the very very best for them. Could you get a Bumpa bit for your feather plucker to integrate her?

[Mercedes55]

Bramble, yes I remember us both getting our hens at the same time. I realise now OH and I went completely overboard and had a huge WIR built that is probably way too big for the size of our garden and probably downsizing is the way to go.

 

If I can get down to 4 hens I could then have them all in the Eglu and possibly sell the Cube. I know everyone seems to love the Cube and I think if it's in the right place then it's great. However ours is inside our WIR and it makes it really hard to clean out properly as OH has it up on blocks because when the WIR was made the doors for accessing the egg port and back trays weren't at the right level. I always feel however thoroughly I am cleaning it I am not getting into the nooks and crannies as I can't reach them

 

The Eglu I find really easy to keep clean as I can take it apart in the run and then take it onto the lawn and give it a proper clean without asking for any help. With the Cube I have to ask OH to help me and much as he is willing he is usually busy with other things.

 

At the moment we also have my son, daughter in law and granddaughter living with us as they were moving house and their chain fell through at the last minute, so that's all been an extra stress too

[chucknette]

Hi

 

I am with Patsylabrador with this as well.

 

I have a standoff approach with my girls and they have always looked after themselves quite well.

If I get a broody, I let her get on with it. Occassionally I might lift her off the nest to have some treats if I am giving any to the other hens. Otherwise she takes care of herself.

Obviously if there is a problem with any of them I step in really quickly and deal with it.

 

Worms and Lice I will treat if necessary. ( I prefer the natural approach)

My hybrids since gone lived long happy illness free lives and I now have orpingtons and brahmas all being treated the same and all really healthy.

 

It works for me and my hens and I enjoy them all the more for it.

With all the rain we have been having I find the girls find a dry spot and hang out there so their not daft

 

I hope you can find your love of them again soon and as mentioned maybe you could downsize as thats a lot of cleaning you have got there.

[Mercedes55]

I wish I could be less emotional with the whole thing, although to be honest I have never really bonded with the last two hybrids we got, but I was very bonded with the ex batts and am really sad at losing our last one

 

I think I have probably mentioned before that I suffer with an anxiety disorder and part of that is my desire to do everything properly and I can't relax until I know the hens have been cleaned out properly and their food and water done etc. I lose track of the amount of stuff I add to their food and water all the time in my efforts to get everything 'just right' which is why at times I doubt my suitability to keeping hens as no one else in my house seems to have the same standards. When OH does the hens water he just tops it up with a watering can

[Chucky Mama]

Hi

 

I am with Patsylabrador with this as well.

 

 

Me too. I think that taking into account your nature as you have described you may be better off downsizing. That way you should be able to manage things better with your standards and emotional approach. You can't change your nature but you can make things more manageable and get back to enjoying your hens. One thing is evident and that is that you can't carry on as you are.

[Margaret]

You cant posibly give up...

You were such an amzing help to me when I was deciding to buy my cube.

I do think you need to down size to only one house, and get the cube outside the WIR as its so simple to then clean, takes me 5 mins everymorning to de poo the cube and thats at 5am. Evening just fill up feeders and water, have a natter and give some treats. I only powerwash cube once a fortninght takes and hour and clean WIR every month.

I have started to use Bumper bits, did upset me, but they are fine after 10 mins, Did have to get Oh help to put them on is quite stressfull (was for me).

I definetly have changed the way I look after them, used to spend hours every night and all weekend with them, but now have Finley, my Grandson so things have changed.

Cant imagine not having them but far more relaxed about it then a few years ago.

Sorry for the ramble, but would be such a shame for you to give up, as you are such a help here on the Forum.

[dutchie]

If you want to avoid the long trip to buy your food, just order online. A 20kg bag of Marriages pellets including delivery would only cost you £11.84.

 

I just got a 20kg bag of Marriages organic pellets and 5kg bag of Allen & Page mixed corn delivered for £18.97 in total from farmandpetplace.co.uk. My nearest local supplier would work out more expensive and then the petrol on top.

 

Dutchie

[Tweety]

Sorry to hear you are finding it hard at the moment. I too take a hands off approach to my hens, unless there is something obviously wrong.

 

I used to worry like mad about all the possible problems that might arise, but now take the view that chickens have been around for a very long time and have managed perfectly well without too much human intervention! It is sad to lose them, but we are all doing our very best for our girls and boys, and nature will take its course whatever we do.

 

I know that it must be particularly difficult for you, but I hope that you find a way to resolve the situation so that you can enjoy keeping hens again.

[Mercedes55]

Thanks for all your help on here. When I was hoofing our Welsummer out of the nest in the Cube this morning I decided to put our Sussex Ranger in with them all too to see if they are okay together. Our Welsummer immediately pounced on her and pinned her down, not nice, but might keep her lower in the pecking order and stop her plucking, least I hope it will. I have told OH he needs to sort out the roof of the WIR as it's like a quagmire in places with all the rain we've had recently. At least for now I only have one lot of food and water to do each day and one house, which helps.

[Lavenders_Blue]

So sorry to hear you are not finding chicken keeping much fun at the moment I'm another one who has a 'relaxed' attitude to hen keeping - working on the basis that most hens have had little more than a roof over their heads and some food and water chucked down for them for many, many years I consider that mine are living in relative luxury!

If your WIR roof is leaky, then can I suggest switching from rapport to woodchip as a floor covering? Even just as a temporary measure until you can get the roof fixed. I don't have a covered run for my hens (they do have a couple of covered areas they hang out in when it's pouring), so I feel somewhat of an expert on mud following this summer's never ending rain! Wood chip won't soak up the water like rapport, so you shouldn't need to be changing it very often.

I also agree with all the others who suggest downsizing to one coop to make things more manageable and please, please don't panic about not being able to reach every single nook and cranny on your cube. My girls live in wooden housing and with this horrid weather we've had this year I've just not had the opportunity to take the coops apart, scrub them clean, let them dry and put them back together, so it's just not happened. I've had to compromise by sprinkling a bit of Stalosan inside the coops to try and keep it sanitary until I can do a proper clean out. My hens are just fine.

I really hope you can find a way to make things a bit easier, so that you can once again start to enjoy your hens. Don't be too hard on yourself if your hens squabble or you can't get the coops cleaned out as well as you'd like. The hens won't bother one jot, I promise you!

 

ETA - I also top up the girls' water with a watering can, saves lugging the drinkers up and down the garden!

[Egluntyne]

My WIR roof leaks a bit in one spot. I don't do ladders, and Him Indoors is useless at anything remotely DIYish, so I bought a tarpaulin via Ebay and it has done the trick beautifully.

 

I fill up the glugs with a watering can

[karencopas]

hi everyone,

i have found this post very interesting to read and see myself and all my "over thinking" in some of your posts. i did a chicken keeping course a couple of weeks ago as i'm very new and inexperienced and the main thing i learnt was not to overdo in any way-time, money, thinking etc. i drive myself mad making sure its all done to the max and as you all say the chickens are quite hardy and i keep looking at getiing more and more stuff-cube, WIR etc but after reading all your posts i'm going to enjoy the simplicity of 3 chickens and a

maybe a break from keeping chickens would be an idea it sounds like you've been a great help and inspiration to many people so a shame to stop completely. newbies like me are very lucky to have everyone to learn from

also i find it stressful when my daughter comes home from uni for a long spell as it means a shift in day to day routines and one more to accommodate (and run around after) so you've got to remember you've got a lot on with your extended family at the mo so don't be too hard on yourself

[counturchickens]

Hi, sorry you are feeling overwhelmed. If it helps we use woodchip and don"t find it all over the house. I agree with the others and maybe downsize. How about putting the cube into retirement for a few weeks and see how you feel?

[Chicken shack]

I would keep your WIR and out the unless you have a huge WIR they take up a great deal of space. Put your on a table so that you can access it easily with a ladder for the girls. Keep 4 girls that are of a robust nature. I started the same year as you and have to do every thing myself including renewing the weld mesh on the WIR. I lost one girl a few months after I got them and lost one of my favorites this year so she was only 2 years old. I now have 7 girls and a cock. I rehomed 3 ex-batts last Oct and I have not bonded with them. They have prevented me for allowing FR as they just don't come when called not even for meal worms. And I must confess I have never given them a name. They do have leg rings so I can tell them apart. I look after all the chickens the same though. Unlike you I like the eggs as I am a vegetarian and like to provide my grandchildren with fresh eggs however I only get 2 a day as they are all mostly old and past it, like me. If it were not for the ducks who also give me 2 a day we would have to buy some, Which I havn't done since 2010.

 

It is my cat Ellie thats makes me want to give up on cats. We moved last year and it took her 10 months before she would go out. She is continuosly throws up after she has eaten and does not care were she does it. She pees where she likes and enjoys scraching our new stair carpet. OH goes mad. Before anyone thinks I have not looked after her she is a rescue cat and is on a special diet. Not allowed fish either. Some times I get so fed up that I feel like

[Mercedes55]

Thanks once again for all your replies and help. I've rehomed our Sussex Ranger to a lovely lady on here who responded to my post about the problems I had with her. This means we are now down to just 4 hens, the White Leghorn and the 3 pure breeds. We will take the Cube out of the WIR. The run is large, it's 24ft by 7ft plus we have another smaller run along the back of the garden, which we will probably take down now. I think just keeping the Eglu and maybe working out how to fix it to the WIR so it's outside or at least have the egg port accessible from the outside will make things even easier.

[daxigirl]

Hi Mercedes, I too have had a rough year with losing a lot of chooks and finding it all rather depressing. I've now eased off with the spending on every item I thought was needed or was recommended and made the cleaning routine shorter and less finiky. I bought 3kg hanging feeders so I don't need to keep topping them up every day so it's just water and treats at some time during the day. The intros are going well with the growers. So I'm on an up with them at moment. I now have a chicken free house too. I'm trying to enjoy them more instead of thinking what to do next and feeling guilty if they haven't got out for a FR.

 

I hope you are able to let go a bit and not take it so hard, believe me I speak from recent experience. The ex-bat girls landed on their feet and had a good later life with you.

[craftyhunnypie]

I have noticed that being a chicken keeper - you get used to a bit of mess. We do have a clean house most of the time - but a bit of easibed, shredded paper or feather & sometimes poo - do get brought into the house. It's our way of life & being a smallholder - we have no choice but to accept it. We love our animals to bits - so we don't mind But there again we don't mind getting mucky & changing. Other people round here just accept it too.

Everyone is different though- so if it is really getting you down, then maybe it's not for you! It would be sad for you to give up though! Could you not get OH to help or even pay a small wage for someone to come & see to the chickens for you?

Hope things work out.

Hugs..

Emma.x

[Willow]

I'm another person who doesn't worry too much about the chickens although I check on them daily. I've been lucky and not had any major problems - except a broody that lasted for weeks and weeks we're lucky enough to have space for them to free range but they have thrashed that part of the garden and if I ever get the rest under control I'm not sure what I'll do with that bit. I did find the quail harder work especially trying to clean them without them escaping and they were more vicious to each other. I may keep quail again but only when I have more time. I have crocs for going to check on the chickens and they come off at the conservatory which has two large doormats from Ikea so we don't end up with any mess in the house.

 

My biggest stress with the chickens is them escaping into our neighbours garden one side where he doesn't like the chickens but he insisted on low fences between us. This w/e that neighbour had a garden party and I was just looking down his pristine garden when one of our chickens came racing down the middle of it wings at full stretch squawking as loud as possible then she disappeared under a bush beside the patio I managed to catch her and my OH popped her back over the fence but not before everyone had seen her

 

I cannot imagine not having chickens now.

[Mercedes55]

Patricia I am the same with the crocs and mats. I keep a small tub of hen food in the conservatory and I have a big lidded storage basket on the floor that I keep the gloves, apron and other bits and pieces in. I never go down to the hens without my crocs on and always change at the door and even spent a lot of money on those turtle mats to stop the rapport getting beyond the doors. However somehow it still manages to get on the living room carpet and as I said before even upstairs and I can only assume that bits are left on the lawn and when someone goes into the garden with regular shoes on or the dog is out, maybe that is when the stuff is being walked in everywhere. I do wonder if woodchip would be better but OH reckons that will still get walked in, but I beg to differ.

 

Funnily enough my daughter in law said to me last night about how much our parrot poops which made me laugh as he is a tiny thing and only does a poo the size of a small pea and generally is very easy to keep, even in the house. I think she would be quite taken aback to see how much chickens poop all day long

[mimi5]

Oh a really feel for you!!! I had very similar thoughts/feelings myself a few monthe back........and even considered re-homing the chickens!!!!! It all seemed SO sad as I'd wanted chcikens for awhile and finally seemed able to have them........but it was SO stressful!!!

 

But I've had a lot of encouragement and support (here and on a pekin banatm forum) and have kept going!!! I've learn't a lot and I really believe that there's nothing quite like experience. You have to find your own way of chicken keeping as there are so many products and set ups that you have to find what works for you!!!I really feel bad that it seems to have been at my chickens expense, but everyone has to start somewhere!!!

 

So along the way I've had........ poorly chcikens (worms, maybe myco vet wasn't sure & scaley leg!), lost 2 girls to different problems and a 3 day old chick invested in SO much chicken equipment my hubby thinks I could open a shop!!!! Added a cockerel, had SUCH broody girls I gave in and let them hatch chicks!!! Had to re-home 3 lovely cockerel babies, ran 3 pens at once. Not to mention my own health scare a 2 stays in hospital!!!!!!!

 

But I'm learning to be a bit more chilled out and excepting that chickens get health problems and even sometimes die and that's that. My chicks have been a mixed experience too, but I have 3 lovely girls and ........I lovely little boy (may have to re-home him, but going to see how noisy he is )

 

October 1st will be my one year of chciken keeping anniversary and that will feel like a milestone!! So hang in there and don't be affraid to change how you do things until you find what works for you. All any of us can do is our best!!

[Lavenders_Blue]

I've not had a problem with finding any woodchip in the house. I think because the chunks are bigger and heavier than the lighter, fluffier horse beddings they don't tend to stick to your shoes/clothes. Woodchips last longer than than horse beddings too, so you wouldn't need to dig it out/change it so often. I tend to change it only when it's pretty much turned into compost! You can just rake it over and sprinkle a bit of Stalosan down to keep it clean (once a month or so - less than 5 minute job). Could you perhaps also put a boot s"Ooops, word censored!"er/brush by your run to get any stubborn bits off your shoes before getting to the house?

I'm pleased to hear that you've already got things a bit more sorted out with your hens - just down to your eglu now. I hope that makes a difference in terms of the amount of daily work needed.