SarahGlymond Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 Your not alone I this close to emailing omlet but my hubby said to put it on the forum first ! Im a perfectionist and I expected clean lines and fit together like a jigsaw like you say this is why I need this forum no one judges at my posts no matter how daft and I don't get embarrassed ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Libby22. That is so funny. I hope they were dried mealworms. I've fed mine live ones, they're really wriggly and get everywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Im getting one egg a day now and im sooo proud of my chooks. Does that mean both chickens are laying or just one I know definalty Queen Elizabeth is laying but still not sure about Frances,I have to go to work so cant always wait and watch who is laying ! Although Queen Elizabeth is living up to her name she waits now till I have poo scooped the nest box (I do it daily) before trotting up to lay my egg ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I might be completely wrong, but I think the 2 girlies you've got should lay different colour eggs. Can anyone help me here ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 They both lay brown eggs it goes on the colour off their ears so still none the wiser it would have been so much easier if that was the case. I have only had 1 tiny wind egg do all chooks lay these or can they go straight to laying proper eggs I could do with a chicken camera like nature programs !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Mine have all started with mini eggs, withe occasional wind egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigiga Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 I am not sure who of mine is laying either, I'm at work and the deed is done in my absence. first one 12 days ago. I know who started laying first, but this week I had three different shades of brown on 3 consecutive days so not sure if that means it is 3 different hens or whther the shell gets darker from the same hen? All properly formed eggs if on the small size- so far between 43 and 52 gramms! Libby22, that made me laugh- mine go mad for worms too. I give them live ones that I get out of the wormery and dig up when gardening. Not been knocked over yet... but the way they squabble over them it does not surprise me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby22 Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 What would they do without their mealworms My little ex-battery hen runs forward for treats and if it isn't mealworms she stops dead and glares in disgust - she is of course totally in control as I then have to go and fetch mealworms for her. I am so glad everyone's new girls are laying - it is such a lovely time and brings so much pleasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 mine now know where I keep the treats as soon as I open the shed door the run and fly as quick as they can in case they are missing something !!! Frances got stuck on the wheelie bin yesterday I don't know how she got up there or how long she had been stuck up there but she was stuck it was soooo funny it was like rescue me please !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigiga Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Sarah how did Frances get stuck on the wheelie bin? Try as I might I just can't see how! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Did someone mention wheelie bin???.......lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 It baffled me as well I know there was a very small suitcase next to the bin as we had been clearing out the shed but still it would have been a fair hop skip and a jump ! how ever she got up there she couldn't get down ! Its a good job hubby spotted her as it was getting quite dark and we were off just to close the door and put the food away thinking they had both gone to bed and there she was sat on the bin !! she never clucked I assume she thought she was gonna be there all night !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Chickens can't see in the dark or even in the dusky light (which is why they take themselves off to bed just before dusk draws in - or should do) so perhaps she could not see around her to jump down and had decided that was her roosting place for the night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 HELP HELP !!!!!! I let chooks out today and they were free ranging, I always leave the run door open when they free range and a RAT ran across the garden into the lavender bush next to the run and up the top of the garden WHAT DO I DO !!!!!!!! I have fields and train tracks at the top of my garden and this is the first time I have seen one. Chooks don't normally free range in the day apart from my day off (today was that day) but usually I leave them to it alone in the garden as hey cant escape HELP CHICKEN FRIENDS HELP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 I don't think the rat will harm the chickens at all. The main thing however is to discourage rodents (mice or rats) by always removing all left over food once your chooks go to bed. This would include a good sweep up around any areas where you may have put treats down. To make that easier it is probably best to put any treats in a bowl (a dog dish is just fine) somewhere well out in the open. With a train track so near, you have quite possibly had raties around already only without chickens you possibly did not look around your garden so much and so missed him/ her. Rats are not so terrible - just wild animals like any other really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 I would probably freak out if I saw a rat, and am hoping with 2 cats and 30 chooks they would think twice? I did have mice in the house two years ago but not seen any evidence since so maybe they would be taking a chance now with the amount of chooks at coming near the house again. I am bad at leaving their bowls out, and esp will be from this weekend as it will be dark when I get home at night so am taking a chance there. Get a great big mean tom cat!! Chooks will be fine with him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 I always bring the food in at night and always have done since getting the chooks and sweep up any split food its stored in the shed in a steel bin I do try and give them their treats in a bowl but sometimes throw a few treats on the ground to get them back inside the run today is the first day I have seen a rat we have had the occasional field mouse before the chooks but rat not that I know. Do I contact pest control will they do anything for one sighting ? I cant see any evidence of droppings in or around the run or coop will they make me get rid of the chooks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby22 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 We had our first sighting of rats last year. After seeing them in the garden on a couple of occasions, we emailed the Council and they were brilliant. They put down large boxes of rat poison, but explained that if the cats then ate the dead rats (yes we have two huge cats and they do nothing ) the cats would not be harmed as they would have to eat the equivalent of 37 rats to consume enough poison. They also explained that they don't see keeping chickens as any kind of problem, it is only the same as feeding the birds as far as they are concerned. The boxes are completely covered with a hole for the rats to go in and out and there is a sort of chamber in the middle which holds the poison. The only problem they could see was next door's decking, as they said it is likely the rats will eat the poison and the look for somewhere to sleep it off - like underneath nice dry decking and then die under there. If you are worried, I would drop them an e-mail or give them a call. They took around a week to come out in any case, by which time we had seen a very large rat in the garden and we were glad we had called. I did feel sorry, as the rats are just doing what they do however, I have to put the health of the girls first. Shame though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 Thanks libby I may just send em an email to see what I should do. I did email them before getting the chooks and they didn't have an issue with it and I have had bird feeders in the garden since moving in over 5 years ago x ill let you all know how it goes would a rat hurt my girlies ? they weren't bothered today ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Aw, if you are moving the bowls every night and removing most traces of food then you are not responsible for the rat, as rats are in so many places even if we do not see them. You are doing everything correctly and cannot see anyone asking you to get rid of your chooks, I mean why? To be honest I would not worry about it to much as it may have been a one off sighting and unless they are camping under your eglu or henhouse then it's not your problem. Little field animals will always be around to some degree. no way would a rat put me off having my girls much as I'd go eww initially. They are my pets, and anything else that strays in is just passing through. You enjoy your girls as normal.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted October 26, 2013 Author Share Posted October 26, 2013 Thanks guys the rats cant tunnel in as the cube and run is on concrete slabs and under them I put loads of steel mesh and chicken wire so I think its pretty safe from that respect. It just scared me seeing it and then I started to panic thinking what if the neighbours saw the rat in my garden and then made an official complaint to the council it was in broad day light which surprised me cheeky thing ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby22 Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 That was my worry. I was so worried the neighbours would say - well we didn't have rats before your chickens arrived! I have the same set up as you, cube and run on slabs and nothing can tunnel in and I bring the food in each evening, but I didn't want to quarrel with the neighbours. The council put a letter through the doors of about 12 houses either side of ours and said that as we backed onto the woods, where they also had a rat problem, not to be concerned, but to contact the Council and they would put down the boxes in people's gardens. You are doing everything right. The rats tend to look for easy pickings in the colder weather and, as we are outside with the girls, we just get more of a chance to see what has always probably been there anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahGlymond Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 FRANCES HAS LAID AN EGG !!!!! I thought she was never going to start laying and then she goes and suprises me on my birthday (wed 6th nove) and laid her first egg I was sooooo proud !!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Well done Frances. What a perfect birthday present Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
