KateChook Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Hello, After some advice. I'm a complete newbie to chicken keeping and have some questions! I received two lovely Miss Pepperpots yesterday afternoon from Omlet. One is in lay and one isn't. They are named Hattie and Millie. Hattie (who isn't in lay) has tried to fly out of the run a few times, so up towards the sky, obviously the run is hindering her some what but it's quite distressing to watch and she's managed to hurt above her beak to the point where it is bleeding. Has anyone else come across this? Would covering the top of the run with something opaque make her realise she can't fly out? I know they need to be kept in the run for 5 days but not sure I can stick with it at the moment! Secondly Millie (who is in lay). She laid a egg on transit. When I let them out into the run this morning there was no egg. This didn't worry me as I didn't expect her to lay over night with the excitement of yesterday but just as I was leaving for work for the day (around 7:20am) she was huddled back in the house to roost, she was making herself comfortable and really looked like she was going to lay. Unfortunately I am out of the house from 07:20am to 07:20pm, will she always lay at the same sort of time or is it a possibility that she will start laying a little earlier? Is there a way of encouraging them to do this? I'm worried I'll get home to a broody hen as I haven't been there to remove the egg or worse come home to two hens that have dined on a freshly laid egg! I let them out of their house at 06:00am. Any advice much appreciated! Thank you! Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Hello and welcome Firstly have your girls had their wings clipped. This sounds daunting, but is very easy to do. With regards to the hen who laid whilst in transit, she may not lay again for a while. Don't worry about it she's only young she will settle soon. With regards to what time they lay, this is generally different every day. Especially with the longer days. Normally once they get into the swing of things they will lay 6 days out of 7. The time changes slightly every day. During the winter months they lay less, as it's all to do with the amount of sunlight hours. There's no way of encouraging them to lay when you want them to. Barn hens and caged hens are given artificial lighting to encourage them to lay more, but this shortens their lifespan. Look on google or on here how to clip wings. You only need to do one wing. It takes seconds and you do it with normal scissors. No pain involved at all. Do enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Me again. Do you have a fox proof run. If so there is no need to close the pop hole to the roosting/nesting area at night, unless the weather is really cold. This way they can put themselves to bed when they like and get up as soon as it's light. Lots of omleteers do this. In the wild chickens would sleep in trees, I didn't shut my pop hole all year, as the winter was so mild. You may find that sometimes they will lay before you go to work too, at this time of year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KateChook Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hello, Thank you for getting back to me all seems to be going well now. They have both had their wings clipped and they've stopped flying at the run. I've had 10 eggs from them since they arrived 6 days ago so they've settled in really well. Bizarrely I had 3 eggs from the two of them yesterday! They are eating everything in sight in my garden and terrorising my poor cat so very happy they are amazing and they come running up to greet me whenever I get home. Very happy with them and hope they are happy with me too! Thanks for all your help! Kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Welcome to the wonderful world of chicken keeping I have been keeping chickens for coming up to four years now and it was one of my better decisions. I started off with a Miss pepper pot and a ginger nut. My miss pepper pot is still going strong and is a beautiful girl . She is still laying eggs nearly every day and is our favourite. We are addicted to chickens and now have 5 and clover our miss pepper pot is top chick and always will be . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Hello It does all seem to fall into place quite quickly. Lots of the things I was scared of initially never happened and I find them quite cute now. I've had them for five years and we've all got used to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Glad that all is going well, you have done well for eggs, usually you have to wait about 3 weeks for the first one Try not to worry too much they are pretty adaptable and very easy to care for on the whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
