Single hen

[jomaxsmith]

I'm new to all this and it's as anxiety inducing as having a new baby - I'm at the stage where every new thing is wonderful but terrifying!

 

This morning Daisy was looking a bit itchy (Oh My God - yuck - Parasites - was my first thought). Then a bit later all three of them were dustbathing in the Hemcore.

 

Daisy made a big hole and sort of laid on her side, then the white chicken (I still don't like her name ) made a hole and started kicking and flapping until she was covered in hemcore and soil. Then Lily started trying to push Daisy out of her hole and started pecking at D's feathers in a communal grooming kind of way. Both D and white chicken were rubbing the backs of their necks in the dust and looking vaguely orgasmic. Eventually all three just sat in their own holes and let the world go by for a while before they suddenly all remembered they were supposed to be on Cat Watch and started doing their meerkat thing again.

 

Is that normal behaviour?

 

I was supposed to be doing housework this morning, but somehow I spent most of my time watching the chooks!

 

Jo

[Christian]

Perfectly normal and hysterical to watch!!

 

[Laura & CTB]

I love watching the girls dustbathing too and they now have their own dustbath - I use a shallow trugtub filled with playsand, some diatom and a sprinkling of red mite powder and they spend ages in there

 

Then they love to shake it all off just outside the patio doors

 

They do look great when they're in there throwing it around dont they??

[jomaxsmith]

Thanks both of you! I'm planning to let them out for the first time this weekend and I can see them eyeing up my currently empty veg patch for prime dirt bathing!

 

I'm getting my run converter next week then I'm going to create a dustbath tray for them.

 

Jo

[Laura & CTB]

I can see them eyeing up my currently empty veg patch for prime dirt bathing!

 

Jo

 

Yes - I dont think your garden will ever be the same again!!!

[jomaxsmith]

Yes - I dont think your garden will ever be the same again!

 

That's what I'm afraid of - I've only been the Chair of our village's new gardening club for 3 months and I think my reputation as a gardener is about to go down the pan!!

 

I might well have the best home made compost though with all the muck and hemcore!

 

Jo

[Christian]

I might well have the best home made compost though with all the muck and hemcore!

Jo

 

You will have!

 

I did this last winter to protect some of my raised beds from maurauding hens!!

 

As you can see from the raised bed at the bottom, not much soil left if unprotected!

[WitchHazel]

I use a shallow trugtub filled with playsand, some diatom and a sprinkling of red mite powder and they spend ages in there

 

Laura,

 

What a great idea! How big is your shallow trug? The shallow one that I have seen seem quite big - 57cm diameter.

[Olly]

Jo, it is possible to have a garden and have chickens! It's not so much eating things, as the scratching (witness Christian's pic!)

 

If you've got a big enough garden, it can probably take it, but if you are worried then use the Omlet netting or something similar to restrict the areas where they go. They will still have fun in the fresh air, and you can give them access to a different area each time, and still preserve your plants.

[Christian]

It's not so much eating things, as the scratching (witness Christian's pic!)

 

It my veggie garden, now covered in bark! The 'posh' garden is a hen free zone!

[Olly]

Well, it can be quite useful if you want a bit of ground cleared! I'm planning to put the Omlet netting round the now defunct veg patch, and let the girls in to get rid of the remaining vegetation! They can dig it over and fertilise it at the same time.

 

They need to earn their keep as egg production has slowed right down!

[Laura & CTB]

Laura,

 

What a great idea! How big is your shallow trug? The shallow one that I have seen seem quite big - 57cm diameter.

 

Yes thats the one - I find it's good because the girls still huddle together in the middle (yes even with all that space ) but when they start chucking sand around most of it goes back in the tub !!

[WitchHazel]

but when they start chucking sand around most of it goes back in the tub !!

 

Aaaah, I see.

 

Thank you.

 

I was trying to decide what to use ofr a dustbath, think I'll give this a go then.

I see on the tub trugs website that it comes in a wide variety of colours - but sadly the shallow one doesn't come in orange.

 

I've emaied the manufacturers m to let them know that their colours coordinate well with Omlet, and to ask about an orange.

 

Thanks Laura.

[Daywalker]

I use a shallow trugtub filled with playsand, some diatom and a sprinkling of red mite powder and they spend ages in there

 

Laura,

 

What a great idea! How big is your shallow trug? The shallow one that I have seen seem quite big - 57cm diameter.

 

Can't find a tub when searching diameter, any idea how many litres that is?

[WitchHazel]

Can't find a tub when searching diameter, any idea how many litres that is?

35 litres. It's the pink one on this page: http://www.tubtrugs.com/tubtrugs.html

Edited November 1, 2007 by Guest

[Christian]

Take a look here

 

[Christian]

Take a look here

 

[Daywalker]

Thanks