Anyone keep hens?

soapalchemist said:
The lion poo sounds like it's well worth a try; but might it not make the chickens terrified as well?
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Nope, their primary senses are sight and hearing to avoid being the next takeaway. They are "flight" animals and not predatory or territorial so a well defined sense of smell hasn't developed.

Chickens are the dumbest of animals, that's why they are so well suited to being intensively reared, you just need to keep them safe and fed.
 
fozz77 said:
A friend of mine swears by lion shite for keeping foxes off his property. Much easier & cheaper to keep than said lion as well. The fox(s) get a whiff & decide they do not want any part of that & scarper.

What breed of choox did you get PC?
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They're Rhode Island Reds crossed with White Star and Gold Star. :)

I wonder - would human urine* sprinkled around the edges of the run help to keep foxes away?

*polite way of saying 'my piss' :?
 
Pig Cat said:
fozz77 said:
A friend of mine swears by lion shite for keeping foxes off his property. Much easier & cheaper to keep than said lion as well. The fox(s) get a whiff & decide they do not want any part of that & scarper.

What breed of choox did you get PC?
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They're Rhode Island Reds crossed with White Star and Gold Star. :)

I wonder - would human urine* sprinkled around the edges of the run help to keep foxes away?

*polite way of saying 'my piss' :?
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I know that Rhode's can be prolific layers. I have not heard of the "stars". I hope they lay well for you.

Yes, if you are emitting the same amount of testosterone as a male lion. :lol:
 
fozz77 said:
I know that Rhode's can be prolific layers. I have not heard of the "stars". I hope they lay well for you.

Yes, if you are emitting the same amount of testosterone as a male lion. :lol:
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The phrase 'prolific layer' doesn't just apply to my chickens, if you know what I mean, and I think that you do sir! :cool:
 
Pig Cat said:
lagaffe said:
Here's a little video of Pigcat talking about chickens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QednDY9B36E :D
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:lol:

Nice one lagaffe! I have seen that before but I'd forgotten about it. The Count is great. I'm so glad he approves of happy chickens. :D
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He is indeed; I treasure my pages from his very own script, annotated in his own fine scrawl, which I got at the Edinburgh Festival two years ago :) I also got myself a signed poster, and one of Wilf's signed plastic sausages which I sent to my pal in LA (she's a massive fan too).

He'll be getting much more work now that Edward Woodbine's not nicking all the best work... ;)
 
Pig Cat said:
fozz77 said:
I know that Rhode's can be prolific layers. I have not heard of the "stars". I hope they lay well for you.

Yes, if you are emitting the same amount of testosterone as a male lion. :lol:
Click to expand...

The phrase 'prolific layer' doesn't just apply to my chickens, if you know what I mean, and I think that you do sir! :cool:
Click to expand...

No, you are correct. It applies to the cock as well. Though there has not been any mention of you havin one.
 
fozz77 said:
Pig Cat said:
fozz77 said:
I know that Rhode's can be prolific layers. I have not heard of the "stars". I hope they lay well for you.

Yes, if you are emitting the same amount of testosterone as a male lion. :lol:
Click to expand...

The phrase 'prolific layer' doesn't just apply to my chickens, if you know what I mean, and I think that you do sir! :cool:
Click to expand...

No, you are correct. It applies to the cock as well. Though there has not been any mention of you havin one.
Click to expand...

:lol:
 
Things have been going well with our four hens, so off to pick up two rescue hens tomorrow morning from near Norwich. Just think - unloved chickens living in squalid, cramped conditions 'looked after' by idiots with no qualifications or interest in their welfare. :cry:

Still, it has to be better here than the battery farm! :lol:
 
I've just discovered another TSR member who keeps hens - Evvaa (Alan). Well a quick update on my hen situation. The battery hens settled in really well and started laying pretty much immediately. A few weeks later our four young hens also started laying and through the summer we were getting six eggs a day. Winter came and looking after hens isn't that much fun in freezing and wet conditions, especially when there is little reward due to them going off the lay. But the last couple of weeks has seen a return to form. Their run has been reduced to mud but I have discovered that if I chip wood I can spread it around and it makes things drier. Also stops the eggs getting grubby from the chuck's muddy feet.

Tonight I went to shut them away and found six eggs plus a strange thing in the hen house. It is an egg but without a shell. A membrane with white and yolk inside. I have heard of these but not seen one before. I assume it's OK to eat the contents but would welcome advice. Can't see why not. Here's a pic.

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Calcium deficiency. Finely crush egg shell (I found it best to give them a rinse to remove albumen and dry them out) and feed it back to them...no it won't give em mad chicken disease.

Post Winter you might want to give them a supplement for a boost.
 
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