Growing chicken feed help

Patience, Cherub

1. It can take 3 -4 days for intro's to settle down
2. Unless blood is being drawn, try not to worry. Obviously the limp is worrying, but, that is more likely due to that bird jumping and landing poorly.
3. Alternatives to "night" intro's: free ranging time together and over time they get used to one another. Or, a dog crate with the newbies in, place *inside* the run. (The dog crate will double as a broody-breaker later on too
4. A Cockerel amongst a bunch of girlies should lessen any squabbling because *he* sorts out the girls. If it's a cockerel you will know soon enough.

A number of things can slow down egg production: new homes, hot weather, storms, new intro's, age, moult etc., again it's a case of being patient and getting to know your girls - they all have different personalities and their own ways of doing things.

 

I always introduce new chickens in the day time...i pop them in the run for a while ,ther's the usual argy bargy for a while then i let them out to FR and it gives the newbies chance to escape the bullies but they can still mingle if they want to.....you could section a bit of your run off and pop the 'oldies' in there for an hour or two at a time.....
Loli is probably just busy enforcing her 'rules'....when she knows she's got them all in order she'll lay

 

i grow chard for them too i love the rainbow chard its so pretty
you could always get a Russian Vine for them Joolz, all my birdies including the quail go bananas for it i even use it as a rearing food when the finches/budgies are feeding babies one things for sure once you've got one you'll never be in short supply of green's again

 

We got a folding dog cage for £5 from a car boot sale and it's really useful for transporting hens back home, segregation, sick bay, etc.

Introductions can put existing hens off the lay

Thanks, I've not heard of that one before.

A few other sources of henny greens are Leek leaves, Salsify leaves, pea pods (put them in a flask of boiling water to cook), Sow Thistles, Clover, Dandelion leaves, Chicory and good old grass which I've cut many a time using scissors so our hens can eat it.

 

I "bagged" a mahoosive dog crate from Freecycle so I can segregate my broodies. Today, while I was attempting "Tempus Fugit", I noticed the price of the (very heavy!), well constructed dog crate I'd got for "free" ... ... *very* expensive "freebie" I got myself, indeed!

Joolz: Freecycle search dog crates Took me 3 "wanted" adds, a year wait, but I got a goodun in the end

 

Russian vine? do you mean the mile a minute vine HB ??
That was a bargain scrungee,i did think about a dog kennel then daz went to wickes for more posts to make another pen/run but by the time i had dug all my plants out he was on the phone buying a coop and run for them
They are in their coop now and the rest of the run will be erected tomo
Its like a mud bath thou down that area at the mo
M& loli, a friend of our has sheep paints which he as offered us to use so we can definately see who is laying and who is not from the other 4 hybrid hens,the fella who sold them us reckons they are 13 month old but others have said they look older from their wattles
The 2 white sussex are young ones thou

 

"Mile a minute" isn't Russian Vine (Boston ivy? Maybe?) Both are very similar but also very different in growth rate. Russian Vine is the tamer of the two: both have glorious red/russet foliage in the Autumn, but Boston Ivy will grow at a rate of knots and is incredibly invasive.

If the run is like a "mud bath" right now ... do have a thunk about how you will deal with this during winter/wet/soggy times. You may have to relocate

I am not experienced enough to proclaim knowing a hens age via it's comb (really? That is a new on me!) *tried to insert: "I don't know" smilie, but the server is being a tad, "touchy" *

 

@joolz68 its "Fallopia Baldschuanica" commonly called "Russian Vine" or "Mile A Minute"

wiki link = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallopia_baldschuanica

 

Thanks M x
Its a bit muddy because ive had to dig my plants up im hoping the ground will recover when the rain ceases,i will add some slabs but its a good area as its as the sycamore tree so autumn the leaves will fall prob the best soil i have in the garden mum ,the others love digging it up
Cant wait to fence parts and free range them all x

 

I tried an experiment of putting Autumn leaves as a "bedding" to the chooks run 2 years ago. I worked a treat and was the making of some fab compost! Obviously their "nesting" part was given a different treatment: but, putting Autumn leaves under their feet gave them a whale of a time re: scratching/surfing/grub finding!

But, that is not now (height of summer) and too much damp conditions can give rise to some unpleasant-for-them mite/parasite issues? I'm not experiencing the rain/damp issues you are right now (wish I was!). Give their legs a rub with some Vaseline, to ward off red mite or other yukky things (damp or no damp!). If you should spot any scaley leg issues, dunk the legs (nothing else) in surgical spirit and then rub Vaseline over the top.

Hot, damp weather conditions can be the bane of a chooks life.

 

Cheers Hb ive bought one before ..no idea where it went,only me could kill one off no doubt i wil get another established for next spring and thanks for all other growing suggestions
I will have no room room for seed swap seeds at this rate chickens

 

Thanks M i didnt know about vaseline for their legs,i have brushed & sprinkled in diatom everywhere(bedding,dust bath areas& coop) thou plus ive creocoted all wood 1st.
They didnt have any parasites when bought as they was checked.ive also wiped the roost bars to check again just in case x

 

Strange! Just posted a lengthy report on this (especially admitting my errors twix Russian Vine and Virginia Creeper?)

Off to problems thread ...

 

Diatom is good; it can stall red mite (which are pesky parasites at the best of times!) Creosote is also a good deterant.

The point is: it is not a case of one application suits all year protection. Vigilance is key.