Poultry
Siting the hen house
Sunday 23 May, 2010
There are three small paddocks at Dalmore. The hen house is going in one of them. After much deliberation, we've decided to upgrade the fencing on one, for now, to poultry proof stock netting, so that the chooks are a bit restricted in where they go. The vegetable garden is quite far away, in poultry terms and will be rabbit netted around the perimeter, but we think this is the best idea for now.
To do this, we're dividing the largest of the three paddocks into two, which makes them all roughly the same size, maybe 1/2 acre each (that's a guess, for now). We'll put water in the four and gates between and rotate the sheep round them too.
Turkey poults
Sunday 9 May, 2010
We took some time out yesterday to call on our chums, Andrew and Janis. It was great to see them and their replacement telly - an incubator! Andrew is the keeper of the CSSA incubator and is just hatching turkey poults. They are cross bred white, bronze and blacks - the breeder runs all his stags and hens together over winter before seperating them in the spring, so the first eggs are of indeterminate breeding.
I thought they would be really ugly - I think turkeys are pretty ugly, to be honest - but they are lovely. Some are brindle and some are black with yellow undersides. They are much calmer than poultry chicks - and very curious. While we had our tea, little heads were poking out of the brooder to see what was going on. One stands on the feeder so he can see better.
Red mite
Monday 3 May, 2010
Damn, we've got red mite in our big hen house. I was cleaning it out this morning when I spotted the wee b*ggers. Squished a few as revenge, but decided that wasn't a great solution.
In some ways, if it was going to happen, this was as good a time as any. My hen numbers are quite low - about 25 or so, and although I was planning to restock, I haven't done anything about it yet, in anticipation of the "flitting". We also have three other houses that have been sitting empty since last autumn - these should be able to accommodate all the hens at a squash. Finally, we were going to dismantle the house anyway for moving. The plan was to dismantle, move and reassemble in one day, but now there's a new plan, which is probably better.
Bye, Harvey
Friday 30 April, 2010
After the recent cockfight, Harvey was clearly top cockerel and Hector was confined with a couple of hens, for his own safety.
Fortunately, a friend of ours agreed to rehome Harvey along with my two remaining Light Sussex hens. I took them down last weekend to join the new "scabbies", as Bob calls the ex-batts he's just got. Hopefully, they'll all settle in - Harvey certainly seemed very happy with his new flock.
I was shocked at the appearance of the ex battery hens. I've only seem photos before but some were almost featherless. They seemed very bright and active though, so once their feathers grow in, I'm sure they will be fine. Maybe there should be photos of them on the "value" egg boxes.
Cock fight
Friday 16 April, 2010
Hector's lame; Harvey has obviously seen his opportunity to usurp him and there has been the most awful fight. I came back on Wednesday from the stables to find both of them covered in blood - mostly Hector's, I think.
He's now in isolation, with a hen companion, and I've bathed his wounds in Dettol. His right eye keeps closing and has to be bathed so he can open it, poor boy. Fortunately, he's a canny big soul and, apart from pecking at Felix when he got too close, he's been very easy to handle.
Hobbling Hector
Thursday 8 April, 2010
Hector, our Copper Black Maran cockerel, has a limp. Actually, it's a real hobble. He was limping yesterday, so I caught him and bathed his foot in hot water and Milton fluid. I am guessing that it's his foot that's the problem although I can't see anything in it or any significant swelling.
Dan says he was fine this morning but he was pretty lame this afternoon, so I caught him again and did his foot in the same way. I'll keep up the bathing for a few days and see how he goes. I did shut him in the broody coop, but he looked so miserable and Dan said he wouldn't fit through the entrance to the nest area, that I let him out.
Broody no more
Sunday 4 October, 2009
The broody has given up. She decided yesterday that motherhood wasn't for her and, quite literally, flew the coop. She was pacing around and when Dan opened the end, she shot out in a flurry of feathers and rejoined the girls.
I wasn't sure if she would sit and I wasn't that bothered, given the time of year but this morning, she's fluffed up on a nest box. Needless to say, she's been hoiked out. Talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it!
Ruby moves in
Friday 2 October, 2009
I found Ruby on the kitchen table yesterday. I removed her then went to make my lunch, only to find that she had eaten half of all the tomatoes in a dish on the worktop - I mean she had eaten half of each tomato, so none for me. The back door is now closed.
Broody update
Tuesday 29 September, 2009
The broody is sitting tight but has ejected six eggs. I don't know if they are the six I put in later - if so, how did she know? Maybe I just put too many in but the eggs were definitely ejected from the nest box. D-Day is 18th October.
Ruby stows away
Tuesday 29 September, 2009
I don't normally name hens but we have a particularly tame Warren, that I have named Ruby. Our hens usually aren't tame but Ruby will be stroked while eating out of my hand. She also makes regular forays into the kitchen.
This morning the taxi that takes our daughter to school arrived. While waiting for Lorna to get her coat on, the taxi driver was polishing the car. With the boot open. And in jumps the bold Ruby, intent on stowing away. The driver shooed her out - although when he suggested she might make a good dinner, I explained that she'd only manage stock.
