The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Bright Raven on September 18, 2010, 07:26:07 am
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Sadie, who is a petite eight month old Columbine, Old English Game X must have laid a maximum of 5 eggs before she started sneaking off into a quiet covered corner to start stashing her eggs away. I had no idea untill I found her on a clutch of 11 eggs yesterday. I'm not sure how long she has been sitting on them but she is good and tight. What do you think the chances of her being successful this time of year with the temprature dropping for any chicks she might be able to hatch? The dad is an enormous Blue Jersy Giant but her eggs are still very little.
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if she is safe from foxes etc just see how it goes if dont expect anything and there are hatchlings then its a bonus just keep checking incase there are any rejected etc
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We recently lost more hens to the fox so when we found a Scots Grey hen sitting on a clutch of 17 eggs in the haystack we brought her and her nest into an ark inside a henhouse. We set the nest inside a cut off large bucket (sheep licky bucket) to give it a cup shape for all those eggs. She has food and water inside the ark and we let her out into the henhouse a couple of times a day. She stayed on the eggs straight after the move - this is the most dangerous time when they can just decide to go back to where they originally laid the eggs, hence keeping her in the little ark (also stops others laying in her nest). The eggs are due to hatch any day. With so many young foxes which have just left home prowling around I wouldn't leave yours outside unless you know there are no foxes or other predators around, or if you can protect her in some way. Because it is so close to winter I think it likely that I will have to overwinter this clutch inside the polytunnel - bang go my winter salads, but on the upside all will be well manured for next year :D
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That's a great idea, I could move her to the greenhouse if she manages to do the trick. In the mean time she is well protected with some chicken wire, the whole area has lots of electric fence around so I think she should be safe. Fingers crossed.
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I went to move her today and eek :o fleas. Same in the boys pen but no sign in the layers house.
I have used the first thing to hand - dog flea spray and will keep an eye on them all.
Needless to say after a dose of spray she has abandoned her clutch and has gone back to the ark for a bit of mutual complaining.
Anyone else with fleas at the moment?
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yup, you obviously missed the hideous picture I posted recently :o :o
After trying powder without success I applied 2 drops of cat spot-on which did the job. You could use it on a broody but layers you should withdraw eggs for 2 weeks. Our sufferer was the boy, so no problem. did she go back onto her eggs?? :chook: :&>
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Nope, she abandoned her clutch after the spray and is back with the girls. She was very put out by the flea spray!
I will try some spot on on the lot tonight, I am not convinced that the spray is working 100%.
Sorry I missed your gory pictures I will backtrack and have a look now.