Any fellow chicken keepers here?

[Mum]

The only "livestock" I have (other than my children) so interested to know if there are other chicken keepers here.

So, who are you? How many do you have? How long have you been keeping them? Do you breed?

[Wohoki]

We keep a few bantams about the place. We have a couple of pure-breed Buff Rocks in the back garden, and a load of mongrels and rescues in the field with the ponys. It keeps us in eggs and the occasional coq au vin (when we have to many cocks terrorising the kids ).

We also have some Indian Runner Ducks (superb for the best eggs ever, one a day for 300 days a year, highly recommended) and a Guinea Fowl that just turned up and won't go away.

What I really want to get are some Sumatrans: superb looking birds, and really aggresive (which I like in a chicken for some reason.)

[tristar]

Hi Wohoki,

You had me wondering about that last sentence, until I reached the section in brackets!

[Rivermute]

I have been keeping chickens for a while now. Have 25 Red Sex Link laying hens atm. Chickens are fairly easy if you keep a few but can be a pain if dealing with a larger flock. The secret with chickens like any livestock is to plan in advance and get a proper setup... Jerry rigged chicken coops tend to create more work in the end.

[Franco]

I keep 4 black rock hens and one copper maran cockerel. This is the first year I've had chickens.

They stopped laying in September, does anyone know when they are likely to start again?

Franco

[Rivermute]

I live in a fairly extreme climate... lots of snow and it easily gets to -40c in January/Feb. That being said my girls lay all winter long.. granted not quite as much as in summer. A big factor is light. I don't know what your setup is like but you may want to give them a light on a timer (don't leave it on all night or you will have some very irate chickens). They will also stop laying during a molt.

Increasing layer rations could also get them laying again. Make sure they have plenty of water and if you see any blood flecks on the egg shells give them some oil seed (black sunflower seed). Chickens can be funny and respond well to a bit of spoiling. I get laughed at alot but when the weather is really bad I make them warm oatmeal in the mornings. It could also be a breed issue.

* I should add that they have a covered run and a heat lamp in their coop when the temp gets to -25C or so. I have never had an issue with frost bite and given the choice they will happily go outside as long as they don't have to step in snow.

[Rivermute]

For anyone interested in chickens here is a great resource.. lots of colorful people. Beware chickens are nearly as addictive as sausages!!!

Edit: Guess I should add the URL... http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/

[mother hen again]

Franco, it is normal for the egg laying to slow down and stop whilst they are 'feathering up' for the winter. However, you must keep giving them 'layers pellets and corn', without layers pellets you will not get the flow of eggs. I also add some poultry spice to my chickens food you can buy this either somewhere like Mole Valley or on the internet. I also put a tonic and some 'cider vinegar' drops in their water (the equine kind not the kitchen one, be careful with this as it can burn their throat).
I have about 30/40 hens all kinds of varieties and several Cockerals. I am also a volunteer worker for the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. www.bhwt.org.uk so if anyone would like to 'adopt' some hens this site is a good place to start. For info another good website is www.practicalpoultry.co.uk
Like Rivermute I like to give my chickens warm porridge in the mornings-I also hang down brocilli and all sorts of different veg for them to peck away at during the day, gives them a bit of interest and stops them getting bored. We have a heater inside their accomodation that we leave on for about 6 hours each day when they are out and about its on a timmer so it goes off when they come in otherwise they would be too hot. For me the ultimate is our automatic opening and closing door, would never be without one now, means we don't have to get up at crazy times and let them out - they seem to 'know' the times it goes up and down and they put themselves to bed, been using it for about 3 years now and it works brill..
As you can see me and chickens,,, LOL

[Rivermute]

All of my Red Sex Links are rescued battery hens. I can highly reccomend these birds to anyone! When I first got them they were totally bald and didn't lay at all.. pretty much the mangiest chickens I have ever seen. After a few months they were fully feathered and laying again. At the momment they are the best of my flock. They are so joyful just to have the chance to be chickens scratch in the dirt that you can't help but to be uplifted watching them.

Despite the impracticality of it non of my rescued hens go in the stew pot. They have earned their retirement.

[jaylay]

Franco, it is normal for the egg laying to slow down and stop whilst they are 'feathering up' for the winter. However, you must keep giving them 'layers pellets and corn', without layers pellets you will not get the flow of eggs. I also add some poultry spice to my chickens food you can buy this either somewhere like Mole Valley or on the internet. I also put a tonic and some 'cider vinegar' drops in their water (the equine kind not the kitchen one, be careful with this as it can burn their throat).
I have about 30/40 hens all kinds of varieties and several Cockerals. I am also a volunteer worker for the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. www.bhwt.org.uk so if anyone would like to 'adopt' some hens this site is a good place to start. For info another good website is www.practicalpoultry.co.uk
Like Rivermute I like to give my chickens warm porridge in the mornings-I also hang down brocilli and all sorts of different veg for them to peck away at during the day, gives them a bit of interest and stops them getting bored. We have a heater inside their accomodation that we leave on for about 6 hours each day when they are out and about its on a timmer so it goes off when they come in otherwise they would be too hot. For me the ultimate is our automatic opening and closing door, would never be without one now, means we don't have to get up at crazy times and let them out - they seem to 'know' the times it goes up and down and they put themselves to bed, been using it for about 3 years now and it works brill..
As you can see me and chickens,,, LOL

Hi All,
My three are girls (Belle, Maud and Mrs Hoskins) all all ex battery hens. Rescued them through BHWT in Essex . Well done Mother Hen again and all the other BHWT volunteers. Ive had them 8 months. Ex batteries seem to be very good chickens to get started with. I get at least 2 eggs a day and so far no problems with them becoming broody. Havent gone as far as an automatic door openner. My 5 year old daughter has usually got me up nice and early each morning anyway so letting them out and clearing thie poo away isnt a problem.

[beardedwonder5]

Indian Game. (aka Cornish Game.) Eggs secondary. Best tasting, best textured chicken yet Terrible layers. First egg of the new season yesterday. 14 chickens. Trying to breed for size and fertility and hatchibility. (N.b., fertile eggs can fail to hatch.)

(They say that the number of eggs per year is relatively fixed. But with artificial light you can "rotate" that number to get winter eggs.)

(If you only wish eggs, Khaki Campbell ducks {Kortlang, Ashford, Kent.} Extremely productive. But the strain is very important.)

[beardedwonder5]

I've been rereading my claim, previous post, about the excellence of Indian game. Some background. I have grown White Sussex, Barred Plymouth Rock, the variety used for "Label Rouge", etc. (Also Indian Runners, Campbells, Guinea Hens, and probably some others the names of which will come to me in the morning.) For eating IG is tops.

But there is another aspect to thus. I like mutton, pheasant, venison, mature beef,(all well hung - no maggots), rabbit kidneys - could go on, but you get the idea. I tried growing quail; from my poiny of view they can remain under glass. Pigeon breat cooked rare is ten times better. I much prefer rare breed turkey to Kellys.

What I'm getting at is that IG, properly aged, is robust without being in your face. It isn't lace curtains and a delicate hock.

So I guess you now have some of idea of where I'm coming from. Don't try to raise Indian Game if you're looking for whisps of finesse.

[dbairduk]

a few black and white sussex.... one currently has 4 chicks that are about 10 days old. If anyone wants the chicks they can have them btw.

[Henri Flection]

2 Warrens, a Rhode Island Red and a Maran, all regularly kept on their toes by an English Springer Spaniel and a German Shepherd Dog

[porker]

Surprised I hadn't replied to this before now ... I have kept many types of hen and chicken over the years ... last few years I only have game fowl and a few hybrid brown hens, simply because the rare breeds are silly prices to buy.

I have a small flock of chickens almost ready for the freezer, which were reared under a couple of broody game hens ... I read with great interest beardedwonders post about the indian game fowl ... I've been searching for a long time to get such a rooster to cross with my white flock to see if I can get more breast meat and stronger bone for the larger frame.

Cheers