Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[polo]

It must be the light up here then cos my girls are laying between 12 and 14 eggs a day! The Marans are getting into the swing and most days giving me 3 (not bad from 4 hens) and one of the Orps has restarted as have the new Batties. The Silkies are laying for Wales so will doubtless be broody very soon!

Mine are also laying like the clappers - they are really earning their keep!

[RichmondHens]

Yes mine are all getting into the swing now. Bantams doing really well, all the young blue egg layers are laying and one lays a whopping double yolker every few days too. Out of the LF the Marans are all laying as are the LS, two out of four Minorcas, and the oldest Leghorn. I caught Mr Leghorn doing his stuff today with one of the young girls so looks like she'll be laying any day now too. Still waiting for the Orps and the old crossbreeds but they're all red as cherries so hopefully soon. Welsummers are being lazy as ever, only one out of four laying so far and I got really cross yesterday as when I was taking up fencing while moving their enclosure I found a whopping nest of old eggs that had obviously been laid in the undergrowth at the end of last season that I completely missed. Now all stinking and rotten of course and half of them broken into by magpies and other wildlife - what a waste.

[jessmorris]

By the way folks, has anyone else tried Fancy Feeds? I've had my girls on them for about a month and they look fantastic! Is this coincidence or is it a much better feed than the usual plastic 20kg non fancy bag of pellets?
Just wondered..
Claire

[Nicos]

Well- interestingly, for the last week we've been having 3-4 eggs a day after only one or two . Strangely enough we also got our first Marans egg yesterday after several months of 'resting'
Must be the warmer weather!....they had a bit of a shock this morning though- there's a good inch of snow everywhere- and it's still falling heavily!

[RichmondHens]

Ooooh snow Nicos. Are you going to have much do you think?

[Nicos]

We have about 3cm on the lawns etc- but the roads are just wet- they must have absorbed some of the heat from the sunny day yesterday.
However- the hen enclosure is snowy

te he...look what I found! ( tis too big to post the piccie!)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_inztztbPyf...2010%2B022.JPG

[Nicos]

Hope it doesn't get this bad!!!!!

[julesapple]

Just been on the phone to Marriages to order some Flube pellets. Twenty kilos £18.50 delivered, and they are soooo nice and chatty.

Gave the girls a hot bread mash mushy thing this morning. We bought an almost out of date granary loaf for 40p and I've mixed it up with hot water, some old Horlicks and some poultry spice. It's gone down a treat in this horrible weather (very cold, wet and snowing but not to settle) I'm always amazed just how hot they'll eat mashes!

I'm in two minds about the snow - the grown up in me says No! You don't want that! but the inner child is longing to see deep white snow!

Jules

[Nicos]

We've had rain- and the snow has almost gone. Ah well- it was pretty whilst it lasted!

[Glutton4...]

By the way folks, has anyone else tried Fancy Feeds? I've had my girls on them for about a month and they look fantastic! Is this coincidence or is it a much better feed than the usual plastic 20kg non fancy bag of pellets?
Just wondered..
Claire

Yes - they are a local company to us, I use their Layers/Growers/Waterfowl and Corn. No complaints here.

[polo]

By the way folks, has anyone else tried Fancy Feeds? I've had my girls on them for about a month and they look fantastic! Is this coincidence or is it a much better feed than the usual plastic 20kg non fancy bag of pellets?
Just wondered..
Claire

Yes, I have mine on Fancy Feeds and I really think it is a good feed. I swapped from smallholders because that is a real pain to get hold of round here.

[julesapple]

We bought Fancy Layer's Pellets before Christmas as the aggri place didn't have our usual brand. Lately, after two or three sacks, we noticed that the girls were looking really good. But...duhh...I never thought to attribute it to the change in pellets! It's obvious now that Claire has mentioned it!

Jules

[julesapple]

Ordered my Flube pellets yesterday and the sales staff said they'd be three days....they arrived at 7am this morning. Now that's what I call service!

Jules

[Jax]

Hello all, I can join in your chook chat now Gonna go check they have settled in their coop as they had to be put in them as they were perching on top instead!!

[RichmondHens]

My turkeys are coming! My friend contacted me yesterday to say she had decided to part with the breeding pair after all. She's also giving me two extra turkey fellas which I can eat if I wish - I definitely wish!