Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Munch]

We struggled with this too, we ended up popping our old girl in the incinerator and cremating her.

[Glutton4...]

My last one has gone at the bottom of the next compost bin. One of my elderly customers does this with anything dead that he finds - including a Badger on the verge opposite his house! He says it helps the heap!

[RichmondHens]

If you do bag and bin, make sure it is very well bagged, particularly in this weather! We must have the most offensive bin in the whole of Norfolk at the moment. Given that the bins are only collected every two weeks, and several lots of "remains" can get put in there over that time (guttings from rabbits and chickens, we don't really have whole corpses to dispose of fortunately), not to mention cat litter etc, the bin is just awful, stinky and maggoty. I will have to triple bag it all this week to protect the poor dustmen!

[Glutton4...]

RH, have you tried the pine pellet Cat Litter - worth every penny! Just scoop out the poop, and bung the rest in the compost. You could bury your Chook/Waabbit innards in the compost heap too, if you're rural, that is!

[polo]

RH, have you tried the pine pellet Cat Litter - worth every penny! Just scoop out the poop, and bung the rest in the compost. You could bury your Chook/Waabbit innards in the compost heap too, if you're rural, that is!

I used to use this - not personally of course - the cats that is - until I found out why boy cat was limping. He was allergic to it and had huge blisters all over his pads. It was really good up until that point though!

Jules, lovely photo of Buffy! We have buried our deceased friends very deeply in the garden with a new plant over the top. My daughter was very keen to have a 'proper' burial.
xx

[julesapple]

We double-bagged etc, but we then decided that we would put her in the bait freezer until Thursday morning when the bins are collected. That way, no smells will even develop. And poor Buffy won't spend her last remaining days in the bin, so daftly, it doesn't feel quite so awful. I thankful the DD was sneaky with her hatching eggs now - something cheery to look forward to!

Jules

[RichmondHens]

G4 I do scoop out the poop - what goes in the bin is pretty much just poop and I use the Morrison wood pellet litter which goes in the compost bins. I have two cats which poop outside which I bag and bin when I find it and two kittens which poop in the litter tray. And yes we are very rural and occasionally put the odd dead rodent in the compost but we do generate quite a lot of "remains", too many to put in the compost, hence bagging and binning. It's usually not a problem as in normal weather the bins don't smell too much, but it's just awful in this heatwave!

[Glutton4...]

I sympathise RH - the smell of decomposing rubbish is more than unpleasant. Unfortunately, the current fortnightly refuse collections in most areas, are just not adequate. We're lucky, we don't generate very much refuse at all - plenty of recycling of unnecessary packaging though - but I wonder how large families in built-up areas are coping, especially with this heat!

[polo]

Had a massive shock this morning. Opened the back door at 6.45 to let the girls out and came face to face with a BIG fox! We both froze then I chased him. shot down the garden thinking it would be carnage and everyone was ok but VERY wary!

First time I've seen Mr fox in broad daylight and I don't want to see him again!!.

[Glutton4...]

We get them here in daylight too. They have young to feed this time of year, so take more risks because they need to provide for them.

[Nicos]

OK- bull by the horn n all....after my appalling hatching rate in the Spring I've popped 6 eggs under a banty!

fingers crossed eh??

[Suechooks]

I've just put 6 Hubbard eggs under my broody bantam Orp! She was so thrilled - especially when I took away the golf balls she's been minding for nearly a week!

[Nicos]

Ha!! my gal had been sitting for 3 days with other hens sitting on top of her!

She seemed quite shocked to have an enclosed box to herself and 3 cold eggs under each armpit!!!!!

You could almost see the smug grin on her face!

[Nicos]

Jules- I know the feeling about binbags and dead chooks- feels dreadful doesn't it???

Freezer is a really good idea- a bunny of ours died many years ago when we were on hols- and the neighbour looking after her popped her into our freezer ( triple wrapped)
At the time I was shocked- but in retrospect that was a wonderful thing to do cos the kids got to say goodbye and bury her.

Freezer for a chuck- yup deffo the way to go- esp in this hot weather!

[julesapple]

Candled our eggs yesterday. After the hoo-haa because we didn't want to hatch this year we are, hypocritically, disappointed now. The Marans eggs are too dark and too early to check, the hybrid six look like four might be viable and it doesn't look as if any of the six Serama eggs are doing anything, although we've left them in the 'bator for now as it's only day 7. Might be early days yet. As long as i get a hen to replace Buffy.......

Jules