What to do, chook dilemma.

[baldrick]

ugh lets not talk about them. Im still in trauma. Would rather have nits!

[chris]

I'm not sure if eglu's are expensive, as I've never looked at them but if you did want to get a couple more could you get a smaller eglu (do they do one) in the other planter you have - didn't you join them up to give them more room?

[Mikey]

No Chris I was going to join up the planters, but decided to let them wander around in their own garden area instead. It seemed cruel to keep them away from the grass.

If they have got red mite, its time for a steam clean, the beauty of the eglu is that it is plastic, not cheap though. So I doubt I'll get another, though they do make a bigger one.

Dash it look what you've made me go and do... think about, ebaying this one and getting a bigger one!!!

[Glutton4...]

Welcome to Chookaholism, Mikey!

[Mikey]

Welcome to Chookaholism, Mikey!

Don't tell the missus or she'll have me going to CA meetings.

[RichmondHens]

Red blood spots on the yolk are just caused by ruptured blood vessels during the egg's formation and are totally harmless, and this sounds like what you have experienced. Don't go worrying about having red mite unnecessarily. Yes you can get red blood spots on the shell, ie outside the egg, if you have a big red mite infestation but unless you have other reasons to suspect mite (paler combs, reduced egg numbers, refusal to roost etc) then don't panic.

[Mikey]

They don't have any of those RH, but the coop could probably do with a steam anyway, before we head into autumn.

[petal]

well, maybe you could extend it somehow and get another 3 hens to keep you in sufficient supply of eggs. i have a pekin that never lays and I know she ought to be culled but I won't do it - she is nice to look at.

[RedThorn]

I was fortunate enough to have been given an eglu after I purchased 1, so had 2. I tried to see if the 2 flocks would each use their own eglu, but the problem is all the girls squeezed into one. So I gave one away and ebayed the other 1 and built my own one. It was my opinion (I understand each to their own) that mine was easier to clean as the floor was click clack and my coop was on stilts so access was easier for me( that and I could comfortably house 15-20 girls in there) Also whole sections came off so was real easy to gain access.

Like you, found the eglu runs woefully to small and my girls had their own garden section

[petal]

yep, they are diddy unless you keep booted bantams! also a friend of mine says they seem to get hot inside the plastic area on sunny days? but if they are red mite free? Worth noting - in our 8 x 6 shed our pekins huddle closely on the perch and the ducks sleep in an icckle group in the corner - why don't they spread out? snuggling I assume? The best chicken coop for cleaning out is our bog standard shed.!

[yorkshire sam]

With only 3 hens it would seem to me they are pets rather than egg producers. Nothing wrong with that at all, if she's a pet would seem heartless to cull her but if you really want the eggs then you can either leave and see how she progresses or cull and get a couple more. I keep all mine down the lotty and have had a girl who recovered enough to earn her keep. Even so probably keep her anyway ... with my compost heap requirements, eggs are not the only products of chucks, they work hard for me clearing up weeds and pests and the poop they give me is great stuff.

[petal]

yes, they poop a lot! How to get it to rot down more quickly though ?