Leaving food / water in the chicken run

[kathyd]

Hi all - Lots of food for thought!

Corris - yes, we do have kennels but we only got the dog in October, and she was already a rescue dog living with a foster family and we didn't want to traumatise her any more with kennels so early on. Originally her foster family was going to take her back for xmas, but then their plans changed so it fell through. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how it goes!

Corris / Chris - did wonder about suspending things and whether it kept vermin at bay - I suspect not, as RH says they seem to be able to get anywhere. We've inherited mice and quite probably rats (if we believe the pot of rat killer left behind!), and we're struggling to get them out of the house let alone the outbuildings. So will leave water out, and their tummies will have to rumble for their brekkie as Polly and RH suggest .

Suechooks - I'm obviously not familiar with your feeder then - I assumed it was that thing chickens have to stand on to open the lid (cost over £100)... will have to explore further!

VVG - when are you coming to France?? And whereabouts are you going?

Eggs - yes RH, agree they need collecting regularly. Although only 2 are laying at the moment, they both lay in the same place every time, so IF they laid one a day each for 4 days all in one box, it could be full in there by the time we got back! Plus one of them - a nice, steady, reliable little hybrid - appears to be going broody I think! She's spending hours in the nest box, sometimes producing an egg and sometimes not, and yesterday I caught her rolling her egg around and settling down on it all fluffed up - she gurgled at me and flounced when I removed it, but stayed in the box for quite a while afterwards and wouldn't even come out for her supper! Must unlike her usual gannet self. Something to watch... better leave my neighbour a pair of stout gloves, just in case!

[Corris]

I think I'd probably put her into kennels anyway as long as they are good - vomiting every 10 minutes for a thirteen hour journey twice in a week is fairly traumatic I would think. But we have a lovely kennel run by people who have become friends nearby.

I was asking because OH is a huge fan of all things French, and the thought of having no option but to drag the dogs backwards and forwards would have put me off terribly!

[kathyd]

Hi Corris

Hmmm, I was tempted for a while to be honest, but our vet has said she'll give us some medication for the dog since it's such a long journey, so we're going to try it and see this time. We're hoping that if we take her out in the car often enough, she may get used to it eventually - she'd hardly ever been in a car when we got her, so it's a new experience for her. She was also a bit twitchy and nervous - not scared or anything, and she settled in with us straight away and loves being 'top dog' (well only dog ) in her new home, but she jumped at every little sound, and wouldn't even go out of the house unless we were with her, so it seemed wrong to make things worse by putting her into kennels so soon. She's now fairly confident though, and seems to interact well with other dogs and people, so maybe next time . She'd love to interact with the chickens too, but for some reason they don't seem to want to play when she drops her rubber bone on them while they're sunbathing... She's had a peck on the nose once, and one of the smaller birds always faces her down if they get into a staring match. It's really funny watching her trying to sniff at their bottoms as if they're other dogs . And before anyone cries 'danger!', we don't leave her on her own with them or where we can't see them, and most of the time they just ignore each other. Now next door's dog is a different matter, hence the electric fence!

[Suechooks]

Have you tried Rescue Remedy to combat the travel sickness? I used to give it from the night before (in their dinner) and then every hour or so. It reduces the anxiety. Worked for my dogs when I used to show them and helps a lot at bonfire night and new year.

[kathyd]

No I haven't Suechooks, good idea. Something else for the UK shopping list I think! We can try it for short journeys here before risking it on the longer ones.

[Suechooks]

My dog stopped needing it after a few journeys!