The Poultry Keeper

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:21 pm Post subject:

weeg again !!! blimey twice in one night,

you can usually tell if an eggs been nipped by frost as the yolk looks kinda swirly when you crack it, but hard frost like they have said will crack i it open, eggs dont last to well when they have been left out in the freezing temps too long either.

we have been feeding the birds some oats in the mornings just soaked in boiling water until soft with garlic added as it warms them up for the day ginger is a good internal heater too !!!!

thats the root Nanny P not the chocolate covered type !!!!.

weeg xx Very Happy

Aussie Chick · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:46 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys.
The OH shut the girls in tonight and never colected the eggs. i'll go out and collect the eggs in a bit, armed with a torch and jumper!

HeatherBB · Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 154 Location: Chelmsford

my new big boy escaped this evening

, just before dusk and where did he go?? raced straight in to the big shed and snuggled up with the others!! love together

cinnamon gave him a right bashing!! and there I was worried that HE may be a bit of a bully!! (he must of been lonely on his own last night) Have just put in the new nest box's however cinnamon and honey havent laid today

- not sure if its the change of routine as 'george' had the small house where the girls used to lay any way the baby orp seems to have claimed one of the 3 nest box's as a bed!! sleepy1

: have now taken some pictures so I will try and put them into the gallery tomorrow Think

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

thank you for the stories heather ~ I love reading them. Cinnamon obviously only wants to sit on someone else's eggs thank you very much!

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 12:38 am Post subject:

He may be happy like that Smile

Is there a perch in the house as some birds like to/need to perch and may be he is clearing the bedding so that he feels as though he has something firm to stand on.
If you dont have a perch, try putting one in across the house so he has the option.

RE the five hens in one nest box- when we put in newbies in the layers house they all try to cram in a nest box or lie in a big pile in a corner, it takes a while for them to realise that the perch all the other girls use is for them too Very Happy

The funniest part is watching them tussle for the best 'seat' by the window(where they cant see anything anyway cos its shuttered) or by the shed wall.
They dont think of jumping down running round and jumping back up in the desired location....nope..... they have to peck each opponent into submission(until they fall off the perch) so that they can move closer to and then reach their objective Very Happy

......trouble is they all want the same seats Very Happy

just like people really Shocked

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Thanks Rich
He has never bothered to perch since I got him. He's been in two different houses and has ignored the perches apart from the first couple of days when he was shut in and then he would perch next to the window. He seems to be ok - so guess I will not interfere!!!
My one hen that used to perch no longer does since the weather got cold - and there doesn't seem to be any argy bargy - it's more a case of 'all pile in' Smile

I suppose I have to trust that they know best and just let them get on with it!!

Thanks again
Debs

HeatherBB · Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 154 Location: Chelmsford

Its funny cos I always thought that 'top of pecking order' climbed to the highest perch to 'lord it above the rest' but honey sits at the bottom!!well they all seem happy in their own positions - although I had to pick up the baby orp a couple of times and move her as she crawled and sat under the perch's - she was starting to get a bit dirty and more importantly a bit smelly!! tongue2

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

I think mine 'stays on duty' - so she is in the right position in case of any danger. (She also has never perched)
But she is always the last to go in the house after helping me patrol the garden to make sure everyone is in and no predators have breached the perimeter fencing,.

She is SO good at it!!!

In fact today - she gave one of my wyandottes a real telling off for 'passing beyond the gate' absolutely not allowed and not safe rofl.

Sorry going off the subject of condensation here!!! Embarassed

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:24 am Post subject:

Our buff Orpingtons in their house always push their perch out of its supports and sit on the floor in a huddle Very Happy

I guess at 18lbs our Frank (the cockerel) is probably too heavy to perch comfortably all night Very Happy

Alot of the time he sits on top of the girls -such a chauvanist !!!

poultry poofs · Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:29 am Post subject:

Condensation?.............oh that.............hummmmm...........probably need a bit more airflow through the house just to keep the air fresh without introducing a draught.
Holes high up above the roosting area are better to avoid draughts on the birds.
Holes low down just give rats a ready made excuse for making themselves at home Evil or Very Mad

Nisi · Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 164 Location: Yorkshire

Although this thread is about condensation, I have been very relieved to hear that so many of you have chickens that do not perch. OH provided me with custom made perches of the correct size with the edges carefully rounded off and none of them have ever used them. I have tried a couple of times to show them by lifting one of them onto it. Much squawking and flapping and straight off giving me an indignant one eyed look !
I also put a branch of suitable dimensions in the run and they have completely ignored that as well. However, when I had introduced the new girl and then subsequently left the wire basket type cat carrier in the run a couple of them wanted to perch on the edges of it when it was open ! They must have delusions of being circus stars on the high wire rather then gymnasts on the beam. Rolling Eyes

shelly · Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Glastonbury

I think I have managed to suss this one out. Thanks to all your replies, I am not worried about them getting cold, or about them using the perch, or not using the perch.
I managed to get a look at another ark and i realized that i sealed the floor space to the walls, when i needed to leave a small slit to let the air travel up the walls, over/past the chickens.
I'm leaving the drawbridge hole open until allot later to increase the ventilation and they don't seem to be bothered. 4 of them like to sit just around the pop hole quite happily.

Thanks for your suggestions though.

from Shelly

HeatherBB · Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 154 Location: Chelmsford

tiz a pleasure Shelly!! Very Happy

Nisi · Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 164 Location: Yorkshire

Finally, the photos of the new draught-proofing. Sorry, it's taken me so long.
[img]http://gallery.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/d/4821-1/10th December 2005 046.JPG[/img][img]http://gallery.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/d/4819-[/img]

There should be 2 photos above but one doesn't seem to be showing - sorry !