The Poultry Keeper

black rocker · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 67 Location: NEWBURY

greetings all - sorry i have been away so long, but all has been quiet on chook front at home, and we have got ourselves a little springer spaniel just before christmas so have been doing doggie questions!!!

anyway, i need assistance if anyone can advise - nearly all of my girls have started to lay outdoors for some reason! and of all places in a holly bush - only found the nest by accident, and upon clearing there were 25 eggs (from 7 girls). I kept them all in for a couple of days, then felt cruel and let them out again.

they have now found another holly bush to lay in (16 eggs this time). apart from keeping them in to lay until they re-educate themselves, has anyone got any tips? i have china egg in each house (ark for 5 banties) and shed for 4 black rocks. the main thing i dont like is the big girls being kept in as they have no run to get some sunshine - just the light from the window, which isnt great. is there going to be too little in the way of light and then they arent going to lay?? etc etc Confused

any suggestions will be much appreciated!!

Aussie Chick · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:22 pm Post subject:

Welcome back! Whats the name of your springer? Any pics??

Confused

not sure about your hens. sorry!

debcat · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 7:24 pm Post subject:

mine have a load of nest boxes and corners in the barn
BUT
they still lay under a bush in the ditch Evil or Very Mad

fenwoman · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:11 pm Post subject:

Keep them shut in their coop and run until midday.By that time they will have laid. Once they get into the habit of laying in the nestbox you can let them out earlier again.

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3469 Location: Monmouthshire

Check they have no reason for NOT using the nest box. Red mite are unlikely at this time of year, but something may have spooked them.

chicken_house_man · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 124 Location: Brynmawr

Can you move the holly bush nearer their coop?

Beth · Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 1 Location: East Yorkshire

Don't wish to be pedantic........... but wouldn't it be easier to move the coop nearer the holly bush? Laughing

I'd go along the lines of henwife - sounds like red mite or something preventing them from using the boxes.

Beth

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

black rocker · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 67 Location: NEWBURY

hi there - springer is called jack - will post a pic in general thread!

they have been doing better, have been keeping them in sometimes til lunch sometimes all day. Today i had 2 eggs from the black rocks, and one from the lbanties, yesterday it was the other way round.

i dont think we have mite - the only shock may be the dogs arrival? he does sniff round the back of the house.

heres hoping that retraining is just necessary, as moving the hollybush aint an option! Very Happy

also, i could almost expect red mite in the big house as its a cheapie b&q shed, but the other one is fine - not a sign there,but will double double check just in case. Rolling Eyes

fenwoman · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:22 pm Post subject:

I doubt you have redmite at this time of year. It's a summer dry hot temperature problem. The dog sniffing about behind the shed might do it. Have you checked the shed over for rat holes?

black rocker · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 67 Location: NEWBURY

no, i havent actually - will have a look around in daylight see if i can find anything... had 4 eggs in there (from 4 girsl) yesterday, so we may be making progress.. but rats are a concern - though never found any, my OH has seen suspicious holes before now, so need to have a good look i suppose - ugh. Gonna carry on keeping them in til around 2/3pm until the weekend, then see what happens. Will keep you posted. Thanks for the suggestion FW.

fenwoman · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 12:58 pm Post subject:

you won't always see rats. They are very cautious nocturnal creatrures. You may see holes, or droppings, or evidence of gnawing but if you don't really have experience at recognising the signs it is difficult. It may be safest to assume that you haverats and start a safe baiting programme right away before they reach epidemic proportions and start attacking your hens.
Don't get me wrong. I like rats. I even have a pet one. They are one of earth's best survivors, are very intelligent and have strong family bonds but in the wild they are a pest and for poultry keepers, a very big pest and need to be coontrolled efficiently. I personally recommend buying some bait stations and using tomcat2 wax blocks. You place them around perimiters of buildings, under sheds and the like and leave them be. After 3 weeks check for bait being taken. No other animals apart from rats and mice will be able to take the bait. They are safer than break neck traps if you have other animals, less distressing for them and you than a live trap where you have to shoot the rat (drowing is very cruel and illegal) and there is no secondary poisoning of other anmimals like cats if they catch a dying rat which in all honesty cats generally don't do as they instinctively avoid sick or dying animals and in any case the rats tend to go down into their nests to die.