Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: muntjac on December 07, 2006, 15:20

Title: moulting time
Post by: muntjac on December 07, 2006, 15:20

so ur birds are going to stop laying when they moult , hang up cabbages on wire for them to peck at .feed loose leaves and cauliflower choppings from the green grocer ,, feed handfuls of chickweed if you have it . throw a couple handfuls of barley seed on a plastic sack .opened out . pile the barley up water and leave to sprout , just wait till the sprouts are 3 inches tall and then feed them to ur birds.  get a pint of maggots from angling shops and throw them on the pen floor and let them peck away . or get a ball like the ones for dogsthat have a hole in . fill with maggots and sit back and watch the cocks V the hens in peck ball  :wink:

Title: moulting time
Post by: richyrich7 on December 07, 2006, 16:50

Nice tips thanks Muntjac! I'm still waiting for my girls to moult they have been laying since Oct '05 and showing little signs of moulting yet, wish they would get on with it! I can have a really good clean out of their house then.
Question for you we had a fox in the garden last night looking around the shed in which my hens nest in. Do you think a fox could break the glass window to get in? Personally I don't think it could, but the roof of the run is just under the windows. Just to add the opening window is always left open for fresh air but is protected with weld mesh wire nailed and screwed to the frame.
Cheers Rich

Title: moulting time
Post by: muntjac on December 07, 2006, 19:43

it would have a good look at the window , it needs wiring as well .if not fot foxes to stop wayward footballs etc / check the wood work isnt being got at they will chizel through given chance . chicken meshing the first couple feet up may  dissuade them. as will nails in thin battens and tacked on to the sides again :wink:

Title: moulting time
Post by: richyrich7 on December 07, 2006, 20:18

Thanks, I'll check round the back in the morning. I can't see any signs of damage but it's better to prevent it, I've got some carpet gripper rods laying about so they can go on the back of the shed away from kids and hens.
Must admit it's made me think a bit becuse I quite often let them free range around the garden during the day and even if I'm not in the garden, so no more freedom when I'm not out with them.

Title: moulting time
Post by: muntjac on December 07, 2006, 20:22

better still make the boundary fox proof.. wire fencing buried in the ground etc . go round ur fencesetc looking closley for holes in the bushes etc.  cover all possible entrances  with mesh .put broken glass behind the wire soon as the fox feels a sharp in its paws it will go looking elsewhere to get in
. how would you get in if you was a fox  :roll: