my chooks and my impatience

hotterotter · « **on:** March 17, 2007, 13:50 »

OK, two weeks ago I bought 3 hisex pullets and they're now 21 weeks old and still not laying. They live in a 10x10 enclosure at bottom of my garden (see pic). They eat a 2:1 mix of mixed grain and layer's pellets, they can eat as much as they want but each chicken has about 4-5 ounces a day. The soil is quite gritty so I haven't given them grit and I'm holding back the oyster shell until they start laying and they have access to water all the time and also greens to eat seeing as they've eaten nearly all the grass. So why no eggs yet?

hotterotter · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2007, 13:51 »

forgot the pics, infact I don't know how to post pics

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2007, 14:26 »

Hi hotterotter

Info on posting pics here http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=630

My girls did not start to lay until they were about 24 weeks old. So no need to panic yet :roll:

Munty is your man for feeding and I'm sure he will be around sometime soon. I just give my girls layers pellets and a few treats in the afternoons. Plenty of greens (although it does give Gerty the trotts) :roll:

I hope you like the site and well be seeing lots more of you

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2007, 14:36 »

Mmmm, feed seems okay, although Munty will say don't overfeed them.
They are not moulting are they? if not, perhaps they are just a little late in starting like Aunty's

muntjac · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2007, 14:40 »

oh and you dont get egg shell if ua dont give em summat to make it .cos eggs in skins dont werk

cant make concrete without cement my friend , read the chicken posts on poultry pages and it wil give you a great sounding in feeding them

frazzy · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2007, 17:00 »

any tips on how long spent battery hens take to come back into lay. i wanna get them fit and healthy and in egg prodution .

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2007, 17:50 »

How long since they have been out of the cages frazzy. They will need to come back to good health first.

muntjac · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2007, 19:40 »

erm how long a piece string?

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2007, 20:00 »

Twice as long as a piece half the size Munty.

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2007, 22:13 »

one of our ex battery hens laid an egg in the car on the way home last September, whilst some of them have never laid. At the moment we are gettig up to 36 eggs a day from 45 chooks

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2007, 22:27 »

Quote from: "grannieannie"

one of our ex battery hens laid an egg in the car on the way home last September,

Oh.. bless that chook, I really admire you for taken on so many exbats grannie :!:

Quote from: "grannieannie"

At the moment we are gettig up to 36 eggs a day from 45 chooks

I think that's amaizing you must be looking after them well.

Even if they don't lay eggs its great to give them such a wonderful end to an otherwise miserable life :!:

frazzy · « **Reply #11 on:** March 18, 2007, 09:35 »

i dont know how long they have been out off there cages as i bought them from a market there were 10 pens but i only bought 1 pen to start with .they are not in the best condition they are very thin there little chest bones are poking out and very feather pecked . i hope i can get them back in tip top shape . i have also contacted the rescue people from that link on one of the previous threads to get another 10 . they look so sorry for them selves.should i feed them on layers pellets or try and fatten them up or could they have worms? sorry so many questions.

muntjac · « **Reply #12 on:** March 18, 2007, 12:10 »

worm .... feed and spoil with veggies and other birdy treats until they wiegh 2 kilos or so then read the articles on keeping thme healthy on the site in poultry pages

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #13 on:** March 18, 2007, 15:24 »

They may have some new neighbours soon Aunty, OH is talking about geting some meat chickens, and has promised me this year we will have some turkeys!

We bought some wire mesh yesterday at the auction, 100mtrs, so just have to get some wooden stakes and he needs to get his act together and build another 2 sheds!!!!!

Our grass gets less and less every year. I'll have to scan some photos of when we first moved here and thought we had a big meadow, to what it looks like now with a 20ft container, 3 sheds, 2 chicken sheds 2 greenhouses and a polytunnel, all of which was done on a small budget and most of which is 2nd hand!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #14 on:** March 18, 2007, 21:58 »

Sounds as if you are really enjoying your birds grannie

Do post some pictures of the turkey's when you get them

Chooks or 'Not fair' chooks ?? Started by Mega on The Hen House	8 Replies 3307 Views	September 04, 2010, 20:55 by Bantymad
What do chooks like to eat Started by alisonwo on The Hen House	13 Replies 4543 Views	May 13, 2009, 13:54 by too many girls
new chooks!!! Started by avilla on The Hen House	2 Replies 1361 Views	April 09, 2011, 20:12 by daisy1990
Wet chooks Started by SusieB on The Hen House	4 Replies 1441 Views	June 06, 2009, 11:54 by SusieB