Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: niceey on September 14, 2014, 12:05
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Hi Everyone,
I would like to ask some advise I have got my two pekin bantam hens and two roosters just over 2 weeks ago.
They have been born last year in March so they are over 1 year old. They seem happy but they haven`t laid any eggs yet. I also would like to give away one of my rooster and get two more hens but i am not sure shall wait until my hens are a bit more settled?Any help appreciated!
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Having 2 roosters can be stressful for the hens, so homing one would be useful.
If getting new hens remember to quarantine for a couple of weeks before mixing.
Are you providing oyster and grit and do they have access to greens (cabbage etc or a lawn)
Are they kept in a run area or allowed to roam free. If allowed into a garden check under everything.
Are they remaining in the nest box and are reluctant to leave.
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Thank you for your reply.I give them pellet and weat,corn & sunflower seeds.We pick fresh grass for them everyday with the children.I have noticed recently one of the hen stays in the coop nearly all day.Is it normal?
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Just give them the layers pellets for now as too many treats make them fat and not lay.
Grass,once picked, has a short life span. Can they free range ( I shake an ice cream tub with corn mix in to bring them to wherever I want them to be...ie not roaming the front garden!!) A cabbage in the run keeps well...pumpkins after halloween brill.
One staying inside might well be broody. Put gardening gloves on as she will peck, doesn't hurt, and pick her up and put her outside the house. If no one laying, shut the pophole. Repeat daily until she stays out.
Bantams do go broody alot.
Any eggs they do lay will need to be stored in the fridge.
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Beware feeding cut grass, it begins to break down very quickly and can cause serious digestive upsets. Personally I would not do this. You could buy some turf, plant in shallow containers (remembering to water) and rotate, allowing the turf to regrow before putting back into the coop. Much safer. :)
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Thank you I will buy some turf.
My lovely hen has been outside all morning enjoying the sunshine. I have just bought some cabbages and broccoli. I hope they going to like it.I haven`t let them out yet because I have read it on one of the forum to keep them in the run until they settled in.I might let them out by end of the week I am just worried they might fly away...
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If the hens appear flighty you could clip off the flight feathers of one wing. Do not clip both wings because then they can usually still fly. If you look on YouTube you should be able to see a demonstration. I think that it is best done as a two person job - one holding the hen and one clipping the feathers. After the hens have moulted the wing feathers will grow again but we have found that by that stage the hens are less flighty.
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If you have had them shut in for two weeks they should be ok now. But if they do fly over a tall wall/hedge they could become disorientated! :ohmy:
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I dont have bantams, but they eat the same food, mine are in a run, they get a lettuce, a chinese cabbage and a cauliflower every day
They also get a couple of hours to ruin my garden, but its usaully the bugs, worms and slugs they eat
They have a really nice egg laying box, but prefer to lay in the run, then let the world know what they have done, I did have 3 cocks, and they all got on fine, but it was unfair to both the hens and cock, so one went off to auction
He is a busy lad, but I dont think he is complaining, he is a big Buff Orpington
I have 2 young Buffs who are taking their time to lay, but they wil when they decide its time ;)
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Thank you for all the kind replys and advises.They did like the cabbage today and I also give them lettuce which they have loved.
I have noticed quiet a lots of feathers on the run today does it mean they have started molting? :unsure:
The other thing I have noticed they don't really like the pellet even when I mix it with corn mix they eat the corn and leave the pellet
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Niceey - please do not mix the corn with the pellets - most hens will do exactly what yours are doing. They do not need the corn, it is a treat but they do need the pellets to be healthy. You could give the hens the corn as a treat in the late afternoon.
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Take care how much lettuce you feed as it can cause digestive upsets. :)