[clairebeau]

Hello all!  Not sure i'm doing this right but here goes.
I hope you won't all shout at me for getting my hens before learning everything there is to know, but we sorted out our hen house and fenced in the garden, asked around and found ourselves (me and my 5 and 6 yr old lads) with Daisy and Sarah last week!  They've settled in very well, and seem very cheeky and tame, even though they came from a VERY tightly packed SMALL shed of LOTS OF 19 week old (and a bit stinky pooh!) brown hens!
We've had 11 eggs since, they have found the smallest gaps and been to visit the neighbours, pinch uneaten fairycakes, dropped marmite butties and half finished glasses of vimto!   :oops:  I found 1 in the lounge yesterday and Sarah fancies Toby the cat!
I have a couple of small worries so thought i'd be brave and stop lurking on here and pop up and ask away, as your all so helpful and kind (i'm a creep!)
When I lifted them up (after visiting nextdoor and pinching what food they could get out of my kind but gullible neighbour!) They seemed awfully thin!
How I know this I dont know, but what I take to be their breast bone seems so razor sharp underneath, they have absolutely nothing eitherside of it, just feathers!  I've been giving them free range of our medium sized, wilderness(!) garden and pellets available to eat all day, and of course access to fresh water at all times.  They have bright eyes, and seem very perky.  They've found massive worms, eaten slugs and snails(yippee!) and the ants dont stand a chance!  As you may gather, I'm delighted with our hilarous and very busy ladies, so i'm sorry if i've gone on a bit!  Just hope i'm doing things right and thought you'd be able to offer some advice, support and encouragement.  Keep up the grand work on here, it's been lovely reading about everyone else!  Cheers, Claire. X

[compostqueen]

Hi  

If they're well and eating that's a good indicator. I think egg layers are light birds generally speaking, mine are, but if they're eating their layers and mixed corn, as well as stuff they find when free ranging, their diet should be ok.  I keep mine in for a while in the morning before they're allowed out to free range, for them to lay their eggs and eat some pellets, that way I know they're getting them

Someone in the know will be along shortly to give more detailed advice

[blulagoo]

Maybe worm them just to make sure they are getting the goodness from their food and not some parasite?

Auntie recommends Flubenvet and that is what I have started using but I'm no expert as I only got mine in April.  

Also one of my girls (an ISA?) which is a brown hybrid seems a lot 'thinner' than my others - although I just think this is her body type - a bit like people - they vary a lot!

[clairebeau]

Also one of my girls (an ISA?) which is a brown hybrid seems a lot 'thinner' than my others - although I just think this is her body type - a bit like people - they vary a lot!

Lucky girls eh??!!  Must say, I'm not one of those 'Types'!  But know what your saying.  Will have a trip to the supply place today and check out the worming side of things, then its done and crossed of the list.

Thank you. x

[poultrygeist]

Hope I don't give you a second trip out today but you need to give them some grit and oyster shell (oyster grit is a mix of the two) so they can grind down the grass and corn. Not sure how much you know already but a good browse through the forum and then ask as many questions about feeding regimes, hygiene, eggs, foxes( :shock: ), cleaning out, poo, etc, etc and you'll know more than any of us.  

Sounds like you're giving them a far better home than they had before so well done you and also read the help section about posting photos or you'll cause a riot if there aren't any in the next 24 hours or so.  :roll:

rob  

[Vember]

Just wanted to say Hi and welcome

[clairebeau]

Sounds like you're giving them a far better home than they had before so well done you and also read the help section about posting photos or you'll cause a riot if there aren't any in the next 24 hours or so.  :roll:

rob  

I know you'll have been asked this many times before-or maybe not, as everyone may be better on their PC than I am on mine, but how do you shrink photos?  Or infact, how do you put a photo up on here, and where??? I'm more trouble than I'm worth to be honest!!!

Mind you, you are all a friendly bunch, completely bonkers and enjoy the odd tipple or binge(does drinking everyday copious amounts still count as binge???) :oops:      Think I've found home!   So i'm sure you'll put me straight!!!

[Vember]

Hey Claire

For photo's have a look here it'll help

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=19476

And you'll never be any trouble, just ask away any question, I've had hens for 3 years and I'm still learning  

[poultrygeist]

Sounds like you'll slot straight in here Claire !!  

[Jellyhead]

Hi Claire, youre girls sound great, naughty and cheeky, right up my alley. Was great reading about them. The only time you will get told off is when you dont post piccies and you seem on to that already

[GrannieAnnie]

If your new girls are hybrids, they are bred for egg laying, not eating, so they will never be chubby!  But fat hens don't lay good eggs, or any eggs sometimes!  so you want them lean, but if the breast bone is too prominent, perhaps once you've wormed them and they've had a bit more of that good food, you'll notice their bones less.

From what you've said about where they came from, sounds like a good worming, and also have you checked them over for lice and mites?  the lice seem to cling around warm spots like under wings and near vents, and the mites will only be on them at night, but if there were mites at their last place, they could have hitched a lift on the chickens to yours.  Look with a torch all over your hen house particularly cracks and perch ends.  The mites start grey, but get redder as thy chomp away on your chooks blood, tiny little things they are scurrying around all over!!!!   YUCK!

Oh and hi from me too!!!!

[clairebeau]

The mites start grey, but get redder as thy chomp away on your chooks blood, tiny little things they are scurrying around all over!!!!   YUCK!

Oh and hi from me too!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

It's enough to turn you to drink!!!  What I need see, is a tough, strong chap to come along, with said torch, and shine it for me!

Oh dear, I tried so hard to appear sweet and 'normal', but I can't carry it off for long!  I'm just a raving, man mad lush!  Haha

C. x

[Daisycow]

Hi also!! We have some 16 week old pullets and they are scrawny little so and so's, we got them at 10 weeks and they have always been skinny. They are in with the older girls, who were all wormed about 2 weeks ago, so they would have been wormed too, still skinny. The other are all 8 months-ish - year old and you can feel their breast bones too. And one of them eats like there's no tomorrow!!! she barges the others out of the way to get to the food and if they find a worm or slug in the garden, she usually ends up with it through theft!!!  :roll:  
Might be worth worming them though.

[Kate and her Ducks]

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

It's enough to turn you to drink!!!  What I need see, is a tough, strong chap to come along, with said torch, and shine it for me!

Oh dear, I tried so hard to appear sweet and 'normal', but I can't carry it off for long!  I'm just a raving, man mad lush!  Haha

C. x[/quote]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Think you are going to fit in just fine! Can't find a tough strong chap of my own but if there is anything I can do to help just ask. Live in liverpool but work in Crewe so if anywhere near could pop in and meet the girls.