[Cluckyclaire]

  good morning all, I wonder if you can advise me please, one of my hens (orpingtons) has been in and out of the next boxes like a yoyo yesterday and today, scratching the bedding about but no egg as yet, I have three girls and they are about 23/24 weeks old and getting redder combs/wattles, this one is making a lot more noise (for the last week or so) and is eating and drinking fine, do hens go in and out of the nest boxes before they start laying, am just worried she cant get the egg out, am probably worrying too much!

Also I am planning on worming them (routine no other reason) and understand they can only have the treated pellets during this time, their run is on paving with a layer of prunings in the base that are changed each week, they nibble at the leaves etc and scratch about in this so it keeps them occupied, would i need to have the pen totally empty for the 7 days when they have the wormer in their feed? they enjoy scratching about in this and it makes poo picking easier, could i put in a really thin layer perhaps?

Right, am gonna go check those nest boxes again.....

Cheers all

Claire

[Cluckyclaire]

Right, no egg hehe.... so i let the girls out of the run and got on with cleaning the coop, Martha went out into the garden then started making a racket and tried get back into the coop?? so i had to shut the door as i had sprayed it with poultry shield, cleaned up and laid fresh paper under the perches/bedding etc and she has gone right back in! am hoping we will have our first egg soon! have had them 7 weeks so eagerly awaited! 

[nerdle]

Glad you asked worming questions.  I started thread 'Flubenvetting' and found although people were very helpful there was divided opinion. Lets see how people respond this time.

[sneezer]

So she laid her first egg (just been on chat)   As for your clippings I would leave them in, I understand the worming week to mean no treats like corn etc. mine free range so will be eating grass bugs etc whilst being wormed.

[New shoot]

Glad you asked worming questions.  I started thread 'Flubenvetting' and found although people were very helpful there was divided opinion. Lets see how people respond this time.

Think I missed your thread on this Nerdle  , but personally I keep all other food sources down to a minimum when worming with flubenvet.  They get treated pellets and no treats.  if they peck a leaf through the wire, I don't stress, but you do need to get the required dose into them for it to work properly, so I don't let them free-range during worming time 

Like gardening, there are always lots of different ways to get to an end, but this works for me and keeps my lot fit and well.  In answer to your question Cluckyclaire, I wouldn't worry about the prunings unless they are eating loads of them and carry on with your worming plan