[shamina]

hi all I've been offline for ages and today is my first day back on and I've been desperste to ask lots of questions. I've been thinking about getting a pet for my sonand started reading up on guinea pigs and was given a hutch but hadn't actually got his pet yet. I went out to my car on the 7th and there was a chicken walking along the street! I thought nothing of it as there are free range chickens down the road. I came inside and lifted my son up to the window and there were 2 of them in my garden. I checked and they didn't belong to the person that I had thought so I left them in my back garden expecting them to go backto their nest when it ot dark. my next door neighbour said that he would keep them if nobody claimed them and would makr them a run so they'd be safe. anyway he went out and just left them and at about 9pm I heard mad rosey and went outside and he'd left them in his garden so I put them in my rabbit hutch overnight and in the morning they'd laid 2 eggs. I just let them roam during the day and gave them some bread and water and then went hunting for chicken food ans asked about for advice. Up to now I've been feeding them on a mixture of wild bird seed, corn, wheat, layers pellets and grit which I think is designed for canaries and such as I got it from wilkinsons. Since they came we've had 2 eggs every morning except one when there was only one egg. they put themselves in the hutch when it gets dark and they seem quite happy. They come running when they see me or my son and are really cheeky and always try to get into the house when the doors open. I'm so pleased with them and my son loves them and they just follow him around the garden and he loves it. Anyway thats the story of how they arrived and I just have a few questions please.
Are the eggs safe to eat as I dont know where the chickens have come from? Is it ok that I've only been cleaning them by running them under a warm tap as I read a link earlier that said that they needed to be sanitised. Also I had a rat in the hutch. I had been putting food in there which they had left as next door were feeding them. I asked them not to feed them anymore and cleaned out the hutch and the garden with jeyes and have only been putting food on the grass for them since and there have been no signs since then. I rang the environmental health who said that they no longer deal with pest control and that it was probably just a foraging rat and that it wouldn't come back if I didn't leave food lying around. Was that a fib to stop my nagging do you think. my husband did leave a trap out overnight while they were shut away but we got nothing. And my last question for now is can anybody tell me the breed please. Providing I can post my pics. I hope everyone is looking forward to Christmas and that you all have a lovely one. Oh and muntjac do you just use ordinary vinegar in the water and how much would I need for 2 chickens please? many thanks I cant get the photos on but will try again.

[Jellyhead]

Hello Shamina, I know you will love keeping chooks judging by the contents of your mail. They are great fun.
I lost 2 chooks and 2 8 week ol chicks in the summer to rats. Once they know where they can get tasty food be it live or otherwise they will just keep coming back. I hate to kill any creature but after what they did to my babies I had no qualms in putting down poison. So far , touch wood, no sign of rats any more. I use Apple Cider Vinegar and would just put a tablespoon in a litre or 2 of water.  Happy chickening.

[wildeone]

does apple cider vinegar kill rats :?:  :shock:

[shamina]

I cant get any pictures on would somebody please be able to talk me through it?

[DD.]

I cant get any pictures on would somebody please be able to talk me through it?

You'll find full intructions in the "Welcome to the Forums" forum under help topics here..........

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=8645

Scroll down to 'Posting pictures in a thread' - it's near the bottom.

[GrannieAnnie]

You just beat me to it DD.!!  I was just copying that link too! lol

Hi Shamina, welcome home!  Sounds like you are spoiling those chooks already!  I woouldn't worry about the wild bird seed as you are already giving them layers pellets which has enough goodness in it already and it has wheat in it too.  But a bit of corn in the afternoon a couple of hours before it gets dark is a nice treat for them, but give them their pellets in the morning as it is easier to digest, but the corn takes longer, so they can digest that through the night, helps keep them warm!

I don't know what's in canary grit, oyster shell and grit is what we give our lot.

As to type, we'll have to wait to see your pics, but once you've put a pic on here, its easy!!  thos instructions DD gave you are v. good.

Apple cider vinegar isn't for the rats Wildeone, but for the chooks, Munty always uses it and so does Aunty and several others, helps sort out gut problems!

Munty isn't around at the moment Shamina, he's hooked up with Agapanthus and they are in the process of moving to Scotland, the little love birds!!!!!   Awwwwww.

Glad to see you back.  By the way, where you getting your wheat and how much? please

[WG.]

You just beat me to it DD.!!  I was just copying that link too!

  That's why I put it my signature

[Fat Hen]

I thought for a mad minute you were washing your chickens Shamina   Then I realised you meant the eggs.  I dont do anything with mine, just collect & eat.  My two young daughters love having the eggs scrambled on weekend mornings and always shout thankyou to the hens after their breakfast.

I would have thought that your eggs would be fine to eat, if your chucks are healthy and you know what you are feeding them then can't see a problem.

Rats are notoriously difficult to trap as they are very intelligent,  you need to find the rats "run" and place it there well camoflaged and best plastered with some local soil to cover your smell.

[shamina]

I give them a mixture because I got the wild bird seed first as I was concerned as they'd just been eating bread and then I went to another pet shop that didn't sell layers pellets so I got wheat and corn on their reccomendations and then I found the layers pellets and so rather than waste I just mixed it all up in a big tub so they can have a bit of variety in their lives . I got the layers pellets from a pet food suppliers in antons gowt grannieannie it was less than £3 for a 5kg bag they sell allsorts if you want directions then let me know. I found it by magic as I only knew roughly where it was and I just told myself that I'd drive for 10 mins and see if I found it and luckily I did. I really am happy with them but they're infuriatin sometimes aren't they. I was trying to get my washing machine outside earlier as it sadly died and I was stressed as it was as I was doing it alone and they were trying to squeeze past it to get into the house and I shood them away and as soon as I got back to the washing machine there they were again. They were helping me look for a wrench in the shed aswell I dont know how I've survived without them up to now it's like having two more babies. I've been eating the eggs and so has my son the yolks are so yellow and I made the best yorkshire puddings ever with them I'll look at the picture link now wish me luck and many thanks for all the advice x

[shamina]

[shamina]

well that didn't work did it and my little angel is still up in the night so I'm off to bed will try again tomorrow :?

[WG.]

fixed it for you

[DD.]

fixed it for you

allotment-garden.org's very own Knight In Shining Armour once again to the rescue.

[wildeone]

WG!!!  :shock:   Thats a new look for you!!! Must take you ages to polish up for a night out!!!

[Aunt Sally]

:shock: Mind what your doing with that sword  :!: