Any tips for looking after hens ?

newtlover

i just bought 4 chickens for my garden.

How can i make them tame and what threats can i feed them ?

i have accomodation and layers pellets for them

what can i do to spoil them and make them happy ?

Run_to_da_hills

Make sure they are well secure at night, hens do attract foxes. :eek:

sorella

You don't need treats; feed them by hand and they will love you forever.

But they also love table scraps; bacon rind is great fun. Used to see two of them one on each end...

Bread crusts, potatoes; and cook the peels. Leftover vegetables.

LisaO

Make sure they are well secure at night

Secure hens are usually relaxed and happy hens. As run to da hills says, make sure they are protected from foxes or any other possible predators, eg, cats, dogs, etc. Hens can tend to upset quite easily & if they are stressed they won't lay.

To spoil them, you can give them edible scraps as treats - bread, pasta, rice, cereal, etc but not meat. Mine also love vegetable peelings, which I boil up & then mix with a bit of corn to feed to them warm on colder mornings. They will soon recognise you (& the feed bucket!) and come running up to see what you have for them. You could then try offering the braver ones some from your hand.

Hens love a sunny spot to sunbathe & also love and need a dustbath - at this time of year it can be hard for them to find dry soil to bathe in, so you could provide some - or maybe some dry peat moss, in a shallow box - just put it somewhere that the mess won't be a problem, as they will throw it all over the place.

Interceptor

Treat them by renting a good movie and putting them on fluffy pillows on the sofa. They love unsalted popcorn and Mamma Mia at full blast. You can have wine, but none for the chooks.


You make them tame by hand feeding, talking to them and handling them - a neighbour of mine lets his 6yr old son bring one of the chickens to bed with him.

'cptr

Dusty87

Yea feed them your left-overs, and once a week give them a boiled egg. Once there still young they will become friendly fairly quickly.

sorella

We would never give eggs to hens..I mean!!!

Meat is fine; they eat worms and insects.. but not chicken.

Dusty87 wrote: »

Yea feed them your left-overs, and once a week give them a boiled egg. Once there still young they will become friendly fairly quickly.

Dusty87

Boiled eggs. No harm in it once a week as a treat. They love it. A breeder for over 50 years from ballycumber, With the current all ireland champion cock and current 3rd place cock told me this. Some of them will eat the eggs the lay the odd time anyways. It never did my ducks or chickens harm anyway. Is there a reason why you dont do this? Would be interested in your reasons
Thanks:D

Rory123

Eggs are great for them mushed up to give back some protein. I would also recommend saving all of your egg-shells, crush them up really fine and offer them to the chickens. Good way of getting calcium back in and it acts as a coarse grit to help digestion in the gizzard. Heavy layers, such as Rhode Island Reds will really appreciate the egg shells.

Newtlover, the most nervous of hens will come and feed from your hand if you offer a big juicy earthworm.

Interceptor

OFF TOPIC WARNING - @newtlover do you actually have any newts? My garden is full of them and I found three on my front step last Tuesday night.

Good luck with the chickens - we only got ours a while back but they are part of the family and will be coming to Tescos with us any day now for a go at the Pick and Mix.

'cptr

sorella

Risky; cannibalism always is.

And the only place for an egg-eater is in the pot.

Bad practice is bad practice.

The list of awards impresses not. Raising for shows and for good layers are very different matters indeed.

Especially here in Ireland.

We kept hens many years; would never feed eggs, and shells must be well-roasted before feeding back.

Over and out.

Dusty87 wrote: »

Boiled eggs. No harm in it once a week as a treat. They love it. A breeder for over 50 years from ballycumber, With the current all ireland champion cock and current 3rd place cock told me this. Some of them will eat the eggs the lay the odd time anyways. It never did my ducks or chickens harm anyway. Is there a reason why you dont do this? Would be interested in your reasons
Thanks:D

Dusty87

sorella wrote: »

Risky; cannibalism always is.

And the only place for an egg-eater is in the pot.

Bad practice is bad practice.

The list of awards impresses not. Raising for shows and for good layers are very different matters indeed.

Especially here in Ireland.

We kept hens many years; would never feed eggs, and shells must be well-roasted before feeding back.

Over and out.

If they are goin to eat there eggs they will regardless. I have never gave them shells but interceptor seems to know what he talking about. Would a well boiled egg not be the same idea as well roasted? The op has them as pets so i doubt she will kill one anytime soon. He dosnt just raise for shows, it happened that way when someone seen his cock (no smart comments) and adviced him on the shows. he sells eggs, chicks etc. I too have kept them for many years, and he has for over 50.

sorella

There are issues which each must make their own minds about.

Cannibalism is a bad practice - period - regardless of how many do it; and we can top that 50 year record of keeping hens.

And in this case, there is no need to feed eggs; protein can be gained and given from other sources more safely.

We have lived and kept hens in many places and never before heard of this bad practice.

But Ireland has the worst record in the world for animal husbandry.

Ask google for "hens eating eggs".

Interesting reading indeed.

Dusty87 wrote: »

If they are goin to eat there eggs they will regardless. I have never gave them shells but interceptor seems to know what he talking about. Would a well boiled egg not be the same idea as well roasted? The op has them as pets so i doubt she will kill one anytime soon. He dosnt just raise for shows, it happened that way when someone seen his cock (no smart comments) and adviced him on the shows. he sells eggs, chicks etc. I too have kept them for many years, and he has for over 50.

luckat

One treat that hens tend to love is sunflower seeds - you'll get big bags in pet shops and feed shops.

Don't feed them chocolate, and don't feed them anything mouldy - both can be lethal to hens.

I used to make stuff called viilli - a Finnish form of yogurt - and give it to them every day and they golished it down, though they didn't like yogurt. Other hen-keepers I know give them khefir. Both cheap and easy to make, once you get a starter.

Whenever I had a problem with egg-eating I went down to the supermarket and bought a dozen eggs and cooked them - scrambled them up with garlic - and gave them to my hens, and the problem would stop. Maybe bad practice, but it was suggested to me by a worldwide chicken-keeping maillist, and it worked.

Back to treats - those chopped-off bits of broccoli from the supermarkets were much loved - I chopped them finer and gave them to the hens and they liked them. Potato skins - not raw but fried up. Occasional rasher rinds - not good for hens (salt) but a much-loved treat.

Don't varnish your toenails and sit in the garden if you don't want your toes pecked. Personal experience speaking.

By the same token, if any hen gets a bloody wound for any reason, remove her from the flock until it's healed - hens have an instinct to peck at anything red, and ugly things can happen.

Dusty87

sorella wrote: »

There are issues which each must make their own minds about.

Cannibalism is a bad practice - period - regardless of how many do it; and we can top that 50 year record of keeping hens.

And in this case, there is no need to feed eggs; protein can be gained and given from other sources more safely.

We have lived and kept hens in many places and never before heard of this bad practice.

But Ireland has the worst record in the world for animal husbandry.

Ask google for "hens eating eggs".

Interesting reading indeed.

I took your advice and googled it. And there was nothing to suggest boiled eggs are bad to feed them. Raw eggs yes, boiled no. Go into backyardchickens.com, scrambled and hardcooked. "Hardcooked and scrambled are a good source of protein and a favourite treat'' and "Feed cooked eggs because you DONT want your chickens to eat their own raw eggs".
Interesting reading indeed.

doctor evil

sorella wrote: »

Cannibalism is a bad practice - period - regardless of how many do it; and we can top that 50 year record of keeping hens.

But Ireland has the worst record in the world for animal husbandry.

This annoys me. Are you really arrogant enough to assume to know how everyone in Ireland keeps animals and arrogant enough to assume that all and sunder are crap at it?

You have given no valid reason why cannibalism is bad practice in the case of feeding cooked eggs. Opinion is not fact.

cos!!

sorella to be fair how is it cannibalistic??they are laying hens as far as i know?the eggs arnt fertilized, so no chicks developing?so its not cannibalism...

newtlover

sadly i have no newts in my garden pond

i have some firebelly newts in my house though

you are very lucky to have native newts in your garden

Wolfsberg

Sorella, please stop bashing Ireland regarding how animals are treated. It is getting to be a bit insulting. There are cruel and irresponsible people in every country of the world, even Canada I'm sure. We are not a nation of petkillers, as a whole. Rant over.

Newtlover... never feed avocado to any kind of bird. Hope the chickens are settling in well. What breed are they do you know? Did u get the run you were talking about?

newtlover

i made a run myself

i used a pretty old dog house for their house

i got 4 rhode island reds

Wolfsberg

Good man! The RIRs are very reliable with the eggs.

sorella

We speak as we find.

Simply that.

As do others also.

The problems need sorting, not denying. Calling the kettle black is not the answer either. Typical though...

Wolfsberg wrote: »

Sorella, please stop bashing Ireland regarding how animals are treated. It is getting to be a bit insulting. There are cruel and irresponsible people in every country of the world, even Canada I'm sure. We are not a nation of petkillers, as a whole. Rant over.

Newtlover... never feed avocado to any kind of bird. Hope the chickens are settling in well. What breed are they do you know? Did u get the run you were talking about?

sorella

If you want to do that fine; cannibalism is always bad. Irish indeed!

Over and OUT.

Dusty87 wrote: »

I took your advice and googled it. And there was nothing to suggest boiled eggs are bad to feed them. Raw eggs yes, boiled no. Go into backyardchickens.com, scrambled and hardcooked. "Hardcooked and scrambled are a good source of protein and a favourite treat'' and "Feed cooked eggs because you DONT want your chickens to eat their own raw eggs".
Interesting reading indeed.

Dusty87

sorella wrote: »

If you want to do that fine; cannibalism is always bad. Irish indeed!

Over and OUT.

Sorell your here to post YOUR OPINION, not shove them down everyones neck. You told me to google it and i did. And what? Its good to feed chickens BOILED eggs (like i said in the first place) not raw ones. Why did you tell me to google it? Did you google it yourself? I asked you nicely why you would not feed them boiled eggs. I didnt ask for you to start a big argument on the pro's and cons of feeding boiled eggs. Give me one site that says its bad to feed boiled eggs. Were here to post our opinions and as much as we'd like to think it, our opinions arnt fact. You have no back up to prove anything you've said is fact.
Oh and ps, dont come on an irish site and say 'typically irish'. If you've a problem with us post on a site more closer to home. And by me saying that, im not speaking for every irish person, im speaking for myself, so dont blame everyone else on this site for what ive said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our man in Havana

Play nice folks. There will be no opinion ramming here.

2010House

newtlover wrote: »

i made a run myself

i used a pretty old dog house for their house

i got 4 rhode island reds

Hi Newtlover, I'm interested in getting 4 or 5 hens. I thought Rhode Island Reds were the organgy coloured ones but I was told that they are Hybrid Hens? Do RIR's give eggs almost daily? Also, is there a particular time of the year to get hens for laying? I'm based in Kilkenny. Anyone know of any marts that sell hens in KK or Tipp areas?

LisaO

Hi 2010house. RIRs are a large, brownish red purebred. The reddish orange hybrids are slightly smaller & are the hens commercial producers use because they are very reliable to lay. Depends what you want really - guaranteed number of eggs every day or maybe the odd days laying missed but hens that you find visually appealing. There are a couple of poultry suppliers who visit Kilkenny mart very regularly - check out the classified ads in the Kilkenny People. AFAIK they only have hybrids. If you are after something specific, then maybe post here what you are looking for & someone may be able to help. I have a very nice Cuckoo Maran cockerel who is looking for a good home at the moment but he won't be of much use to you

2010House

LisaO, thanks for your advice. What I'm really looking after is hens who lay and maybe the odd days laying missed but hens that you find visually appealing. What is AFAIK? I'm going to check out the Kilkenny People for the next visit of poultry. Does your cockeral crow each morning? I'm a novice really about hens. I had ducks years ago and I loved em. Now that I'm building, I've lots of space for a hen coup and I'm looking forward to having a few hens.

LisaO

What is AFAIK?

= As Far As I Know

As far as hens that appeal to you, it's all down to personal preference. Do you like them big or small? Sleek or fluffy? Black, white, brown, striped, speckled? Best thing is to have a look at books, websites, etc to find chickens you like the look of & then read up a bit to see if that type would suit your situation - much the same as with any animal you might keep. Most hens are fairly reliable layers, especially if you buy them as "point of lay" - at the age when they are ready to start laying. Egg production is best during their first year or two & then tends to slow down a bit but there are always exceptions. I have a lovely Buff Orpington hen who must be at least 4 now but she lays more consistently & for longer than any of the others! To be honest, if you want a regular supply of eggs then ducks are a better bet. My Khaki Campbells have all laid an egg every day since they first started laying last August!

The cockerel - yes, he does crow in the morning & during the day, on & off. We have plenty of space & no near neighbours so it isn't a problem, except that we have 3 cockerels at the moment & this poor fella is getting the cold shoulder!

luckat

Another tip: if you have to handle the hens - to check their legs or egg vents or crops, or to clip the end of the flight feathers on one wing if a hen's a flyer, do it at night, when you can extract a sleepy hen with little more than a dozing cluck, do the job and slide her back in. Less upsetting.

eadaoinm

Sorella, if caniballism were rife in mankind, you'd be a tough yolk to swallow!!