Questions on keeping your own hens

_AVALANCHE_

So I'm after getting 3 hens, 5 weeks ago now, 1 bluebell hybrid and 2 light sandy brown ones-->don't know what they're called (yet). I knew nothing about keeping them, am I'm learning as I go but have questions that maybe someone can answer.

1) How much do you feed 1 hen a day, I was leaving a feeder out all the time with free range layers mash in it but one of them looks to be abit overweight now, I didn't think they'd over-eat.

Using a standard sized mug as a measure how much should I be giving one hen?

I leave out oyster shells aswell and give them apples, bananas, worms, all sorts every now and then. They seem to eat anything.


2) One of the light brown ones has started to stay in the nest box all the time, I keep taking her out but she just keeps hopping back in....this is a broody Hen?

Do I just wet her belly a few times a day to get her to stop? How often will they be brooding?

http://successwithpoultry.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-stop-broody-hen-from-staying.html


3) How often should they lay an egg, it was working out around 4 each a week? It that abit low?

The brooding or the weight issue (came across a site that mentioned overweight as a reason for not laying) seems to have messed things up at the minute though as they aren't laying really at all now.


4) I keep everything really clean, nest boxes, their house and the area around their house so I'm not expecting trouble with Parasites but what should I be looking out for...healthwise?

Themadhouse

How old are they first off?

_AVALANCHE_

10 months (ish).....bit more

Themadhouse

Blue bells are duel purpose so they will get quite weighty. Do they look abnormally large?
I leave out a feeder with pellets, probably about 3 cups for 4 birds.
Put apple cider in the water it helps with internal parasites and boosts the birds.
When we're they wormed and de flead last?

Realistically at this time of yr you should be getting on average 5 eggs a week from each bird.

The one that seems broody, have you checked her vent? Have you had any soft or non developed eggs?

Themadhouse

Is the one in the nest box laying at the moment?

_AVALANCHE_

Themadhouse wrote: »

Blue bells are duel purpose so they will get quite weighty. Do they look abnormally large?

No, just abit overweight, it's one of the brown ones that's abit over. 150g per bird per day is the guidelines apparently, I bought a proper scales -->150g is around a full mug.

Themadhouse wrote: »

When we're they wormed and de flead last?

I haven't done it so....god knows. They're fine for fleas, are worms common? Will one treatment be enough?

Themadhouse wrote: »

The one that seems broody, have you checked her vent? Have you had any soft or non developed eggs?

Eww:p:o, what am I checking for? Her eggs were fine.

Themadhouse wrote: »

Is the one in the nest box laying at the moment?

She was, not now. She doesn't seem to mind the bucket of water at all!!:rolleyes:

SillyMangoX

I kmow this is a bit off topic but how would you tell if you were taking a fertilised egg rather than a non fertilised one? Besides not keeping a rooster! I would just hate the thought of cracking open an egg and finding a little baby

Themadhouse

I would de flea them just in case. There are so many mites around that we can't see, believe me. Get a dog frontline, pour it into a jar that you can store it. Get a syringe and put 4 drops on the back of the neck. No matter how clean you think you are keeping the house they can still pick up stuff.
This needs to be done every 3 months and a wormer also needs to be done at least twice a yr, more often if you don't use apple cider.
Ok forget the vent check for he moment of she is not laying and if she is not distressed ( fluffed up). She probably is broody. Tbh we have tried the water dip, and it never worked for us. We just make sure that the broody eats every day. If she doesn't come out of the house we leave a small bit of food and water and make sure she has some scrambled egg everyday. It passes after about 3 weeks. If you notice the other 2 have laid you could kick her out and lock the house. This worked well for us when we had a few hens, too many now to do this.

Themadhouse

SillyMangoX wrote: »

I kmow this is a bit off topic but how would you tell if you were taking a fertilised egg rather than a non fertilised one? Besides not keeping a rooster! I would just hate the thought of cracking open an egg and finding a little baby

A certain temp has to be kept to keep the chick developing. Most breeders will take fertile eggs off a hen and incubate them.

_AVALANCHE_

Themadhouse wrote: »

I would de flea them just in case. There are so many mites around that we can't see, believe me. Get a dog frontline, pour it into a jar that you can store it. Get a syringe and put 4 drops on the back of the neck. No matter how clean you think you are keeping the house they can still pick up stuff.
This needs to be done every 3 months and a wormer also needs to be done at least twice a yr, more often if you don't use apple cider.

OK so, I can do them when I do the dogs, I usually get a wormer + flea in one, can't think of the name right now, would you still eat the eggs when treating or leave them for a few days after?

http://www.biona.co.uk/product-560-4.html I got this cider vinegar. Cheap in the health shop.

_AVALANCHE_

Advocate is the stuff I usually get for the Dogs for fleas + worms, bought some for the hens but googiling it, it's not approved for Hens, nor is Frontline though alot of people seem to use it at the word of their Vets (what would they know?) who wouldn't stock an approved product.

Most Vets recommend putting on under the wing:eek:, the perfect spot for the bird to reach and swallow/ingest. Yummy...Frontline eggs:eek:.

I'd be weary with off label use anyway. Frontline stays in the system for a month as far as I can see. If using that then I wouldn't be on for using eggs during that time.

http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/worming-chickens
http://www.orangeguard.com/
http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8351579_natural-chicken-worming-methods.html
http://www.verm-x.com/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/465712/frontline/30 from post 36
http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4619

^^Mostly putting these here so I can find them again. Some useful stuff for beginners.

Themadhouse

We have used frontline for 2 yrs with no problem. One or two drops on the back of the neck twice a yr. there is no problems with the eggs.
Powdering them is a long and awkward process until you get used to it but we found it didn't help with lice nor scaley leg. The frontline covered it all.
We worm them separately with verm x. Again twice a yr a couple, not the Same time as using frontline.

_AVALANCHE_

Themadhouse wrote: »

We worm them separately with verm x.

Where do you get this?

Themadhouse

http://www.munajuree.co.uk/poultry.html?p=2