Hi All,

My partner and I have been seriously contemplating keeping chickens in the back garden and have started to look into this. Clearly the benefits of fresh eggs at no cost and knowing that the chickens haven’t been kept in a pen the size of a shoe box are extremely appealing, but the big issue is really.... Where do you start!!??!!

I’m aiming (in typical Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall style) to do this all at minial (if any) cost. I’m fairly good at being inventive and putting stuff together, so I plan to make a coop from whatever wood I can get hold of, and then it’s just tips tricks and other info to get an idea as to what I need to do and consider.

Here’s a list of a few questions I’ve thought up to try and get some advice on:

1.Is reclaimed pallet wood suitable for the coop?
2.Does anyone know where I could maybe download some free coop designs/patterns?
3.I had planned on putting the coop on stilts so that it made the most use of the ground the chickens have access to in addition to some shade, is this advisable?
4.Will I need to line the insides with anything (like you do with say sawdust for rabbits)?
5.What food will they eat?
6.How much food should I give them each day?
7.Can they just be fed once per day?
8.Where would I get their food from (and roughly what would this cost)?
9.Do you have to look out for illnesses etc, and what do you do if you spot anything?
10.If left to roam round the garden, will they trash the lawn, plants and veggie patch?
11.We figured on 4-5 chickens, how many eggs should we expect?
12.What should you do if the chickens aren’t laying?
13.Both my partner and I work full time, I’ve read you should collect around lunchtime, is this the case?
14.Do they make much noise (don’t want the neighbours giving us the evils )?

Also, last but not least, I'm wanting these chickens mainly for eggs, what's the best variety for that? where (locally to Sheffield) can I get some chickens? and roughly what should I expect to pay for them?

I have read elswhere that ex-battery hens tend to adapt well back into a free range environment (plus it's kind of a nice thing to do to give them a nice home), but are they likely to lay well? and as above, where from? how much etc.

Thanks in advance for all you helpful people out there!

J&S

We've been keeping chickens on our allotment for a year and a half now. I don't see why you shouldn't use reclaimed pallet wood for the hut. It needs to have space for a perch and a nest box and keep them warm and try, with some ventilation at roof level. It also needs to be fox/dog proof. I've heard that stilts are a good idea as it prevents rats nesting underneath.

We put straw in the nest box and cover the floor with some old rubber pond liner and an off-cut of lino, which we clean every day (only takes a couple of minutes to scrape out).

You'll need to feed them layers pellets once they reach point of lay (about 18 weeks), which you can buy in 20 kg sacks. One sack lasts our six hens and one duck about 2.5 weeks. We order it from a pet shop.

So far we've had no illnesses. I'd buy a book (or borrow from library) so you know what to look for. the descriptions are a bit scary, but most will never happen. The only problem we've had was red mite, which infest the hut (not the hen) and was taken care of with some special detergent liquid and dusting with diatom powder.

Yes they will trash the lawn/flower bed. But you can let them run free for a bit under supervision. I wouldn't leave them out unattended as foxes might get them.

We get about 30 to 35 eggs a week from our 6 hens. They have a bit of a break from laying for a few weeks around New Year, when they moult (they look terrible for a while but then grow shiny new feathers). The egg production will slow down after the second or third year. What you do then depends on how squeamish you are - you either cull them and eat them (can be a bit tough but OK if casseroled for long enough) or you keep them as pets.

We have Black Rock hens, which are supposed to be very tough, disease resistant and have a very long laying life (type black rock hen into google and you'll be able to read up on them). Allegedly, black rocks will keep laying reasonably well for over 5 years. We're hoping that puts off needing to make the decision described above.

They do make some noise (mostly just after laying an egg or if something is alarming them), but I don't think it is excessive. But it's advisable to talk to neighbours first - bribery with occasional eggs might help. Don't get a cockerel or your neighbours will probably sue you after its woken them at dawn for the 100th time in a row.

I don't really agree with taking on ex-battery hens. I have this feeling that it is indirectly supporting battery farming by helping the farmer with his disposal problem and can only ever address a tiny proportion of the hens disposed of each year. Plus you'll never get the egg production you'd get from a new hen and they may be more prone to disease.

Good book to read is 'Storey's guide to raising chickens'. It's a US book, but still mostly applicable to UK (you can ignore the part about protecting the hens from coyotes).

Hope that helps.

Forgot to mention. It is illegal to feed any kitchen waste to your chickens, which is defined as anything that has been in the kitchen. I suspect most backyard chicken keepers take no notice though.

I also forgot to mention that it is a good idea to give them a little mixed corn just before bedtime. Also available from pet shop.

I reckon if you sell the surplus eggs to neighbours you could just about cover the feed cost (e.g. six hens eat 1 bag of food at £9 over 2.5 weeks and lay 6 dozen eggs in the same period). Eat a dozen and a half yourself and sell the others for £1 per half dozen and I think you've broken even if I've done the maths right. That might be a bit optimistic on the production front though.

Firstly you are more than welcome to come and have a look at my hen house which I built myself from recycled materials. I paid less than £20 for the whole thing, that was for the perspex for the window, perch materials (shelf brackets and planed timber), and hardware. "Starting with Chickens" by Katie Thear is a good basic book. Now for the questions...

1) Any wood is suitable as long as it hasn't been treated with anything that could harm the hens. They will peck at it to get at any bugs that are crawling on it. Also bear in mind that red mite will hide in any nook and cranny it can find, come out at night whilst the birds are roosting on the perches, and potentially suck a bird dry. Diatomaceous earth is great for getting the mites though and can be dusted on the birds directly, in the house and in dustbathing areas.
2)When I was building my hen house I found the best thing to do was look online and in magazines such as Practical Poultry at professionally made designs then adapt it to suit the materials I had. As a minimum hens should have one square foot each for roosting and one square yard each in the run. Failing finding any free designs (which the few I did find were for large numbers of hens) I bought a CD from ebay with various woodworking designs on for 99p.
3) Stilts is a great idea! Mine is on stilts with a removable floor so I can get in fully for cleaning etc. There's nothing worse than fighting in a small place with a large broom!! It also provides shelter from the hot sun, the rain, a dry place to place the feeder and somewhere that they'll probably use to dustbathe. It will prevent rats nesting underneath too.
4)Hens poo a lot whilst sleeping. As chicken poo is a great fertiliser it is ideal to put down something that will also rot down on the compost heap, such as either newspaper or shavings, although shavings don't rot very quickly. I use shreded paper. You'll also need a bit of straw for the nestbox. Don't use hay though as it can contain mould spores that will affect the respiritory system.
5)They will start on chick crumb, then move to growers pellets from around 8-18 weeks old. At arond 18 weeks they are classed as POL (Point of Lay) and will move onto layers mash or pellets. Pellets are far less mess but ex-batts will be fed mash at the farm so need weaning onto pellets when they are rehomed. You can also give them treats at tea time such as various veg or mixed corn. The staple of the diet should be the layers pellets though as this is a pre-prepared and nutritionally balanced. You'll probably also need to give them mixed oyster shell and grit. There are various other supplements such as cider vinegar and poultry spice which helps get them through the moult.
6)I started off with just four hens which ate a bag of layers pellets every 8 weeks. I used a large feeder which they ate from ad lib. However since the pheasants found it and as my hens fully free range I now only feed a small amount in the evenings putting down more until they have filled their crops.
7)I feed mine just once a day, however as mentioned above they are free to find their own food the rest of the time. You'd be as well to use a hopper feeder which only costs a few £.
8.)Most pet, equestrian, or country stores will stock basic hen feeds. A 15-20kg sack of feed will cost around £8-10 depending on what it is and where from. If you want to pm me your location I can perhaps advise further.
9)Hens are hardy beast and tend to either be happy and thriving, or very unwell! If you see one standing looking moochy then there is probably something wrong with it. Katie Thear's book does list some of the most common problems and symptoms. Otherwise post on the pet lovers forum on here, or forums such as Practical Poultry, River Cottage, Down the Lane, or the yahoo group for ex-batt lovers (welcome non-ex-batt owners though) with the symptoms and we'll all try our best to help. Some simple things are easily dealt with. Others will require a vet. Most small animal vets only have basic hen knowledge though, however there is a specialist poultry vet at Retford should you want to go there.
10)Yes, yes and yes! Generally speaking they won't eat any poisonous plants though but if you value your garden then leave them in a run and allow them supervised free ranging. If you don't mind losing the lawn then just fence off the veggies. Hens will jump up to 4' as a general rule depending on the hen!
11)It all depends on the breed. If you have ex-batts you can expect 4-5 eggs per hen per week. You can get some that lay more but for the average family ex-batts will provide more than enough. They also make fab first hens and I have known a lot of families more than happy with theirs. I currently have a variety of breeds as laying pets which you are welcome to see them and judge for yourselves. There are also breeds that lay tinted (blue or green shelled) eggs such as the araucana.
12)It really depends on the reason. Every hen moults once a year so they put their energies into growing new feathers rather than eggs. During this time you may find certain supplements will help. Also giving growers pellets instead of layers pellets will nutritionally help them. Ex-batts may stop laying for a few days-weeks when rehomed as they grow new feathers but some are avid layers and never miss a day! Laying is also dependant on the time of year. Most hens lay fewer eggs through the winter, a few stopping completely until the days start getting longer again.
13)I work full time and collect in the evening. It's never been a problem for me and my hens.
14)My hens will happily chortle amongst themselves as they wander around the yard. Morticia who is currently broody and sitting tight will protest as I collect the eggs but is not overly noisy. Most of the girls will anounce that they have laid but this is only for a minute or two at most.

For ex-batts try www.henrehomers.net who have a collection point just off junc 1 M18. www.bhwt.org.uk have Lincoln as their nearest collection point. Otherwise if you want pure bred or pol hybrids try www.storrspoultry.co.uk or www.rawgreencottages.co.uk. It all depends on what you want as to how much you pay.

If you want to come for a nosey at my lot then just give me a shout on pm. :)

Cookies if you get this far :D

I would love to keep chicken but we cannot do so in our area

This is good point angelique as our house as does all the houses in our estate has a clause in the house deeds which forbids the house owners keeping chickens. If your property is not freehold and you did keep chickens the leaseholder could legally evict you. Even if you have bought the freehold if the prohibition is in your deeds it gives your neighbours legal rights to insist you remove them instantly. So check your deeds or rental agreement if you are renting.

there are some good tips to keeping chickens on omlet.co.uk.
Our neighbour had a chicken run delivered from them the other day and i had a nosey on the website.
Very posh but expensive.

Hi all,

I have 7 Rhode Island Red Hens but all have not layed for 5 weeks now.
Where as 5 weeks ago I was getting 4 eggs one day and sometimes 6 the day after. But now nothing and are last years point of lay hens.

What can I do to encourage then to lay again?

Who knows the answer?

Kind Regards
Steve

Hi All,

I have 6 ducks but how old do thay have to be before they start laying eggs?

Kind Regards

Steve

Hi all,

I have 7 Rhode Island Red Hens but all have not layed for 5 weeks now.
Where as 5 weeks age I was getting 4 eggs one day and sometimes 6 the day after. But now nothing and are last years point of lay hens.

What can I do to encourage then to lay again?

Who knows the answer?

Kind Regards
Steve

Have you checked the birds AND the house for red mite?

Also, have you changed anything in the feed?


J

Hi Bob Sue,

I have always given the hen's poultry Mix and were all laying fine till 5-6 weeks ago, But I have not changed the feed.

Kind Regards
Steve

The other day I also checked for red mites but did not discover any at all. I looked in great detail with the touch but all I found were one or two only green fly and the odd spider.

Kind Regards
Steve

The other day I also checked for red mites but did not discover any at all. I looked in great detail but but one or two only green fly and the odd spider.

Kind Regards
Steve

Hi Steve,

(by the way it's JueBob - nickname not real name lol)

There's currently twelve rescue hens running round in the back garden at the moment and they give between 5 and 8 eggs a day, but I did worry when for a few weeks they only laid 2 or 3 from 12.

Sometimes it's just a cycle they go through. Have you noticed any of them malting their feathers? That can cause disruprions, as can other animals being around, noisy dogs, cats or maybe foxes.

Hopefully the barren patch will be over soon for you!


J

Hi JueBob,

No I have not noticed any feathers, Do you mean they've all decided to be broody and sitting on no eggs.

How do they just switch off from making eggs then switch back on when ready? I really don't understand, Hens are very clever.

Kind Regards
Steve

The other day I also checked for red mites but did not discover any at all. I looked in great detail but but one or two only green fly and the odd spider.

Kind Regards
Steve

Hi, can I ask how you checked for redmites please? Did you check at night when it was dark? You run a white tissue under the perch and see if it comes out with any red spots on it.

Hens don't lay continually all year round. Some hybrids lay almost all year then turn their toes up and go to the big coop in the sky after two years or three if you are lucky. Some breeds of hen lay as little as 100-160 eggs per year. Commercial hybrid hens eggs deteriorate in quality towards the end of their second year. I have moved over to pure breeds for this reason but it depends and what you want from your hen. I have moved from egg laying machines to egg laying pets that live longer but lay less eggs.

Hi Chez2,

Thanks for replying,

My Hen hut does not have purches it just has nest boxes inside. My hen hut looks like a signal box the botton half has an meshed area with steps up to the top half and the upper section has pleanty of room to roost. The hut is made from tongue and groove planks and its the gaps in the wood that I checked for mites. But I will try a white cloth next time but I am quite sure its not red mites.

Its a complete puzzle why they've stopped laying where as 5-6 weeks ago I was getting between 4-6 a day from 7 Rhode Island Red hens.

Kind Regards
Steve

you cnt go wrong with info from henhugger we got ours off her from henrescue and there still going strong even after 2 years .

i built my coop out of old fence panels given to me free its off the ground on stilts and they have there own run to go into which is around 10ft by 7ft , we had them on top end of garden but destroyed every thing up there so now in there run and loveing it , dnt let em eat tomatoe leaves they are posion to chckens also dnt give them meat but nearly every other stuff they can eat we have 8 but 1 is very broody and hogs the eggs sod she is

Yes henhuggers post is very comprehensive.

It might not be redmite but just take care. A poultry keeper on a poultry forum I'm on has just lots all her birds to redmite and she didn't realise what was going on until it was too late. You can only check after dark unless the infestation is really bad. When RM first hatch they can be as fine as specks of white pepper and you won't see them until they grow and feed on your chickens blood. They can breed a second generation in a week. Do you use redmite powder or spray on a weekly basis?

Your hens might be going through or about to go through their annual moult. What breed of chicken are they and how old are they? They can be knocked off lay by changing their food (I found this out by accident when I changed mine) and by a spell of hot weather.

Hi Chez2,

The hens I have are

1 Araucana - blue eggs
1 White Susses - white eggs
5 Rhode Island Reds - normal brown eggs


Annual moult - How long does that last for? It might be that, Is this why you were asking if they were fethers in the nest box?

Kind regards
Steve

[QUOTE=koikeeper;7765429]you cnt go wrong with info from henhugger we got ours off her from henrescue and there still going strong even after 2 years .

i built my coop out of old fence panels given to me free its off the ground on stilts and they have there own run to go into which is around 10ft by 7ft , we had them on top end of garden but destroyed every thing up there so now in there run and loveing it , dnt let em eat tomatoe leaves they are posion to chckens also dnt give them meat but nearly every other stuff they can eat we have 8 but 1 is very broody and hogs the eggs sod she is.

Hi koikeeper,

Tomarto and also rhubarb and daffidills are poisiness to annimals. Rhubarb has Oxallic acid in the leaves did you know?

Kind Regards
Steve

Hi guys. Just reading the thread. I'm a new user & need to reply to 5 topics before I can post! good thread by the way!

The moult can differ so much between birds. I find my older birds tend to take longer to moult and to come back into lay. It can help to give them extra poultry vitamins or tonic at this time of stress but don't over do it as too much is as bad as not enough. The birds that go through the moult fastest are the best layers. I didn't know if this was an old wives tale but it seems true for my flock. Some of my old commercial hybrids did still lay a bit when going through the moult but the eggs weren't very good quality and they took ages to moult. At the other extreme I have a trio that seemed to drop most of their feathers in one day and the rest of them over the following few days. When I first went into their pen after work I thought a fax had been in as there were white feathers everywhere. They looked oven ready for a while then like Porcupines for a few days. They were back to laying withing a week or so even though they only lay about 180-200 per year.

Your birds:
Araucanas - very nice but expect to lay about 150 eggs per year.
Rhodies and Sussex lay about 260 per year. Light Sussex are the best layers of all the Sussex, speckled Sussex the worst but very pretty.

The number of eggs does vary depending on the strain and show birds lay considerably less than utility strains of the same breed.

A pullet hatched early in the year can lay all through her first winter. Birds stop laying at different times but once she becomes a hen she will probably stop laying when light levels drop in winter. I have a breed that are good winter layers to try and plug the egg shortage gap. I also hatch every year so have pullet eggs in winter.

I've just thought but my post is getting long now.......how often do you worm them and what with? Worm infestation can put a strain on them and reduce egg laying.

Hi Steve the blade, Does this mean your from Sheffield and not an Owl?

Steve

Hi All,

Still no eggs, I feel very shell shocked, I will be forced to go to Asda.

But as regards to worming, I use Verm X Pellets to worm my hens which come in a 1.5kg jar priced at £41
I only put a lite sprikle in thair poultry mix once a month.

The Verm x pellets also says that this product fattens your hens up for the dinner table it does say on the label.

But I don't fancy eating mine but I know some owners do.

kind Regards
Steve

Vermex aren't very good and don't kill all worms. You need to get some flubenvet powder and dose their food daily for seven days. Marriages sell some pellets that are already dosed with flubenvet. They need treating like this at least two or three times per year, more if you have a lot of stock and keep them on the same ground, which I know doesn't apply to you.

Overweight hens stop laying. You're not feeding them scraps, wheat or corn are you? To get the best out of your hens feed them only layers pellets with a few greens for them to peck at. Wheat, mixed corn and table scraps should be given sparingly as a treat. I know this to be true as we are sometimes guilty of giving our girls a scoop of wheat or corn but if laying slows or stops and its the time of year I expect them to be laying then we cut out the 'treats'. Within a few days they start laying again. Mine get enough exercise to run it off as they free range but it doesn't take much to make them overweight and stop laying. Extreme hot weather can knock them off lay a bit too.

If you look at my earlier post and the number of eggs they lay per year you can see they will not lay all year. Most birds lay 5 or 6 eggs per week but there will be at least two months per year when a bird will not lay. This depends very much on the breed but doesn't apply to hybrid egg laying machines who can lay an egg per day virtually all years round until they get to the moult. This is the time when commercial farmers get rid of them.

How much is flubenvet powder?

I used to feed my hens Layers pellets last year layers pellets but this just make's the hens poop allot more ive noticed, I find that Poultry mix they like much more like makes them poop much less.

Last year I put two dishes out together one full of poultry mix and the other full of layers pellets then I let all the hens out and sure enough were all just fighting for the poultry but was not interested in the layers pellets, not until till poultry mix had gone.

Have a look at my pictures

http://trainmonster.webs.com/


Kind Regards
Steve Smith

Hi Chez2,

How long have you had hens then? Ive only had mine since last September or October

Steve

You can get flubenvet from CWG at Worksop. I send off for mine as I buy big tubs which are much cheaper. You don't need the big tubs.

I'm not sure what poultry mix is. Letting hens decide which food to eat is like offering a child a balanced dinner or a plate of sweets. The hens will go for the sweets rather than the balanced meal. Good layers pellets and clean water will not make them poop more than a healthy hen should. Sort out their diet and they should come into lay again. Fat hens can have problems laying and they eggs and die from complecations.

I have kept ducks, geese and chickens for over 11 years. I do breed some of them too but I'm only a hobby breeder and have only ever sold 6 birds. I have to hatch enough incase there are more cockerels than pullets (young hens).

Hi Chez2,

have got ducks myself,

2 Indian Runner ducks
2 Campbell ducks
3 Aylesburys

I have only kept ducks since March this year, but not had any eggs at all from them, but there only between 8 and 12 weeks old anyway.

But how old do they have to be before I start getting eggs from them?

have you seen my pictures?
http:// trainmonster.webs.com

Steve

Yes I've seen your cute duck pics. Ducks start laying at about 6 months, give or take a month. It could take longer depending on breed, hatch date and how they are kept.

I sold my younger ducks and have just kept my old ladies. I have two 10 year old runner crosses and one duck which was in the first batch I ever got. Shes 11 years old now so I can't imagine she will be around for much longer.
I've moved over to keeping and breeding chickens. I keep lots of different types but only breed three types of pure breeds, all are LF. I have three tiny Pekins for my 5 year old niece.

Hi Chez2,

Are you from Sheffield?

I live in Manor Top and I have turned and sacraficed my large back garden just for my Hen's Duck's and Rabbits.

I have partitioned my back garden into three, The ducks and Hens get the largest section at the bottom of the garden then I have patitioned between from the garden path in the centre back to the house along one side and one side is for me in a morning with my breakfast garden table and unbrella and the other side is for the rabbits. The rabbits section is still a large area but I have meshed the grass area they have and the sides thay have a tube to run through and the huts stay open all night all day every day.

For the ducks I have made two ponds one higher than the other with water pumping out of the lower pond up hill into a filter box then clean water flows into the top pond which then flows down a waterfall into the lower pond.

It was all out of my head and never thought for one minute that it would ever work but it did first time just from drawings I did on paper.

Now I'm doing lengthy epic to you instead of you to me.

http://trainmonster.webs.com/

Steve

I'm on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham. It must be a good filter to deal with that poop! Take care you did the sludge out of the bottom of the pond otherwise the water will go anaerobic (black and smelly). This can contaminate the eggs and make the ducks ill.

When I first started with a few ducks I used a baby bath but then went onto a big sunken corner bath.

Hi Chez2,

My ponds are dug out of clay with and I used large plastic pond moulds both ponds which hold 500 gallon of water each. I have to clean the filter every day and i drain the pond once a week. I can see the bottom of both ponds which are crystal clear after being drained out and fresh put in.

I was thinking of getting some stickle back fish from a open pond to make the ducks dive more what do you think?

Steve

Hi Chez2,

My ponds are dug out of clay with and i used large plastic pond moulds both ponds which hold 500 gallon of water each. I have to clean the filter every day and i drain the pond once a week. I can see the botton of both ponds.

I was thinking of getting some stickle back fish from a open pond to make the ducks dive more what do you think?

Steve

No, don't.

Hi Chez2,

No don't, what stickle backs No Don't you mean? I thought ducks liked fish.

Steve

Runners are paddlers not swimmers. Other ducks will swim and dip their head under but not dive totally under the water. Even with a good filter it will get pooped up and go smelly so the fish will not live.

Well Chez2,

You seem very clude up when it comes to hens ducks and fish, But I know that buying a pump for my ponds with ducks is more trouble than its probebly worth. I have been having to clean the filter sponge in the pump almost on a daily basis and this is mainly because theres no grass left on the ground near the ponds and the ducks come out with wet feet walk on the soil garden it just goes into the ponds. And I supose you right about the fish, it would just make matters alot worse.

Steve

Where do you start!!??!!

You start with a mummy chicken and a daddy chicken who love each other very much.

That or a clucking tart and a right cock, 10 pints and some coke up their nose, dogging in a town centre. :cool:

HI Chez2,

I will give flubenvet powder a try for my hens, how much does it cost?

I will email you some pictures this afternoon of my ponds and hen huts when the sun is right.

I am also thinking about lawn turfing around the pond areas where the hens don't go. You will see what I mean from the pictures.

Steve

HI Chez2,

I will give flubenvet powder a try for my hens, how much does it cost?

I will email you some pictures this afternoon of my ponds and hen huts when the sun is right.

I am also thinking about lawn turfing around the pond areas where the hens don't go. You will see what I mean from the pictures.

Steve

I don't know because I buy the big tubs. Last time I looked it was almost £20. Phone them and find out.
http://www.cwg.co.uk/contentpage.aspx?tabId=317

You might get it at other agricultural shops of maybe some big pet stores. It will last you ages. Its cheaper on line. I buy the 2.5% 240g tub but you don't need this. The 60g tub of 1% is fine if you only have a few birds.

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Flubenvet-1-Medicated-Premixture-60g/productinfo/FLUBMP1/

Hi Chez2,

Hay thanks for the link I will try the second the second link that you sent.

By the way got one egg today so I hope the rest follow suit or i will just replace them.

Kind Regards
Steve




I don't know because I buy the big tubs. Last time I looked it was almost £20. Phone them and find out.
http://www.cwg.co.uk/contentpage.aspx?tabId=317

You might get it at other agricultural shops of maybe some big pet stores. It will last you ages. Its cheaper on line. I buy the 2.5% 240g tub but you don't need this. The 60g tub of 1% is fine if you only have a few birds.

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Flubenvet-1-Medicated-Premixture-60g/productinfo/FLUBMP1/

Hi All,

Still no eggs, I feel very shell shocked, I will be forced to go to Asda.

But as regards to worming, I use Verm X Pellets to worm my hens which come in a 1.5kg jar priced at £41
I only put a lite sprikle in thair poultry mix once a month.

The Verm x pellets also says that this product fattens your hens up for the dinner table it does say on the label.

But I don't fancy eating mine but I know some owners do.

kind Regards
Steve

Not read all posts, but to prevent worms, I use 'Natracare cider vinegar' bought from a poultry supplier and put a cap full in the water every few weeks - so am hoping this is right info... Seems to have worked for us for our ex-bat warrens

One thing that does happen every 2 months or so one of the girls drops a few eggs with no shell or what looks like a shell which is really spongy...
Not sure why, we provide plenty of grit and oyster shell, but stilll we get this every now and then - all ex-batts, whether this has anything to do with it......

Any ideas??
Thanks

Not read all posts, but to prevent worms, I use 'Natracare cider vinegar' bought from a poultry supplier and put a cap full in the water every few weeks - so am hoping this is right info... Seems to have worked for us for our ex-bat warrens

Cider vinegar doesn't prevent worms or kill them but it does help a bit. The amount of vinegar you add depends in the size of the drinker you have. I will look the dosage up if I remember. I use a measuring scoop so I don't have to keep looking the dosage up.

The cider vinegar makes their gut a little more acidic which helps keep them healthy but can't be used as a wormer. It also prevents the drinkers going green in strong sunlight but it should only be used with plastic drinkers never metal ones. If you use it with metal ones it corrodes the metal and the hens ingest the metal in the water.