Jobi-Wan

she won't be covered fully until about a week after the second jab. Or so my vet told me today.

cat is with Petplan E&L have the worst reputation!

Parklands at Aston usually have shavings stocked.

Hi Zerocool, I'm Jo the Co-ordinator for Sheffield for Hen Rehomers UK (formerly North London Hen Rescue). Have a look around our website by clicking on my link and if you have any questions feel free to ask, pm, or come and see me and my ladies. You can also get hens via http://www.bhwt.org.uk (who's site I think you must have been on as John in Lincs is their nearest co-ordinator, and incidentally where I got my first four hens from), or you can get POL (point of lay - approx 18 week old) hens from http://www.storrspoultry.co.uk or http://www.rawgreencottages.co.uk if you did want to pay a fair amount or wanted pure breds. Ex batt hens are approx. 72 weeks old when we get them from the farmer rather than them going to slaughter. At that age they enter their first moult and egg production and uniformity reduces so they become economically unviable and are replaced. But as Puddinburner says with a bit of good feed and TLC they soon start laying again, and bigger eggs too! I'm not too sure when our next rescue will be, it was due to be December but at the moment egg prices are quite high so farmers are hanging onto their stock a little longer, but please bear with us, nobody gets forgotten. If I can help further please just ask but search for other chickeny threads as there's loads of good info on there.

I'm at Hellaby, just off M18, junc 1. PM me if you fancy popping over and I'll give you my number to arrange. I built my hen house based on a 5'x3' trailer lid and with old fence posts as the supports and sheets of ply for the walls and roof, incorporating a window. It cost me about £20 in total and would probably house 15 hens, but I only have 7 in there at the mo. I also used shelf brackets and timber stud walling batons for the perches and it's off the floor to give shelter underneath. It doesn't have to be fancy as long as it's fox proof and does the job it was built for

I might have a few bits of wood lying around. How big are you wanting to build it? I built mine if you want to see how I put it together when collecting the wood?

I have 2 ferals living in the garden and Oscar and his new kitty friend in the house, that's enough for me

what area?

I do think there needs to be a certain amount of responsibility from anyone selling or rehoming an animal to make sure that the new owner has the knowledge and tools to ensure the animals continued welfare. If there was a publicly available list, would every seller be bothered to check it?

Ooh, when is the next free session in Rotherham, need to get the new kitty chipped

yes, lots of bunnies get out of gardens, it would make sense. All my horses are done too... just in case

I went to the saddlery on Saturday looking for Christmas ideas... and came home with a kitten But she is beautiful so could be tempted

If you wany to come and see mine and have a chat/ ask questions then you are welcome

try http://www.parrotlink.co.uk or World of Pets at Harlington.

Nothing like a bit of competition to keep you on your toes

How adorable! I miss my ratties, maybe one day...

I'll leave some ready knitted (by lovely SF'ers) jumpers for any baldies coming out at the next rescue with Sarah as I'll not actually be at this rescue (gutted as it's the only other weekend I had something planned!). My OH will hopefully be helping out that day though so between them they'll be able to trim claws if needed, but otherwise it's as easy as trimming a dogs and you'll be given instructions on it anyway before the day. I'll be contacting each of the rehomers prior to the rescue to arrange collection etc so you'll have my number if you have any problems, even though I won't be there on the day.

First of all don't panic, it's all relatively simple You'll obviously need the hen house (and run) with straw in the nest box and shavings on the floor (there are lots of variations on this!), they'll probably sleep in the nest box to start with. You'll also need a waterer and a feeder with layers mash in. Introduce new foods slowly as they'll only have known the mash so far. Stick to giving treats such as mixed corn just once a day, at tea time, they'll soon learn then to come to you. They will prefer the treats though but the layers mash and pellets is a balanced food and has the nutrients they'll need to continue to lay. They'll be very hungry when you get them home as they'll have been starved before heading off to slaughter. They may go off lay for a few days because of the stress of the move and then again after a few weeks when moulting but every hen is different and may not. Have a look at the link in my signature and got to the Adopting Hens page for some more information. With regards to buying food online, I'm not aware of anywhere although I'm sure there would be someone doing it... but the postage would be very high. You could try Argo in Pennistone, Parklands at Aston, or if you are collecting from my yard at Hellaby there is Hopewells just on the industrial estate (but they are closed on Sundays). Otherwise any agricultural merchant should stock layers mash and pellets. PM me if you get stuck.

Springfield on Moorgate have never done us wrong

I always wanted a dog.... perhaps that is why I taught the cat to sit and take the ponies out for walks round the village??? Seriously though, I don't have kids (yet) but my animals are the equivilant in responsibility terms, but no, I don't treat them as babies.

I'm fortunate that none of my animals are bothered by them, the cat even sits in the window to watch them. But then I do insist on desensitisation training where possible well in advance of the event. Not one of the ponies is upset by them, even the weanling colt that my friend has just bought. But for their safety they are left with full time access to the stable and the field; in case they want shelter from the weather but can escape if a firework does find it's way into the stable. Quite often though I find that the if I'm relaxed about it then the animals are less tense too. ETA that there are stringent laws regarding the sale of fireworks, including availability for only a couple of weeks leading up to 5th November and New Year. I don't think it is fair to blame the law in this instance.

Well, sad as it is Titch just wasn't strong enough and died this morning. We all (including the vet) gave him the best we possibly could, hand feeding, bottle feeding, bucket feeding, a lovely warm stable with a deep bed of straw, top quality hay, plenty of rugs and oodles of love, but it was wasn't enough. He died peacefully knowing the kindness of man. RIP Titch.

Please see my reply on your other thread

Hi, if you click on the link in my signature then it should take you to the Hen Rehomers UK site (we used to be called North London Hen Rescue) where you can find all the details about who we are and what we do. There is another rescue on 15th November (the only other holiday I have planned this year and it coincides with a rescue again ) but it is likely that you would be included on the December rescue. Worth a try now though but I know we have lots of homes waiting for hens. By the way I'm Jo your local Co-ordinator for HRUK. Like I said though, I'll not be around for the November rescue (farmers can sometimes be fickle though so there is still a chance the dates will change) but I think Sarah and Greta will be your contact otherwise. Otherwise you can get ex-batts from http://www.bhwt.org.uk - and a lot of good info on there; or purebreds and POL hybrids from http://www.storrspoultry.co.uk or http://www.rawgreencottages.co.uk.

Well Titch was happily munching his hay at half eleven last night when I went to check on him. And this morning he was laid down having a nap before eating some more hay. He loves his carrots and managed to pick at a few of them overnight too, but left his hard feed. I've been and got him some milk this morning and he took a little from a bottle before returning to his hay. I'm sure he's going to come round just fine... I'll have to get some pics to show you all!