Recent content by bramble16

Hi all. We managed to break our broody hen, korma, after 4 or 5 days. No cages involved. We just kept her locked out of her nesting boxes and it seemed to work. For the last 3 days she has been out and about as normal with her sister and stopped doing the bristly hedgehog impressions when we...

What exactly is DE? Thanks....

I wish I had known the importance of elevation for the roosts and not to let the pullets even see the nesting boxes until they were laying...trying to change their habit of sleeping in the boxes is proving very difficult now. As everyone has said...build a bigger coop.Our coop was meant to house...

Sorry - should have said that as soon as I let them out of the coop, she is quiet as a mouse!

Hi - we live in a quiet suburb of Sydney, Australia and have 2 light sussex crosses who are both laying ( finally!) and are about 8 months old. We have a small coop bought online that is fine for 2 birds as a "bedroom" because they free range all day. It has a little house, run and nest boxes...

Keep at it. You will know where they have slept due to poo pile. Honestly, I wish ours weren't sleeping in the nesting boxes. We, and them, are just too soft! You won't regret it once ÿou win in the end.

Thanks guys. That us v helpful. I haven't got any food allergies and have been enjoying egg all my life. Our chooks free range all day around our garden in Sydney and are fed layer pellets. I am going to wait another day or so then start to eat the older eggs and will report back. I do not know...

The previous thread entitled 'new hens' may make helpful reading for you. As mentioned, I wish I had been a bit tougher and more persistent. Good luck and let us know how you go.

I have not had an egg for 5 days and the skin rash has gone. Coincidence? Not sure! Will start to eat older eggs later this week and monitor the situation. It's quite interesting...I hope my friend is right as otherwise I have a bigger problem, obviously.

Yep. Blocking off the boxes is what we should have done. I did do it one might but felt too mean as they slept in a bundle on the roost tray and still didn't roost. I should have been a bit tougher I think and kept at it. We now do have to clean the nest boxes each day but the eggs still come...

Hi there. Out Sussex chooks have never roosted properly over night. I have seen them perch occasionally during the day so I know they can. They sleep in their nesting boxes, sometimes together and sometimes not. They lay in the same boxes and we just clean them every day. I used to be concerned...

Hi all, Our two sussex crosses have been laying for about 2 months now and the novelty has yet to wear off! Consequently, we are eating more eggs than we probably should ( about 5 a week, poached or boiled) and also eating them on the day of lay or one day after. We have always enjoyed too...

Update! This morning I saw korma go into the net box so I shut her in. She sat for an hour or so and then got up and I let her out. The egg was there! Regrettably, a soft shell egg this time but at least she laid in the box. 4 days on the trot as a new layer so we are pleased overall. Hoping...

Our sussex crosses have just started laying - one was 3/4 weeks ago and the other started on Monday! She sings the egg song like there is no tomorrow. Regrettably, she is laying on the lawn and not the nest box ( I have started a thread in a different section seeking advice on this) but she also...

thank you very much! We are v excited to be getting eggs as we have managed to raise two roosters before these hens - sold to us in error - so we are grateful to know we have 2 girls this time...it would jut be great if the eggs arrived in the boxes!