I recently agreed to take on 3 hens and 1 cockerel as neighbour was moving so hens keeping is new territory for me. Unfortunately before I colleted them a fox killed the cock and 2 of the hens. I have now set up an enclosure with a chicken house in my garden and have taken on 2 pol hens, Phyllis and Mildred, to keep Ethel company. We also have 2 cats, who get on well with the hens, fish, a hamster and a gecko. Welcome to the madhouse.
I have been reading some of your posts over the last few weeks and have learned a lot of useful information which I believe has helped to make my hens happy and if course lay. Ethel started to lay within a few days of moving in but has over the following 3 - 4 weeks stopped. She is getting on a bit so am not sure if it's down to old age or not. I have also found the odd shell-less egg which I think may have been hers. The hens have layers pellets/mash, oyster shell and grit in the morning as well as a handful of corn in the afternoon. Do you think that I may have missed something?
I have been reading some of your posts over the last few weeks and have learned a lot of useful information which I believe has helped to make my hens happy and if course lay. Ethel started to lay within a few days of moving in but has over the following 3 - 4 weeks stopped. She is getting on a bit so am not sure if it's down to old age or not. I have also found the odd shell-less egg which I think may have been hers. The hens have layers pellets/mash, oyster shell and grit in the morning as well as a handful of corn in the afternoon. Do you think that I may have missed something?
