Expert chicken enablers needed

[BlueTheBrahma]

@BlueTheBrahma @Marie2020 we need some UK help over here!

@TwoCrows @Debbie292d @wrathsfarm @GreenJay

We have a serious situation of the chicken doldrums! Bring reinforcements!

This time of year is just perfect for chicks…

I’ve certainly never experienced a lack of wanting for chickens. Very strange symptoms if you ask me.

What breeds are your hens or any past hens?

 

[Debbie292d]

Chickens/poultry should bring joy, and when they wind up being more work that's difficult for us to manage, then that's definitely frustrating.

It seems to me your frustrations are regarding rats. Rats come because there's food, and because they can get to it.

You can buy those treddle feeders, although I don't know that they make them for quail. I think your ideas of digging down and putting a 1/2" hardware cloth skirt will help tremendously.

If you need help, check your local newspaper's classified section. Sometimes there's an old fart looking for something to do, and would help for cheap, rather than "hiring" a professional. We once found a high school group looking to do anything to raise money to go to Japan. We hired three of them to move a huge pile of gravel from one side of our yard to two acres away. They did it!

After you get that all fixed up and rat-proofed, you'll feel better and they should be back to enjoyable instead of so frustrating.

 

[SpotTheCat]

This time of year is just perfect for chicks…

I’ve certainly never experienced a lack of wanting for chickens. Very strange symptoms if you ask me.

What breeds are your hens or any past hens?

The current ones are some kind of egg laying mix, no idea what exactly! Past where some bantam pekin

 

[SpotTheCat]

Chickens/poultry should bring joy, and when they wind up being more work that's difficult for us to manage, then that's definitely frustrating.

It seems to me your frustrations are regarding rats. Rats come because there's food, and because they can get to it.

The food where the quails

You can buy those treddle feeders, although I don't know that they make them for quail.

We have 1 for the chickens but it always seems to sit open enough to fit rodents. Its currently sitting on some bricks to try and keep it level but I think it might just be made of cheap material

I think your ideas of digging down and putting a 1/2" hardware cloth skirt will help tremendously.

If you need help, check your local newspaper's classified section. Sometimes there's an old fart looking for something to do, and would help for cheap, rather than "hiring" a professional. We once found a high school group looking to do anything to raise money to go to Japan. We hired three of them to move a huge pile of gravel from one side of our yard to two acres away. They did it!

After you get that all fixed up and rat-proofed, you'll feel better.

We have been trying to find people to help but so far we haven't found anybody

 

[2ndTink]

What did you originally enjoy about the chickens?

Also on the rats, not sure if you have them over there but a Ratinator trap has worked really well for me here.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

The current ones are some kind of egg laying mix, no idea what exactly! Past where some bantam pekin

I’ve never had pekins but my neighbour used to have about half a dozen different breeding pens of them. Little feathered footballs they look like running around. Silkies have always been my bantam of choice.

I mainly breed marans, I’m working to revive an extinct (in the UK) variety of them, the Golden cuckoo. I’ve also set some lavender marans in the incubator, so might end up inventing an Isabella cuckoo marans, which I don’t think have ever been seen before.

 

[Debbie292d]

The food where the quails


We have 1 for the chickens but it always seems to sit open enough to fit rodents. Its currently sitting on some bricks to try and keep it level but I think it might just be made of cheap material


We have been trying to find people to help but so far we haven't found anybody

You could see if there's a "neighborhood group" near you in https://nextdoor.com

I'm in one and people post looking for help, and looking for work there. We're out in the boonies, so the one we're in has about a 30-mile radius.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I’ve been chasing rats around this week. We’ve been overran by massive ones. I’m not exaggerating when I say some must be 18 inches head to tail.
Mixing poisons rather than just sticking to one type works, but the mos effective way I’ve been combatting them is placing baited traps directly at tunnel mouths, giving them no way to avoid them by covering the sides.

They are one of my least favourite parts of keeping livestock, I must say.

 

[SpotTheCat]

What did you originally enjoy about the chickens?

I don't really know, I just enjoy having animals. I do really like some of the feather patterns

Also on the rats, not sure if you have them over there but a Ratinator trap has worked really well for me here.

We have recently gotten some rat poison (not harmful to anything else apparently) which will hopefully help

I’ve never had pekins but my neighbour used to have about half a dozen different breeding pens of them. Little feathered footballs they look like running around. Silkies have always been my bantam of choice.

Sadly my ones where not very football shaped which was disappointing

I mainly breed marans, I’m working to revive an extinct (in the UK) variety of them, the Golden cuckoo. I’ve also set some lavender marans in the incubator, so might end up inventing an Isabella cuckoo marans, which I don’t think have ever been seen before.

How far are you with reviving them? I just looked it up and they look very pretty

 

[SpotTheCat]

You could see if there's a "neighborhood group" near you in https://nextdoor.com

I'm in one and people post looking for help, and looking for work there. We're out in the boonies, so the one we're in has about a 30-mile radius.

Thank you! I know my mother has nextdoor. I have no idea if she has posted on there or not

I’ve been chasing rats around this week. We’ve been overran by massive ones. I’m not exaggerating when I say some must be 18 inches head to tail.
Mixing poisons rather than just sticking to one type works, but the mos effective way I’ve been combatting them is placing baited traps directly at tunnel mouths, giving them no way to avoid them by covering the sides.

They are one of my least favourite parts of keeping livestock, I must say.

We got somebody in to do it so I hope what ever it is actually works. There does seem to be fewer rats so far