Hi from Leicestershire UK . New to hens

[Queeniehen]

Hi all 3 weeks ago I inherited 4 brown hens from the woman that owns the stable yard I keep my horse at. They are 4 years old and I get 2 eggs a day , only certain of one of the producers as she goes back into the coop around 10 am everday to lay . They are the cutest little things and although they are not very tame as they weren’t really pets before they are coming round , one in particular runs to me as soon as she sees me now . I named her Queenie as she seems to be the leader . Doea anyone know if it is true that they shall probably stop laying soon given their age ?

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to the BYC community. Egg production depends largely on the breed involved. If they are still laying at 4 years of age, that is a good sign.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to BYC. This is a great place to explore and hang out.

 

[Jenbirdee]

 

[Queeniehen]

Oh that’s nice to hear I hope I can keel them as healthy and happy as they have been. They had free range of an orchard at the farm and at mine they about a 40 foot garden to safely roam during the day, 1/4 laid to slabs, a 1/4 to stone and the other 2/4 to unruly grass . I have a doberman girl who is inruiged by them but leaves them be and even chased off a few magpies from the stones the other day and also a cat that the hens alerted us to ! I leave the backdoor open most of the day so doggo can get out to see off any naughty magpies or cats but I was wondering if I should make a fully secure run just in case . They are obviously always put securely away at dusk x

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
Feel free to post a pic of Queenie and the other girls.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

 

[Queeniehen]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

Ahaaa Dobie lover ! Ive always had labradors all my life then I spent a couple of years without a dog and saw an advert for a 16 weekold dobie and she had a bent foreleg so I obvs had to have her ! Few months of bone broth and leg was straightened and she was an unruly bag of never ending energy . A baptism of fire for real haha but 5 years on and 3 sofas and 2 doors later and she still here sleeping in my bed . Sorry detract from hens for a sec

 

[DobieLover]

. A baptism of fire for real

That's exactly how I got hooked on them.

My very first rescue girl ate approximately half of my house and injured herself severely 3 times! I stopped counting after $10,000 of expense she cost me.

What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

[Queeniehen]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
Feel free to post a pic of Queenie and the other girls.

That's exactly how I got hooked on them.

My very first rescue girl ate approximately half of my house and injured herself severely 3 times! I stopped counting after $10,000 of expense she cost me.

What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment.

They really are something else aren't they ?!! They are super loving and super intelligent (she worked out how to push the button down on dog gate and pull the bar at the bottom with her other foreleg after watching me in and out for a few days ) can open doors with lever handles that you depress to open doors away from her or inwards towards her and all sorts. Trouble is they are as smart as a Labrador but not that arsed whether they please you or not and stubborn as hey ! She will do all sorts of tricks immediately when asked, if a treat is involved but ,no treat and I will ask her something as simple as ‘sit’ and she will look at me as if she’s never heard the command before and totally ignore me as if im mental even if I try and push her bottom down she will act as if she has no clue what I want . Anyway love her to bits and she sticks like glue 24/7 and thankfully lobes the hens