Hi I'm Elz!
I'm new to keeping chickens (always been a dream of mine)..
Recently, moved house with my little family (2yr daughter, hubby, dog and 2 cats).
We rely wanted to live the "good life" and buy a house with a few acres so we could have chickens, goats ect.
So we built a 15x15ft pen with a cute 8 bird house in the middle complete with 4 nest boxes attached to it so birds can wonder around happily in the pen and the dog can't get them! Though strangely the cats are scared of them! I feed them an entirely organic feed and they also have all bed peelings/scraps (no meat) which they love! Especially kiwi fruit peelings and strawberry tops! They also have "stratch" in the afternoon too. Inside the pen it's all nicely and newly turfed lawn (which is doing very well... Must be the chicken poop! Haha!).
The "girls" are 2 light Sussex hybrids and 2 speckledys. I bought them at the point of lay and i believe they are around 20wks old now.
I've joined this site trying to find answers...
Firstly, my very pretty speckledy had a bad foot and one morning wouldn't walk on it... Looks like she had dirt compacted in it (which we took out) on top of an injury that looks like she had been clawed by another chicken (scab came off and she started to walk ok).
Now... One of the light Sussex hybrids has got a huge red swollen bottom.. Does this mean she is about to lay an egg? She keeps squatting and I can see she's straining down there.... Ideas? I've never owned chickens so don't have a clue what I should/shouldn't do!
Thank you lady's and gents for your help!
xxx
I'm new to keeping chickens (always been a dream of mine)..
Recently, moved house with my little family (2yr daughter, hubby, dog and 2 cats).
We rely wanted to live the "good life" and buy a house with a few acres so we could have chickens, goats ect.
So we built a 15x15ft pen with a cute 8 bird house in the middle complete with 4 nest boxes attached to it so birds can wonder around happily in the pen and the dog can't get them! Though strangely the cats are scared of them! I feed them an entirely organic feed and they also have all bed peelings/scraps (no meat) which they love! Especially kiwi fruit peelings and strawberry tops! They also have "stratch" in the afternoon too. Inside the pen it's all nicely and newly turfed lawn (which is doing very well... Must be the chicken poop! Haha!).
The "girls" are 2 light Sussex hybrids and 2 speckledys. I bought them at the point of lay and i believe they are around 20wks old now.
I've joined this site trying to find answers...
Firstly, my very pretty speckledy had a bad foot and one morning wouldn't walk on it... Looks like she had dirt compacted in it (which we took out) on top of an injury that looks like she had been clawed by another chicken (scab came off and she started to walk ok).
Now... One of the light Sussex hybrids has got a huge red swollen bottom.. Does this mean she is about to lay an egg? She keeps squatting and I can see she's straining down there.... Ideas? I've never owned chickens so don't have a clue what I should/shouldn't do!
Thank you lady's and gents for your help!
xxx
fx they will be here for a very long egg laying time! xxx
poor chickens. Welcome to the site, I'm glad you joined us
