- Nov 5, 2012
- 89
- 4
- 94
HI, I am new here. I had chickens when growing up but that was a long time ago. About two months ago I had a bantam hen just fly into my backyard which has a 6 foot high fence I don't know what breed she is or how old she is but she took up residence in my back yard. I started reading up on chickens and it said if you are going to have chickens you should have at least two.
So To go with my bantam(Bingo) i went and bought an Old English hen (Sandy) that was suppose to be six months old as a companion.BIngo had been giving me an egg every other day until I got Sandy. Sandy had not started laying eggs and they both started to molt and both quit laying.
They free range during the day in the backyard so they are getting enough to eat,but I don't know about the nutrtion. When they went into molt they quit eating the layeena that I was feeding them.I started adding a little scratch or cracked corn to the layeena and that is about all of the food they eat, except what they get while free ranging. Is their something else I need to add to their diet until they start to lay again?
My other concern is I purchased a coop for them that has 2 laying nests in it . They are not laying now but if and when they start again how do I get them to use the laying nests in the coop. They will not go near the coop even in the daytime. At night Bingo sleeps in the window sill and Sandy gets on the roof of the house, then walks to the front an flies up into the oak tree to roost. Of course when she gets down she is in the side yard and i have to get her back into the back yard.
I have tried to use a suggestion by someone on the forum to put a light in the coop and they will go in. Not Bingo and Sandy. Others have said catch them and physically put them in the coop. Easier said than done BIngo who flew into the yard will finally eat out of my hand but the minute my other hand makes any kind of move toward her she backs away leading me to believe she may have been mistreated by someone as the reason she left where she was. Sandy the Old English won't come within 3 or 4 feet of me. Someone suggested I get a fish net on a pole and catch them with that, well apparently they both have been caught in a net because as soon as they saw me with it the both took off in opposite directions. So I am in a quandary if any one can help I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanking you in advance. I apologize for the lengthy post.
So To go with my bantam(Bingo) i went and bought an Old English hen (Sandy) that was suppose to be six months old as a companion.BIngo had been giving me an egg every other day until I got Sandy. Sandy had not started laying eggs and they both started to molt and both quit laying.
They free range during the day in the backyard so they are getting enough to eat,but I don't know about the nutrtion. When they went into molt they quit eating the layeena that I was feeding them.I started adding a little scratch or cracked corn to the layeena and that is about all of the food they eat, except what they get while free ranging. Is their something else I need to add to their diet until they start to lay again?
My other concern is I purchased a coop for them that has 2 laying nests in it . They are not laying now but if and when they start again how do I get them to use the laying nests in the coop. They will not go near the coop even in the daytime. At night Bingo sleeps in the window sill and Sandy gets on the roof of the house, then walks to the front an flies up into the oak tree to roost. Of course when she gets down she is in the side yard and i have to get her back into the back yard.
I have tried to use a suggestion by someone on the forum to put a light in the coop and they will go in. Not Bingo and Sandy. Others have said catch them and physically put them in the coop. Easier said than done BIngo who flew into the yard will finally eat out of my hand but the minute my other hand makes any kind of move toward her she backs away leading me to believe she may have been mistreated by someone as the reason she left where she was. Sandy the Old English won't come within 3 or 4 feet of me. Someone suggested I get a fish net on a pole and catch them with that, well apparently they both have been caught in a net because as soon as they saw me with it the both took off in opposite directions. So I am in a quandary if any one can help I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanking you in advance. I apologize for the lengthy post.