Yesterday I was bitterly disapointed to find that Meredith could open her eye, but that the infection had completely blinded her. I dont know whether or not to let her back in with the rest today because she is now blind in one eye. It was a little uncomfortable to watch her, she could hear me but had to turn the head to see me.
But on a more positive note, I suspect two hens are laying now. We would normally get two eggs a day but Meredith was laying one of those eggs and with her removed, it was just one egg every couple of days. Yesterday, there was two eggs and today there was three. I am absolutely thrilled. Its good to see eggs after all this time!
I think Stripe is laying because of her roaring red comb and its a toss up between Izzie & Bailey.
Eric was starving today lying on the couch with his badly sprained ankle, waiting for me to make some lunch like I had promised. He was not impressed to see that the 5 potatoes I had cooked in the microwave were for the hens! This prompted me to post what I feed the girls, which after reading I realised they may be a little spoiled!
The weather has turned pretty bad here in the last few days, gale winds and long blustery days have left the hens soaking wet (they look so cute when they’ve been out in the rain) and also their defences a little down. Thats why I’m giving the girl’s apple cider vinegar, to boost their systems.
Every morning, they girls start the day off with a trough full of warm weetabix and oats. Instead of milk, I pour hot water over everything enough to soak the oats and wet the weetabix. Its been pretty cold in the mornings lately and they come running out of the coop when they hear me coming in the mornings for their porridge. The heat helps keep them warm, sometimes because they are so sick of being ‘cooped up’ without fresh air and sunlight, they stay out even when its lashing rain. They get soaked to the bone so at least I know they had a warm breakfast. Also, I can hardly run out and dry them with a towel! )
As well as the above, I give the hens a mandatory helping of layers pellets. This provides all the nutrients they need for laying and something to peck at when all the goodies are gone.
As well as the warm breakfast, I’ve been treating them occasionally to a warm supper. This is nothing special! Don’t start thinking I’m crazy, but its important to look after hens in Winter. They start to molt and it can be a very stressful time for them.
A quick and easy treat I would give is beans and bread.
Another wee recipe I cooked up is as follows:-
Potatoes, oil, boiled eggs and herbs.
Heres all the ingredients I used.
End ups looking like this:-
When I brought it out to the hens they went nutty natz for it!
There have been severel changes since the last post. Meredith had to be put to sleep and I ended up getting two more hens. I called the two newbies Meredith the 2nd and Jo-Jo. Meredith & Jo-Jo ended up battering my other five hens, they took over the roost, would not allow anyone to eat, drink or sleep but after two weeks they settled down and all are living in harmony. The new girls are beautiful, they have fiery red feathers but milky white, very whispy colours in their crown and throughout their plummage.
The two new girls have laid over 30 eggs since we bought them in late September. They would religiously go into the nesting box to lay at 10.30am each morning, screech away and then come out proudly to have some food and a drink. The eggs these two produce are fanastic. Very healthy shells and the inside tastes divine. Supermarket eggs (eggs from the battery hens) are tasteless. Its like eating an egg from the future, manufacturted to look like an egg but it tastes like cardboard. The laying has almost stopped now, these past few October days have been windy, dark and much cooler. They havn’t been getting enough sunlight in order to lay so they are on their ‘holidays’. Chickens can normally lay around 250 eggs a year so when the winter months come in they take that much needed rest.
In Spring, Hannah, Stripe and Bailey should all be laying, and I cant wait to see Bailey’s ( a Welsummer) eggs.
)
