Thanks, Mo but I am fast running out of patience and believe me if I thought they would not starve themselves to death I would let them get on with it...……….
I do like the eggs and when they do lay they lay really well, just not that often. One saving grace for them is I did not have chickens just for the eggs, I wonder if they know just how lucky they are.
Thinking about it if chickens have only so many eggs in them the broody ones should be laying till they are about 8 or 10 I reckon
and that once again is the silver lining in all this..................yes?
Nick Thompson Holistic vet
Re: Nick Thompson Holistic vet
Sadly it is a natural behaviour.
http://www.busheyk9.co.uk
If you can't be a good example........
you will just have to be a horrible warning
If you can't be a good example........
you will just have to be a horrible warning
Re: Nick Thompson Holistic vet
Just learnt something from the BHWT. I was emailing for any advice they may have and was in contact with a lovely lady who said that I could have the chickens treated with hormones at a cost of approx. £100 per hen depending on which vet you went to.
Did not need to think about that one not only from the price side but also not keen on messing with hormones, not even in chickens after my experience with HRT.
She has a Silkie that is broody and has been for some time.
Have decided that tomorrow I will put the two broodies in the new run and leave them there with access to the block built shed which has a concrete floor, so nice and cool. Then I can give them a plain cardboard box at night if necessary to sleep in on the floor.
This will stop the access to the nest boxes, they will be secure and safe and the other chickens will be able to access the nest boxes without being yelled at.
If it works then great, if not then I give up.
Did not need to think about that one not only from the price side but also not keen on messing with hormones, not even in chickens after my experience with HRT.
She has a Silkie that is broody and has been for some time.
Have decided that tomorrow I will put the two broodies in the new run and leave them there with access to the block built shed which has a concrete floor, so nice and cool. Then I can give them a plain cardboard box at night if necessary to sleep in on the floor.
This will stop the access to the nest boxes, they will be secure and safe and the other chickens will be able to access the nest boxes without being yelled at.
If it works then great, if not then I give up.
Re: Nick Thompson Holistic vet
Did not get the chance to put the white and blue hen in the other run, but the good news is that the white one is no longer broody......YAY The bad news is that the speckledy one has gone broody to keep the blue hen company.......
Was looking on line about more info on mint and it said mint was a cooling agent and to put some leaves in the hen boxes so I did. To my amazement neither of the hens would go in the nest boxes with the mint leaves in, but chose to go in the others without it. So, I put mint leaves in all of them and they took ages to go in the boxes, but if it does cool body temperature then it can only be good and according to what I have read it is not harmful for them if they peck/eat it either.
The upside is that the hen house smells quite nice with the lavender and now the mint.
Was looking on line about more info on mint and it said mint was a cooling agent and to put some leaves in the hen boxes so I did. To my amazement neither of the hens would go in the nest boxes with the mint leaves in, but chose to go in the others without it. So, I put mint leaves in all of them and they took ages to go in the boxes, but if it does cool body temperature then it can only be good and according to what I have read it is not harmful for them if they peck/eat it either.
The upside is that the hen house smells quite nice with the lavender and now the mint.
Re: Nick Thompson Holistic vet
Good news, blue hen not broody anymore, but the speckely one is still sitting tight. Obviously lavender and mint leaves are not working.