Whilst on the subject.....

[Shirls]

of chickens, a little update on my existing three; Tilly, Tuppence and Dusty. The two ladies Tilly and Tuppence are in various stages of being broody!!! This means NO egg-laying! In the mornings I have had to open all of the doors of the coop to let all the light in and drag the newspaper that Tilly is 'nesting' on to the side opening so that I can lift her out, otherwise she would stay there all the time pretending to sit on her eggs (there are none there btw!!). There is a little nest box on the side of the coop and Tilly has been dragging the newspaper out of it to cover her head and keep her in darkness while she broods. I had to stop this of course, but I am pleased to say, she did get up and come out of her own accord today so hopefully the broodiness has stopped now. Now we have to wait 5 or so weeks for her to start to lay again.

Dusty has been out of 'broody' for a few weeks so is still laying most days. She is the real character amongst my little band. She also knows her name now (for continually being told off!!) and comes when she is called. She is such a sweetie. She doesn't sing the egg song, she just goes off, lays her egg, comes out and acts normally. She is so discreet!!

I had a neighbour, next door but one, come down one day recently and ask if I could keep my chickens quiet first thing in the mornings, as it wakes her daughter up (who must be at least 30), too soon for her to get up and go to work!!! That is another story!! I have the quietest chickens ever!!

[OP]

Get a rooster. That will wake the whole neighbourhood up.

[starlingqueen]

My bantams are a week out of brooding so we might get some eggs before the summer is over, unless they go back to being broody again. Oh the trials of chicken keeping.
We don't get complaints about the chicken which is surprising, but we do live near a farm who have chickens and we can hear them. You want to tell them they should be thankful you don't have a donkey. There is one off our estate and we can hear it at all hours of the day and night. I hate to think what it's like living next door to it at 3am.

[Hezz]

The trials and tribulations of chook-keeping, Shirls! Such characters.

[Shirls]

I think I spoke too soon, I think Dusty has gone broody now!! As you day starlingqueen, the trials of chicken keeping. That means no eggs for us now for a while. Even the new girlies that we get won't lay until next year, as they are so young!!

[starlingqueen]

We get a few weeks in the spring where the bantams lay then they go broody. My old French Marans haven't laid for a long time now, too old, just like me. They used to lay all year long as did our ex batts.I think we'll get a flock of bantams when we move house. They are so sweet and friendly. They lay smaller eggs and ted to go broody but come out of it easy and the eggs are about as big as the medium shop bought eggs. Plus i don't really keep them for the eggs, don't use a lot of eggs really, I give most of them to Teddy and the birds.

[Shirls]

I'd love some bantams, but they'd fly over my fences!! I wouldn't want to clip their wings either.

[Shirls]

Jul 12, 2017 16:48:31 GMT OP said:

Get a rooster. That will wake the whole neighbourhood up.

I can hear a rooster in the distance at 5.00 a.m. when I go out to the chooks. Too far away to wake my neighbour though (unfortunately).

[starlingqueen]

They can fly but don't tend to and not very high if the doo. I've only had mine fly out of my arms and only down to the floor. I do sit out with them though, just in case they get spooked. They need much less space and they are so friendly. You can just walk up to them and pick them up for a cuddle.