celeste Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Di, your box is full, I can't give you the Ficam addy, I'd post it on here but there are strict rules on the selling of Ficam and I wouldn't want the shop to get into trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Thank you Jane - cleared space now so hopefully you can pm me?, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pendlewitch Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) Bugger!!!!!!!!! We have rats in the chicken run, that's a problem enough but the OH is seriously freaked out by rats and insists we rehome the chickens asap. Apart from his rat phobia although we are semi rural we do have neighbours and if the rats are seen or spread we could be in some trouble so sadly the chooks have to go. Livery yard owner Sam is taking my beautiful Bartle Blues, Shiloh and Sheridan and two of the warrens, Lily and Lavinia. The others won't be hard to rehome, they are good layers and nice chooks. I didn't want chickens really, they were the OH's project but now I'm going to miss them! Edited October 4, 2009 by Pendlewitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 That's sad We had a rat problem a year ago but we bought bait bags and got rid of the majority. We do have neighbours but there are woods all around us so we know the rats will reappear but we're prepared to do battle again if needs be Did you leave their food down overnight? If you pick up the food, (and sweep up anything they've thrown in the run) normally the rats will move on somewhere where there's easier pickings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pendlewitch Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Thanks Katiebob, problem is OH is VERY pig headed and in some ways has brought this on himself. He grossly overfeeds the chooks, won't stick to layers pellets and uses huge amounts of corn chucked about all over the place. He will not take any advice on this at all, we also have a big problem with rooks and wood pigeons as they know there is a free lunch to be had! His rat phobia is really outlandishly bad and as he has a heart condition I'm more than a bit worried if a ratty popped out near him he would collapse in a heap! I can't take the chickens on myself as I just don't have the time with work, dogs and horsey! I've had some interest already from a local mesage board so I'm sure they will get a brilliant home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 I got poorly chooks Olive has improved but she's not 100%. Now several of them have snotty beaks and poor little Hobnob has frothy eyes too. Sounds like Myco, I want Tylan to inject the lot of them but the vet is insisting on seeing some of them so I've got to chose some for a trip to Swindon Interestingly none of the ex-batts or hybrids have it so whatever it is is probably one of the things they are vaccinated against. I'm fairly certain it's just the purebreeds that are snotty but I'm waiting for the rain to stop before going out and inspecting everyone. We're seeing the countries best poultry vet and I'm hoping he's good at sexing Silkies because I'm going to take Nymphadora & Nelly with me because I haven't a clue what they are. I'm determined to get my monies worth out of him this afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 Awww, bugger, hope they'll be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 How did it go, Cheryl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Baytril orally twice a day for about 20 chooks I learnt my lesson yesterday morning, it takes three times as long if they're free ranging because they think I'm up to something and it's virtually impossible to capture the very nervous ones So last night after work I was out there in the dark trying to balance a torch, several syringes and a bottle of Baytril. Dosage depends upon weight so I've weighed some of them but others I've just guessed that they're the same sort of size. This morning I didn't release them all from their coops, I hoiked the ones I wanted out through the nest box roof. One Dorking boy still managed to evade capture though but I'm not too worried because he's not that ill. Custard the Pekin is the worst one but Hobnob is looking better already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Baytril orally twice a day for about 20 chooks I learnt my lesson yesterday morning, it takes three times as long if they're free ranging because they think I'm up to something and it's virtually impossible to capture the very nervous ones So last night after work I was out there in the dark trying to balance a torch, several syringes and a bottle of Baytril. Dosage depends upon weight so I've weighed some of them but others I've just guessed that they're the same sort of size. This morning I didn't release them all from their coops, I hoiked the ones I wanted out through the nest box roof. One Dorking boy still managed to evade capture though but I'm not too worried because he's not that ill. Custard the Pekin is the worst one but Hobnob is looking better already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh the forum is doing that weirdy fing again where it adds my reply several hours after I posted it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh the forum is doing that weirdy fing again where it adds my reply several hours after I posted it That'll be the dementia kicking in dear Must take all morning to get all them done, good news though that they're making a recovery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pendlewitch Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 I'm in shock, I knew we rats in the hen pen but HOW MANY!!!! I went up late t'other night and shone the torch into the run, OMG, they were every where and what's more they didn't move until I shouted gerrout! Then it was like the ratty olympics, they shot under the hut like greased lightening. OH is a gibbering wreck and obsessively goes on about them, he won't even use the back door and it's miles away from the hen pen. Having checked the feed merchants slips I've realised OH has been getting through a 25kg bag of corn a MONTH and that was for 8 chickens, so plus layers pellets, apples, cabbages and bread the eggs were a tad expensive! The local rooks and ring doves are sulking as there isn't any food for them any more, they were landing in enormous flocks and taking off again in a flutter of aggrieved wings. When I caught the chickens I realised just how rough they looked. They had a lot of feather damage, one had no feathers on her neck and most had raggy looking wings. Is there a possibility that the rats were attacking them at night or would it be diet related? I also noticed that gradually eggs had become white shelled insead of the lovely brown they were at first, again would this be diet related? We have made so many mistakes with the chooks and I feel so guilty that I did have more of a right go at OH about the feeding, problem is he wouldn't listen, now he feels guilty that he didn't! Chicks have gone to a lady who has a smallholding/livery stable and will be free range so I'm happy with that! Now I have to deal with the rat problem, I'm not keen on poison but can't see any other option bearing in mind how many are about and that we have neighbours. Should it be reported and we are found to be the cause the council would poison anyway and charge us for doing it. Is there any other way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted October 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 The chooks might be moulting, hence the scraggy appearance. I know some of mine are and they look a right old state. 25kg of corn should've lasted months! They should've had a handful a day! Sounds like you've been feeding all the local rats and birds too! Your best bet is to call the council pest control. There's no point putting down traps or poison unless you know the routes taken by the rats. They'll not investigate something suspicious off their tracks. The council man will know where to put the bait. You could waste money buying bait, traps etc when you'd be better off paying the experts. They'll come out a few times so it actually is good value. You have to be ruthless with rats I'm afraid, they all need to die, and soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 There are no eggs in my house 41 chickens in my garden and I've run out of eggs because most of them are not laying for one reason or another I usually sell 6 eggs every Monday morning at Georgias nursery but this morning I had to make my apologies. Eliza & Maisy laid yesterday but I used those to make yorkshire pudding with our dinner last night. Mimi, Maud & Meredith the ex-batts have all retired. Mimi was down to laying an egg a week but thankfully even that's stopped now, the noise she makes after she lays is horrendous! Pancake, Valerie, Juliet and Tallulah have retired. Mrs Pants & Primrose are moulting, Tiger Lily is raising her chicks and all the others are either too young or are boys Except for Egeltine who has never laid in her life I would never have imagined that with 41 chickens I'd be on the verge of actually buying eggs! Next spring I'll be drowning in eggs again. It's ironic now I've got plenty of boys to eat but nothing much to lay eggs! This is actually making me re-think about which breeds to hatch. I love my Brahmas & Silkies but they'll be broody more often than not next year so I can't count on them for eggs. As most of the hybrids & ex-batts have given up I really ought to have a few more functional ladies around. I'll have to research which breeds will lay tonnes of eggs and not go broody at the drop of a hat, maybe some Marans. This is also a good excuse to keep Doughnut our Ancona I was going to sell her but she ought to be a good layer and I'd miss laughing at her on a daily basis as I compare her to Roadrunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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