Chicken in solitary confinement
- Thread starter WinterDeere
- Start date
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
We just took in two hens about a month ago from an elderly couple that felt it was too much for them to take care of them. They didn't know how old they where, but egg production was way down and they felt they where getting close to passing, but really didn't know.
We have over 100 chickens and we're getting about 6 dozen eggs a day. That's what we gather, there are more eggs out in the woods and other hiding places that we never bother with.
We put the two hens in a large dog crate for a week to get to know the other birds. One of them ran out of the dog crate and joined the flock like a they had been friends forever. The other refused to come out of the crate. She seemed scared, very hesitant and probably confused by the move. We left the door open and let her decide when she wanted to come out. She never did. She stayed in there for about two weeks and then passed away.
We've also taken in quite a few hens from other people that where a lot younger, and they had decided that raising chickens was what they had thought it would be. All of them joined the flock and are still doing great.
All our birds free range, and they tend to hang out with groups that become friends, in different areas. It's funny how social they are, and how they prefer to be in "their" areas. Some stay in and around the coops, other are at the far end of the pasture, or on the other side of the pond, are at the hay bale.
We have over 100 chickens and we're getting about 6 dozen eggs a day. That's what we gather, there are more eggs out in the woods and other hiding places that we never bother with.
We put the two hens in a large dog crate for a week to get to know the other birds. One of them ran out of the dog crate and joined the flock like a they had been friends forever. The other refused to come out of the crate. She seemed scared, very hesitant and probably confused by the move. We left the door open and let her decide when she wanted to come out. She never did. She stayed in there for about two weeks and then passed away.
We've also taken in quite a few hens from other people that where a lot younger, and they had decided that raising chickens was what they had thought it would be. All of them joined the flock and are still doing great.
All our birds free range, and they tend to hang out with groups that become friends, in different areas. It's funny how social they are, and how they prefer to be in "their" areas. Some stay in and around the coops, other are at the far end of the pasture, or on the other side of the pond, are at the hay bale.
NoTrespassing
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CliffordK
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Omelets for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snacks?
Richard
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....and after she's stuck in the pokey with the birds for two weeks, since she didn't know how to get out, she will not only mad as a hen..... she will smell to hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh heaven!!
I think he'd be safer off just going on vacation, having a great time.... then jumping off a high bridge or something like that, rather than suffer the wrath on going home.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Lots of egg sandwiches!!
Our dogs eat two dozen a day, and we've started scrambling them for the cats. I didn't know that cats like to eat scrambled eggs, but they come running when they sea the bowl, and clean it all up.
The rest are sold, but I also give them away to clients when I'm working on their homes.
Right now, we have 25 Rio Grande turkey eggs in the incubator that a buddy sent us, and my wife has been finding Guinea eggs when picking up chicken eggs, so there are a dozen of those in an incubator too. She is the crazy chicken lady with 2 incubators!!!!
OP
WinterDeere
Elite Member
Waitaminnit… how do you prepare eggs for a dog? I have a post-surgery dog that’s not eating her regular food, gotta find something to get her interested in food again, and we are out of the usual chicken and rice.
Rockbadchild
Veteran Member
We put raw eggs in our dog food as supplement.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
We have six Akita's, and my wife feeds them twice a day, except the puppy. He gets second breakfast and second dinner.
Some of them like raw eggs over their food. Some of them like hard boiled eggs in their bowl with their food. All of them LOVE scrambled eggs. They always eat the egg first. Yokes are the best!!!! Then they eat the rest of their food.
OP
WinterDeere
Elite Member
Cool. Before even waiting for a reply, I quick scrambled up an egg and mixed it in with her usual food. It did the trick! Thank you!
She's just a little thing, something like 12 lb., so half an egg did it.
She's just a little thing, something like 12 lb., so half an egg did it.