Battery Hens

Broody Hen ???

Ok its that time of year when some hens should by rights be going broody, well mine aint !!! I am going to box one up to try and send her broody but i dont like doing it, the method is a bit old fashioned and in some ways a touch cruel.
I have just lost my last Pencil Hamberg hens, she died yesterday, now I am left with just the cockerel, he is a lovely bird, ( if any one wants him he is free on collection) ..

Ok its been a while, work has not stopped its just been quiet, chickenopolus now has a 5 foot high fence all round, also chicken wire dug in the ground all round, there are just a few bits and bobs to be done and its finished, then it on to the next bit, I want to build a second pen, so I can rotate them and not let one go sour, have a look at the video and have a laugh ;);)

Here in the UK have had a bit of snow overnight, about 4 to 6 inches, the whole country is closing down !!! WTF !!! We have snow, we have had snow for ever, but as soon as it lands and stays for more than ten minutes its CHAOS, I have just been to let the chickens out and feed/water them, its a journy of about 1 1/2 miles, out of that only about 800 yards of road has been gritted, the rest is snow and slush, I even got overtaken by some idiot, everyone is driving bumper to bumper, some car drivers haven't even bothered to clear the snow off thier vehicle, all of the schools in our town have closed till ferther notice, I spoke to a bus driver while waiting in the traffic queue, he told me all his companies busses are restricted to local runs only, there a lorry in a ditch on our main road into town..............
Before i left this morning my car was totaly cleared of snow and ice, i had a flask of tea, a sleeping bag, some food, all in the car, and i was only going a mile and a half LOL i even put a towel an blanket in for Dj, the snow shovel was already in the boot along with my usual kits ( rope, jump leads, jack, spider spanner, tyre pump, water, floro jacket )..
The council have kindly put GRIT bin along some roads, so in bad weather people can us it to clear the ice off the roads etc, I just went to the one closet to me and its EMPTY !!!!! we have known this snow was coming a week ago !!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There thats my rant and rave over with, now i am going out into the garden to build a snow man

The BIG REBUILD

As you will know Chickenopolus has been plagued with foxes, most of my original birds have now been gobbled up by Mr Fox and his family, it got to the stage where i very nearly closed the whole thing down, but I enjoy it so much, SO I have made my mind up to keep going !!!

Today we start building the new fence, and in the coming weeks new houses and individual pens for breeding birds too, the old shed/house will be going to a friends ( his dad wants them ) ..
I am going to build using straw bales, the reason is they are environmentaly friendly and i got a great price on 50 bales hehehe, they will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, so keep watching this space for the developments, I hope to get some photos on here in the next few days..

BATTERY HENS

I have just collected 20 battery hens, they are great and in very gopod condition, the lot I got last year were very poor, this lot look fine, and are eating and drinking as soon as i put the troughs down, I will add some photos asap

Fox AGAIN

This is getting beyond a joke, i have caught 3 fox's in the past 4 weeks, but still more come and kill birds, The only thing i can do to protect my birds is to pen them up in secure units, this go's against all i want, my idea is to run them free range, more to follow