on a lighter note..

[firewatch]

bit down tonight, but i have a chicken related question, my landlord has four hens, whom i have nick named whitebum,greedy,you and shy.
They are very tame critters and the best cure for depression, without pills, i know.
Now i feed them tit bits of bread and garden bird seed when i am in the garden, is this ok to do? My landlord seems happy enough for me to do so and they make a bee line for me as soon as i am seen if they are loose in the garden.
Also what is the best deterrent for a fox? We have got a dog fox 'visisting' the chooks and has been seen three times once by me and twice by my husband. my husband suggested getting some hounds in to put him off coming up would this work? Any use full suggestions welcome lol, ok throw some funny ones in i need a giggle!

[sheribee]

HI, i too have chooks, 17, but also 2 newborns ( more to come)
Giving them bread is ok now and again, as it can get stuck in their crop. Best treat for chooks is a cauliflouer or broccoli as they love it and it gives them something to do, or if ur like me and really wanna treat them go worm and slug hunting collect them up and give the worms etc to the chooks, they r so funny!!
The fox problem.. well... i would suggest just making sure the chooks are locked up well, have wooden flooring in their hut and secured b4 dark.
OR... u could sit out at night and hit the fox over the head, it shouldnt come back then x

[firewatch]

We have a mate who is a good shot, and i would not feel so guilty it being a dog fox (you can smell him!)
thye have a little house with a secure wooden floor so they should be ok.
Would meal worms double as a good treat i have to stock up on bird seed today and was thinking of getting meal worms as well.

[sheribee]

Chooks LOVE meal worms!!! They would be better than bread, do they get grit in their diet too? They need this to help grind up the food they eat as they have no teeth.
They sound pretty safe, but if it keeps coming back then it prob will find a way in eventually x

[firewatch]

I would have thought so but i will check there in hutch feeder when i get some eggs in the morning. We got some meal worms it suggest to soak them in a little water. The chooks eat a lot of soil in the garden but i did notice one, You, trying to what look like gag.
Oh dear im going to be mobbed by them!!! LOL!! cant wait to see there faces, I hope I can get some to shy Greedy shoves her out of the way alot!

[ruthann58]

firewatch have a look at mine which i rescued today ,a few posts up from yours