Dead Chicken

[joggerjayne]

Mums was just on the phone.

She lost one of her chickens today. It didn't turn up at bed time.

It might be somewhere around the garden, but they always go to bed at dusk.

It sounds like she became fox food, or maybe some nasty cat got her.

=0(

[Barmaid]

Light Sussex are a lovely breed. I researched all this quite a lot before I went into chicken keeping. Mine are LS - docile, friendly, cope well with most conditions, adaptable (can be a bit pissy) but my 3 girls have been great. Also make good mums.

Shame you are in Brighton cos there is a really good breeder of LS not far from Cambridge.

Get mum to check round in the morning. She may simply have strayed.

[joggerjayne]

Well, the two of them were laying two eggs every day ... so presumably one was from the Light Sussex.

I've got loads of eggs here. Mums keeps giving them to me, but I don't really use them.

[joggerjayne]

I'm sure she will, Barmaid.

Maybe I should phone her, and tell her to have another walk down the garden with a torch.

Maybe a couple of rescue chickens would be nice.

[Barmaid]

Good point Beejay. I didn't really expand as I should have on my answer. I researched this when one of mine failed to come into lay the OH threatened her with the pot. Thankfully she started laying.

Doc - LS not good layers?! Jeez, mine are prolific layers. I normally get 3 eggs for 2 days then 2 eggs for one day then 3 again. They have laid far and above what I anticipated.

[joggerjayne]

Barmaid ...

Threatened her with the pot ???

You couldn't seriously eat something that only had one butt !!

It's too weird.

[Barmaid]

lol, we practically live on chicken or fish. The OH got it into his head that if little Mags didn't lay she was going to become Sunday roast. Thankfully she started putting out about 2 weeks ago.

I did tell him that I would cook Mags and make a beautiful meal of it, if he did the killing, plucking and drawing - I then explained what was involved in this. Once I saw him go slightly green I knew that Mags was quite safe...................

[joggerjayne]

LOL, LOL

Much better to buy a Waitrose chicken, though. I'm sure they have back and front bums, like normal animals.

[paddywak]

We were raised on chicken and rabbit, with goose at Christmas. Dad always had 30-40 different birds and if they stopped laying for too long they were in the pot

[joggerjayne]

Did they have names, Paddy?

[paddywak]

we just called them dinner, on the other hand Dad always named the geese and ducks and really hated to kill them. I remember on when famous occasion sitting at the table after midnight mass plucking the goose because dad had put off killing it for as long as he could. It never stopped him enjoying his dinner though.

[dove]

I didnt think foxes ate choooks. they just kill them, I could be wrong but maybe someone has stolen it??

[Barmaid]

Yes foxes will eat chooks. They will often kill the whole hen house though just out of instinct. What you are referring to Dove is the fact that they will kill the whole hen house but just take one bird.

[joggerjayne]

Stolen it?

It was just a scraggy old chicken.

It might be somewhere down the garden, I suppose. Or there might be a load of feathers down the garden.

But it sounds like a goner to me.

[AlBags]

Roosting in another garden (if it's escaped?)
More likely to turn up than be eaten.

Any Kebab shops near you?

[joggerjayne]

There are some kebeb shops near me.

Not near Mums, though.

Heaven forbid, LOL !

[vegasmad]

Hi, we bought our girls at Middle Farm on the Lewes to Eastbourne Road (just past Glynde). They have lots of of different breeds.

[joggerjayne]

Oh ... that's not too far away, vegas.

=0)

[vegasmad]

Yes, it's quite handy really, we are always there buying food and wanting to buy more chicks (two's enough at the moment though) and the guy that sells them is really helpful.