My new hens are starting to lay

a really fresh egg is not recommended hard boiled simple because the albumin (the white bit) has not set,a week old egg is better for scotch eggs and the like.Eggs will stay fresh for 15 days,in nature a hen will lay between 6-18 eggs before going broody and sitting on them.you wont have this problem with hybrids.
It is ok feeding a few treats to your hens but mainly you want them to eat their proper mash or pellets.
The egg shells once the egg has been eaten can be roasted in the oven and crushed and feed back to the hens to help shell formation (calcium).
Take care if feeding cut grass as it can compact the crop and make the hen ill and probably death.

 

We had a hen die from eating layers pellets. She would just stuff herself with anything she could get until she was so full she'd lay on her side. So we avoided giving her' treats', but she continued to eat herself to an early death on standard foodstuff.

 

Sorry to hear that Scrungee that is unusual in my experience, they do best being feed adlib,but i suppose just like us they are all individuals

 

Lmao!! Sorry Scrungee but that really made me laugh :D
The poor hen what a shame

 

My hens & ducks are both laying like good un's now .

 

Little bit worried atm..my housemate seen a fox in the garden just before, have never seen a fox around here now I have hens one is sniffing around. They are safe in their house but they are free range in the day if anything ever happened to them don't know what I would do

 

Its getting to mating time I think and they will be looking for food.
Pity certain mp's didnt spend more time stopping us going to war with Iraq than stopping fox hunting!

 

My last chicken was taken by a foc in broad daylight.

 

If i were you hydro i'd be tempted to make a small secure run with a roof on and really secure round the edges ,ie,paving slabs and buried wire...that's if you haven't already....mine only FR when i'm around or they are with the dogs...Only last year Mr fox was stood 3ft from my back door at 2pm starring at me
But yes it's mating time so they are having plenty of 'stag dos' and are getting up to allsorts of mischief....
Having said all that if they are determined they'll keep trying thier
luck......

 

They are safe in the coop It's on concrete but in the day I just let them out and leave them to it. I have covered almost all gaps with chicken wire but on 3 seperate occasions I have had to knock on next doors and a house behind mine to ask for chickens back
I don't like the idea of caging them in a run they seem to like the shrub borders and playing under the trees. Someone told me a scarecrow mite help
Thanks everyone :gaagh: