Help & advice

Question: I hope to start keeping chickens in my back garden but I can’t find anywhere that says how much space they need. I would need to keep them in a run for most of the time while I’m at work but would let them out as soon as I am home and at the weekends.

Answer: The number of hens you can keep is mostly restricted by the size of the run and the amount of time when they can free range. The accepted norm is to allow a square metre of run space per bird, and always be aware that overcrowding will lead to pecking and bullying. Chickens will always squash up at night and you can fit quite a few into a house that size, so the size of the house isn't as crucial as the size of the run. As a guide the hen will take up a hand span width on the perch at night.

Question: I have ex-battery hens and the hens that I've had for 17 months have either stopped laying or are laying eggs with very thin shells. They have Life-guard and Poultry Spice every day, they have access to grit and oyster shell, are fed layers mash and pellets (although still prefer mash). My main concern is the thin shelled eggs as I don't want them becoming egg bound or getting peritonitis if I can at all avoid it. Any suggestions?

Answer: Glad to hear that you've rescued some ex-batts!

Unfortunately, the enforced laying that was part of their previous life often causes them to have egg-tackle problems in later life. Shell gland exhaustion/problems are quite common I'm afraid.

You're doing the right thing with the supplements, may I make a suggestion though? Add a light drizzle of cod liver oil (NAF makes a good one) to their pellets; the vitamin D in this will increase their absorption of calcium. You may also find that Limestone Flour is easier for them to absorb calcium from than oyster shell.

They may like the new Ex-batt BHWT crumbs made by the Smallholder group - these are slightly less powdery than mash and packed full of goodies to boost an ex-batt girl. I suspect that these may only help a little, as the problem is more mechanical. Ex-batts are the most rewarding of hens to own, but unfortunately, you have to be prepared for the baggage that they come with. I hope that they improve and continue to lay for a while longer.

Question: My beautiful hens have started to lose some of their feathers round their vent area, around their legs and some on their chest. I wondered if they would be moulting but thought it might be too early for them to do this?

Answer: It's unusual for hens to moult at this time of year, so there could be one of a few causes:

1. Are all of the hens losing feathers, or just one of them? If you have one or two fully feathered hens and the rest of them are losing their 'clothes', then it is likely that you have a couple of feather-pullers; these will be the clothed hens! It is important to stop this habit before it escalates into cannibalism, I would recommend fitting the bullies with bumper bits to stop them pulling the feathers out. Fitting bits is a two person job, the hen will hate you for 20 minutes, then resume life without being able to peck feathers out.
2. You may find that they have a lice or mite infestation; this will cause them to pull out their own feathers to alleviate the itching. Check in their fluff around the vent for small crawly critters, if they are infested, you will need to treat it by bathing them (only do this on a warm day) in a 10% solution of Poultry Shield before drying them off and spraying with something like Johnson's Anti-Mite Spray *this product is not licensed for use on poultry in the UK, but many vets recommend using it - you will need to withdraw the eggs from human consumption for 7 days after use*. You will need to spray again 7 days later. If your hens tend to get infested, then it might be worth asking your vet to recommend one of the spot-on preventative products. If you find that they have little crawly visitors, then be sure to treat the housing as well.
3. Normal summer mini-moult; most hens will shed their tummy feathers in the summer in a bid to cool down. I have a few in my flock, who are oven-ready underneath. No need to worry about this, just feed them up on a little extra protein and some Life-Guard in the water and they will be fine as soon as it cools off.
4. Inadequate nutrition; if the hens are being fed a lot of scraps, they won't be getting enough nutrients to make eggs and grow feathers, they will usually either stop laying or lose feathers. If this is the cause, then cut right back on treats and make sure that they eat only layers pellets or mash as their main diet.

To encourage the bald hens to re-feather, you will need to up the amount of protein in their diet. Live or dried mealworms are excellent for this, as is the new Smallholder's ex-batts feed.

I hope that this helps you.

Question: We’re getting hens next weekend but the problem is I want the Goldline and my husband wants the Amber Lee, is it ok to mix the breeds or will they fight?

Answer: As long as you get them all at the same time then they will sort themselves out, whether you have 5 of the same breed or all mixed they will sort out the pecking order themselves. Whoever is boss the first day may not be boss the next day, it’s best to leave them to sort it out between them. If you have one particularly dominant pullet and she is causing real trouble then we will always replace her within the first week.

Question: Hello, I have been battling the dreaded red mite again this summer. Tried powder, frontline under wings, washing out everything with copious amounts of water - but still the pesky things return. How on earth do I get rid of them?

Answer:The mite and lice situation is particularly bad this year - the warm damp spring (and summer!) has meant that wild birds are infested and bringing them into the garden to affect your flock too. Unfortunately, those with wooden housing are particularly badly affected, and because the housing has more nooks and crannies, it is harder to eradicate.

You are doing all the right things, but I wonder whether you are repeating any treatment a week later so as to break the mite lifecycle:

• Housing:
  With wooden housing, you will need to strip it down and scrub with Poultry Shield cleaner to kill the mites (every week). If you can let it dry in the sunshine, then that's an advantage as that kills any mites. Filling the cracks and painting with something to seal the wood does help, but you will need some alternative housing while it airs, so as not to asphyxiate your flock. Total Mite spray  will actually kill red mites, so spray this into every corner. I'd also advise stripping off the felt roof if it has one and replacing it with Onduline; the mites will actually take refuge under the felt and you will probably find loads under it.
• Birds:
  Red mites mostly live in the housing, but some will remain on the bird after a night of feeding so using a spot on remedy (on the skin at the back of the neck, rather than under the wings) is good as it will kill any mites that feed on the birds. Be aware that if you are using this on your laying hens, then you vet will have advised that you withdraw any eggs from human consumption for 7 days from dosing. Johnson's Anti-Mite Spray (*not licensed for use on poultry in the UK, but lots of vets recommend it*) is also very good for spraying birds and housing, but be sure to repeat the treatment after a week and keep it away from cats.

The mites will make your birds anaemic, will slow down their egg production and can even kill them so make sure that they get plenty of protein (meal worms are good for this) and add some sort of tonic to their water.