to keep hens or not?
Nov 10th 2011 | 3:01 am
#31
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,679
Re: to keep hens or not?
My mother kept chickens many years ago. They were an obligation though as when they escaped from their area they ate all the buds in the garden.
In winter they did not lay much.
I remember my mother collecting the chicken poo , leaving it to dry and then putting it as compost in her balcony geraniums and oleanders. They grew and flowered like mad.
She had to fight with outbreak of mites and the last straw was when one morning she found all of them dead or semi-dead, heads chopped off by a weasel that made a hole under the netting and got into the coop.
I asked her recently why she did not keep hens now and she said it was hard work and why do it when she can go to her neighbour and get free range eggs really cheaply.
And, I remember the noisy cockerel waking me up a dawn. So, my advice is no, do not bother.
In winter they did not lay much.
I remember my mother collecting the chicken poo , leaving it to dry and then putting it as compost in her balcony geraniums and oleanders. They grew and flowered like mad.
She had to fight with outbreak of mites and the last straw was when one morning she found all of them dead or semi-dead, heads chopped off by a weasel that made a hole under the netting and got into the coop.
I asked her recently why she did not keep hens now and she said it was hard work and why do it when she can go to her neighbour and get free range eggs really cheaply.
And, I remember the noisy cockerel waking me up a dawn. So, my advice is no, do not bother.
Nov 10th 2011 | 3:05 am
#32
Thread Starter
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,675
From: Italy
Re: to keep hens or not?
My mother kept chickens many years ago. They were an obligation though as when they escaped from their area they ate all the buds in the garden.
In winter they did not lay much.
I remember my mother collecting the chicken poo , leaving it to dry and then putting it as compost in her balcony geraniums and oleanders. They grew and flowered like mad.
She had to fight with outbreak of mites and the last straw was when one morning she found all of them dead or semi-dead, heads chopped off by a weasel that made a hole under the netting and got into the coop.
I asked her recently why she did not keep hens now and she said it was hard work and why do it when she can go to her neighbour and get free range eggs really cheaply.
And, I remember the noisy cockerel waking me up a dawn. So, my advice is no, do not bother.
In winter they did not lay much.
I remember my mother collecting the chicken poo , leaving it to dry and then putting it as compost in her balcony geraniums and oleanders. They grew and flowered like mad.
She had to fight with outbreak of mites and the last straw was when one morning she found all of them dead or semi-dead, heads chopped off by a weasel that made a hole under the netting and got into the coop.
I asked her recently why she did not keep hens now and she said it was hard work and why do it when she can go to her neighbour and get free range eggs really cheaply.
And, I remember the noisy cockerel waking me up a dawn. So, my advice is no, do not bother.
Nov 10th 2011 | 3:33 am
#33
Pull my finger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,064
From: Vicenza
Re: to keep hens or not?
What about pigeons then? You can use them to send messages.
Nov 10th 2011 | 4:16 am
#34
Thread Starter
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,675
From: Italy
Re: to keep hens or not?
Considering how the Italian postal system "works" that isn't a bad idea! Rather I need a pterodactyl to carry my Amazon books to me instead of having them left at any old petrol station to be passed on to the first Brit that turns up there!
Dislike pigeons and rapidly going off hens!
Dislike pigeons and rapidly going off hens!
