Keeping Chickens Month by Month: May

May is always a busy and hectic time for a chicken keeper. Your hens should be back in to full laying swing at this point, and I know that as I look at my over flowing egg basket I have to start getting creative with egg recipes. You can of course sell a few of your surplus eggs to friends and neighbours, although I tend to make gifts of mine because they have to live next door to me and my currently noisy flock. It's amazing how a half dozen eggs can soothe ruffled feathers. 

While we're on the subject of noisy flocks, the beginning of May is usually the time that I get rudely awoken by at least one gobby Pekin. As the mornings get lighter, my girls rise earlier for breakfast and start laying earlier. Which means earlier 'Wow! I'm brilliant! I laid an egg!' songs. If, like me, you are a suburban keeper, this is not a particularly welcome change. So at this time of year I close the pop hole once they're all roosting, and let them out at about 7.30am (8am at weekends). This artificial lengthening of the night stops the early morning shrieking, and stops my neighbours vaulting over the fence clutching packs of Paxo with murder in their eyes. A happy compromise. Unfortunately, I can do little to stop Doris doing her best baby seagull impersonation through the day, nor to dissuade Gladys that she is not a Skeksis from the film 'The Dark Crystal'.

Incubation

At the time of writing this, my serama eggs are being gently rocked in the incubator beside me. They are due to hatch on the 1st of May. If, like me, you are expecting chicks this month it is best to be prepared. Make sure that you have a brooder ready, a suitable feeder and drinker to hand and of course some chick crumbs. Even though the temperature is rising outside, your chicks will still need to be under heat for the first few weeks of their lives. I have a heat lamp ready to go, but am swaying towards an electric hen for convenience. Hatching is a wonderful and exciting experience, but it can still be a tricky time. Try not to interfere too much, and be practical. Not all chicks are healthy or strong, and losing weak chicks can be part of the deal. If for some reason your hatch is unsuccessful, look back over your technique and try to tweak it before hatching again. Humidity and temperature issues are the biggest reasons for failure and temperature is very easy to check and get right if you

The Broody Hen

Of course, if you're hatching nature's way, and just sticking some eggs under a broody, things should be less complicated. Unfortunately, the hens don't care whether you require their broody services and will get in to the zone regardless. Some breeds are much more prone to broodiness than others, and as I have Pekins I know all about broody hens. In fact, much of my summer is spent dealing with each hen in turn as she gets on the hormonal rollercoaster. It's a tag team of evilness, that involves growling, hissing, pecking, gardening gloves and occasionally a broom handle. If you have no plans to let your broody hen hatch, it is best to break her of the brood as soon as possible. A sitting hen is vulnerable to parasites, and can quickly lose condition if she is allowed to sit. The rest of the flock may also take umbrage at her hogging the nest box and things can get a bit violent.  

A cold floor in the Broody Sin Bin helps to prevent sitting

You can help to prevent your hens going broody by collecting eggs promptly, so that there are no spares for a potential broody to adopt. If she is already in the grip of instinct, however, I highly recommend the broody cage. The idea is to take the hen out of her nice, comfy nest and put her somewhere unsuitable for egg sitting. I use an old bird cage on the floor of the garage. I leave the grumpy girl in there for at least 48 hours, and then let her out. If she's not particularly determined, this usually works. Some girls need a repeat sentence in the sin bin, however. I always feel guilty doing this, but ultimately the hen recovers quickly and re-joins the flock in good health. Not that they thank me for it.

Red Mite

With the recent warm weather, there is a good chance that the dreaded red mite will be on the war path even earlier than usual. If you haven't yet treated your housing, now is the time to start doing so. I have spent a weekend painting the coop with creocote (the creosote substitute) in an attempt to discourage the little blighters from moving in. Of course, prevention is better than cure and you need to remain vigilant throughout the summer. A bad infestation can lead to suffering and even the death of your birds, so don't let them get a foot hold. If you do suspect that red mite have infested your coop, take a look at the articles on this site which will talk you through eradicating them. Know your enemy, and show no mercy.