Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

nykied

I've seen the parents and they're about the size I'm after. I have seen some of your videos but it was a while back and I mostly remember Duckypoos! I'll have another look.

HeatherintheHills

Oh the poor little chicks

I would also recommend bantams. They are wonderful little creatures. The eggs are small from some breeds and can be infrequent but are very tasty. Cleaning is so much easier and bantams can be allowed to roam in flower beds that larger hens would destroy.

Giger, it sounds as if you really have your hands full! And what wonderful things to have your hands full with

My very kind neighbour put my new house and run up for me and I am busy sorting the pop holes, perches and nest boxes ready for occupation. It is so big compared to what I had before. I hope the chooks love it, I think they will.

ionahenor2

Sorry to hear about your chicks Nykied.

Shortie

Hi all, sorry for being quiet recently, work has been mad and my brain has been full of finances and looking at moving house. Earlier this week I thought my brain might actually melt :rotfl:

Giger - I might have missed this from a post ages ago, but is Duckypoos named after Count Duckula? This is what 'Nanny' used to call him - or am I the only one knowing what I'm waffling on about?


So, :eek::eek: my dream of moving out of London is finally coming to fruition (dependant on the survey results of the house we're trying to buy!) and we will have a really cottagey house in a lovelt quiet village. It even has an established little kitchen garden, woo hoo!

Which leaves me worried - how the heck do you relocate with chooks? Okay, I pop them in the lined air-holed boxes and pet carriers, in the back of the car with shade and off I go. I get to the other side pooped after a manic day and the last thing I want to do is unpack the chook house (that who knows, might get damaged when being collapsed on the move day) and rebuild it.

Is there a better way to move with chooks, even to just buy me one day that I can rebuild the chook house the next day?

Reality is there is a large shed there with a window I could let them have for the first night but they won't be impressed the next day when I don't let them out in the morning the second they hear the kettle going (not that I sometimes sneak quietly into my kitchen and slide gently to the kettle so they don't realise, on the odd occasion I just need to wake up with a cuppa before I let the gang out, noooooo) and I want to make it as stress free as possible

Would the large windowed shed suffice when we get there, that night, and part of the next day while we rebuild and repair their run?

Yes, yes.... some would say they came from the caged system so compared to that, it would be fine. But I almost over-compensate for the bad treatment they had at the start of their lives. Ha ha.. I even say 'goodnight my beautiful ladies' (I don't like to say 'some still half bald' :rotfl:) when they've put themselves to bed and I lock the run up for the night, and they coo at me from within the coop (probably telling me to naff off and stop disturbing then :rotfl:)

Thriftkitten

Ok guys I could use some good advice on what if anything I can put down in the run, I have built quite a large free ranging area and a couple of holes for them to dust bath, but I am overrun with ants, the blighters are everywhere...... Help how do I safely get rid of the without poinsoning the chickens.

HeatherintheHills

Thriftkitten wrote: »

Ok guys I could use some good advice on what if anything I can put down in the run, I have built quite a large free ranging area and a couple of holes for them to dust bath, but I am overrun with ants, the blighters are everywhere...... Help how do I safely get rid of the without poinsoning the chickens.

Once your girls see and taste the ants you wont have ants for very long. If they aren't sure sprinkle some lightly crushed meal worms over a few of the ants when the hens are about. That should do it. Yummy!

Shortie, they will be fine in the shed, put the travel boxes in there with them so they can sleep inside them if they want to. Or is there anyone who has space for them and the house for a few days so you can move yourself first then collect them when the chaos has eased a bit? Your new home sounds fantastic

nykied

I have ordered some more chickens! I collect them a week on Saturday, two Light Sussex and a RIR. Yay!

ionahenor2

Shortie is the new house very far away? Would the owners let you take the coop over a day earlier? Or is everything happening on the same day, Moving in/out.

I'm sure the shed will be fine though. Anything is better than their last home.

Mine love ants too. I think they will soon move out once the hens get established Thriftkitten

Thriftkitten

We are soooooo excited, 1 week til chicks day, or there abouts, we havent candled the eggs anymore as don't wanna upset Marj this last week, but last time we looked we had 4 good uns out of the 6, I discarded the one that was clear and also another looked to of started developing but there were no visable veins, however I put it back under her just in case.
Marj is happy in her rabbit hutch out in the big run with the others and I have been opening her door daily although she hasnt been out in the last 48 hours, she seems to be chatterring away to the eggs, not sure if this is normal.
I am going to cave in and buy a decent run as Rita the nosey Hybrid keeps magically getting into the run!!! I'm sure that chicken possess magical powers as there never seems to be a way in but she always manages to appear inside the run and I don't want her pecking at the babies whilst I'm at work.
I have been looking at new coops, one lower to the ground so that I can give Marj and the chicks the first use of it, but there are just so many on the market online that I'm having a difficult time choosing, but with a week to go I need to get my act together. Happy sunny saturday all xx:T

HeatherintheHills

I'm looking for a broody house too and have been eyeing up THIS one.

Have you short listed any yet TK?