Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

angelavdavis

edmund_blackadder wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback nykmedia and lostinrates! It certainly sounds like a run would be best for ex-batts then (at least to start with)? I really just hope they are not going to be frightened/stressed by a daft Border Collie and an enthusiastic (but unsuccessfull) cat!

Hi there!

I also keep ex-battery hens. Mine have been free now for 18 months and will free range in the garden no problem, although I tend to keep them in a run 90% of the time because they decimate my vegetable garden! However they were initially kept in a run for the first few months of freedom.

Mine will be handled, they drop their bottoms to be stroked, but you have to work on it, some are more friendly than others (bit like humans really!)

edmund_blackadder

angelavdavis wrote: »

Hi there!

I also keep ex-battery hens. Mine have been free now for 18 months and will free range in the garden no problem, although I tend to keep them in a run 90% of the time because they decimate my vegetable garden! However they were initially kept in a run for the first few months of freedom.

Mine will be handled, they drop their bottoms to be stroked, but you have to work on it, some are more friendly than others (bit like humans really!)

Hi. Thanks for the advice.

I think that we are actually going to go for non ex-batt hens for our first time (in the hope that the learning curve will be marginally less steep!). There is a local park-farm to us that do some mixed breed chickens which are apparenty very friendly and good natured. I think we are going to go for a couple of them.

I've currently been looking at chicken coops and have found this one which I like: http://www.thepetpads.co.uk/index.php?page=shop&action=viewproduct&pid=8215

Does that seem like a good one? Is the price good? Any thoughts?

Gigervamp

I have a question about coops too. I've seen a lot with felt on the roof. I thought this was a no no as it harbours spider mites. Should I look for coops without felt on the roof?

Frugaldom

Not sure how you'd combat the felt roof problem, mine all have felt roofs and I spray clean them with a hose. I'm not sure where the red mites come from in the first place so best just keep a spray or dust of some sort and treat to prevent rather than cure if they arrive.

Edmund that coop looks very similar to the previously linked Henhouseworld one, which is £139 I think, and there are similar available on eBay selling for around £99 plus the delivery charge. I reckon they are all imports and am trying to decide if it's worth my while having a few of them or if the good old Scottish winter gales would wreck them. Going coop browsing later today.

lostinrates

re raised living areas, the coop we are using now we only have a few chooks has a raised sleeping are and only the legbarrs will walk up the ramp...., and not by choice then. Ours is a moveble one, so has handles/which in the run area are used as perches eithr side of the ramp: ours by preference jump from the ground to the perches then flutter in. The cochins will NEVER use the ramp, and prefer to flutter, no mean feat when you are the size and weight of a cochin and can't flutter well. still, my point is, it might be worth adding a perch along one side of the ramp at the level of the door so they can get in that way if they prefer, Edmund.

edmund_blackadder

nykmedia wrote: »

Not sure how you'd combat the felt roof problem, mine all have felt roofs and I spray clean them with a hose. I'm not sure where the red mites come from in the first place so best just keep a spray or dust of some sort and treat to prevent rather than cure if they arrive.

Edmund that coop looks very similar to the previously linked Henhouseworld one, which is £139 I think, and there are similar available on eBay selling for around £99 plus the delivery charge. I reckon they are all imports and am trying to decide if it's worth my while having a few of them or if the good old Scottish winter gales would wreck them. Going coop browsing later today.

You're right! That coop is on the link I previously posted and is cheaper! I didn't realise ... thanks for pointing that out.

Let us know if you spy any good ones!

lostinrates wrote: »

re raised living areas, the coop we are using now we only have a few chooks has a raised sleeping are and only the legbarrs will walk up the ramp...., and not by choice then. Ours is a moveble one, so has handles/which in the run area are used as perches eithr side of the ramp: ours by preference jump from the ground to the perches then flutter in. The cochins will NEVER use the ramp, and prefer to flutter, no mean feat when you are the size and weight of a cochin and can't flutter well. still, my point is, it might be worth adding a perch along one side of the ramp at the level of the door so they can get in that way if they prefer, Edmund.

Thanks for that ... I didn't realise that some chickens might not like going up ramps could even be an issue! That is certainly handy to know as I wouldn't have thought about it otherwise. I'm not entirely sure what breed (though I know that it is a cross breed) ours will be. I'll make sure I ask the breeder if a raised sleeping area with ramp will be suitable for these chickens.

bagpuss512

Hi
I joined you last week and you gave me some fab advice on my bullied hen. However, I'm getting increasingly worried re. one of other hens.
Have 4 ex-batts that free-range happily after onlyhaving them for couple months now.
They got wet two weeks ago and one started sneezing the following day. She was also wheezing. Two days later took to vet, who gave blue powder anti-biotic to put in water for five days for all birds. No change. So bought Citracidal off internet after advice. Again no change. She's still sneezing and wheezing over the ill period (now two weeks today!) but is still lively, active, eating and laying every day. slightly thinner than others. Should I take her back to vet? Buy High Stability Colloidal Silver (natural antibiotic)? What do you guys suggest. Is she likely to recover naturally - nature takes its course and all that.
Also, when do you use cider vinegar and can you use the supermarket stuff or is it different?
Also, as they free-range most of the time, should I Flubenvet them or is there a natural alternative? And how often. Sorry so many questions!! Really appreciate your advice!
Thanks
PS Still a complete novice to this posting lark and not sure have done this properly! (hence lack of smileys!)

Gigervamp

edmund_blackadder wrote: »

I've currently been looking at chicken coops and have found this one which I like: http://www.thepetpads.co.uk/index.php?page=shop&action=viewproduct&pid=8215

Does that seem like a good one? Is the price good? Any thoughts?

I've just discovered a review of one of those henhouses (as well as some others) here.

lostinrates

edmund_blackadder wrote: »

Thanks for that ... I didn't realise that some chickens might not like going up ramps could even be an issue! That is certainly handy to know as I wouldn't have thought about it otherwise. I'm not entirely sure what breed (though I know that it is a cross breed) ours will be. I'll make sure I ask the breeder if a raised sleeping area with ramp will be suitable for these chickens.

all chickens should, theoretically, walk up the ramps, as far as I know. It seems some just don't like to

Our small house is a bit like a bigger version of the one on the left of the link below.
http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/products/DOMESTIC_FOWL_TRUST.html

what we find is that they tend to perch on the handles inside the run, then jump for it. Providing a similar perch would cost you very little. Its also good for their feet to provide a perch of different diametre to normal, I understand, and thats an easy way of doing it IMO.

Bagpuss, I'll be reading replies to your question from the more experienced poultry keepers with interest, because I've never dealt with this

Its so interesting watching the chickens in this weather. As soon as the sun peeps through Sir T (our rooster) stretches out for a sunbathe. The legbars and marans, but especially the lag bars, cope much, much better in the wet, but having the clean legged birds has encouraged the cochins out more. I'm a bit worried about their ''trousers'' being wet all the time though, but seems no problem so far. In the main they don't want to ome out in the wet, bt the legbarrs, particularly my little shadow, Bangs, seem almost toally undeterred, by all but the very heaviest of rain.

edmund_blackadder

That looks like a very good henhouse but costs much more than I want to pay ... afterall we are only going to get 2 chickens I think. If i find they struggle with the ramp then yes I may get an extra perch to give them a boost up!