Keeping hens and ducks chat.

CAFCGirl

happygreen

Im really sorry to hear of your loss and the situation with the girls now

Edwink I hope the recovery continues and she's back with her friends real soon

ali-t

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Is there a list anywhere that anyone referred to as a chicken starter kit?
I'm purchasing what I need this week but didnt want to get caught out buying stuff that is really not needed, and also didn't wanna miss anything out.

TIA

All you really need is shelter (and something to line the bottom of the coop), food, water bowls and grit/oystershell. Everything else is additional. Mine have things to climb on, regular treats of veg and meal worms. they are very easy to keep and we just tend to buy things as we need them - low maintenance pets!

edwink

ali-t wrote: »

All you really need is shelter (and something to line the bottom of the coop), food, water bowls and grit/oystershell. Everything else is additional. Mine have things to climb on, regular treats of veg and meal worms. they are very easy to keep and we just tend to buy things as we need them - low maintenance pets!

Ali-t great post I totally agree with your list especially the treats bit.

CAFCGirl - The feed we buy contains the grit already so we don't need to buy that as well so the choice for you is what you prefer to use yourself.. Have a look on the bags/sacks of feed to see which one you prefer. And for worming we use VermX as you do not need to withdraw the eggs for consuming if they have that but there are other brands out there to choose from and you can buy feed with the wormer already in it if you wish. All the instructions are on the worming containers or you can come back on here and ask any of us who will be willing to help. I worm mine mostly every month as I have so many of them. Some keepers worm every 3 months but it all depends sometimes on what brand/type of wormer you get for them.

Shavings are good for the floor of their hotel as it is easy to sweep up and can be added to your compost heap if you have one. You could also use straw if you want to but try not to use hay as it is way to dusty for hens.

Try and remember that little bags of this and that mount up for poultry keeping so it is sometimes better if you have dry storage to buy the larger bags/sacks if you can.

I get my VermX on Fleabay as it is the cheapest I have found as I buy a huge pot of that at a time.

Also you could think seriously about getting some Diatomaceous Earth powder as protection from the dreaded Red Mites. Smite make one as do other brands that is in a puffer type bottle so you just puff it around their hotel especially concentrating on their roosting bars and especially underneath them. I didn't use this type of product "ever" until we got the dreaded things crawling everywhere. They, the mite, live off of the girls blood and feed at night and then when they are full they normally crawl and sleep under the roosting bars until they are hungry again and then they do it again and again until the hens become quite ill from it. It can be fatal for the hens so well worth considering seriously about. We purchase a huge container from fleabay and it worked out the equivalent of £1 per puffer bottle opposed to paying around £6 for one puffer bottle full. I purchased one puffer bottle full and now I just refill it as needed. All the directions are on the bottle but come back for advice if you need too.

I think that's about it for now. If I or anyone else think of anything we can pop back on and let you know.

HTH

Edwink

CAFCGirl

Thats great thankyou both.

Ive already a bag of DE but will invest in a larger quantity. A family friend with a smallholding showed me his coop he'd built and it was liberally dusted with DE and he said his chooks had never been happier. My plan is to get out and get most of the other bits today.

Theyre apparently used to layers mash and was recommended to keep them on this until they settle a bit more. Ive ordered some of this. Feeder and water container ordered as well.

So today is the hunt for VermX and bedding. Thanks everyone I'm getting ridiculously excited now

CAFCGirl

Its Chicken Day!

edwink

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Its Chicken Day!

HOORAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CAFCGirl

They are here, and bigger than I expected

So we have Pie, Stew, Dipper and Nugget.

Theyre all pretty much identical to me at the moment, bar Pie being the chicken with balls (first one out, last one in, the ballsy one) and poor wee Nugget is looking worse for wear. Last area of feathers missing off her chest/breast and a bit 'hedge backward' looking. Im giving her a few more days to see if its getting worse or not.

First morning, we had 3 eggs and one with no outer shell, second day 2 eggs and one very jelly looking outer with nothing in, today just one egg and one squished one which looks like it was too thin and got sat on over night?

They all seem to be eating their mash pretty well and drinking. Just getting into the habit of when to give treats etc. I'm already wanting a larger coop for them. Yesterday they had a little taste of freedom and came out in the garden for a bit, 2 went back in rather quickly and Pie was up by the house and more than happy wandering the grass.

Thats about it I think.
Any advice for helping out poor Nugget?

edwink

CAFCGirl wrote: »

Im giving her a few more days to see if its getting worse or not.

First morning, we had 3 eggs and one with no outer shell, second day 2 eggs and one very jelly looking outer with nothing in, today just one egg and one squished one which looks like it was too thin and got sat on over night?

They all seem to be eating their mash pretty well and drinking. Just getting into the habit of when to give treats etc.

Thats about it I think.
Any advice for helping out poor Nugget?

Hi again

I am sure Nugget will be fine. Some of my hens are looking a bit scruffy since they have not long moulted. They do that in time for winter usually so they can grow a new feathered coat to keep them warm. So I am sure she will grow her new feathers like mine will. Like you say just keep an eye on her especially with Pie being top dog at the moment. There may well be a bit of squabbling and pecking at each other at the start but when the pecking order is fully established it will all settle down.

With regards to the eggs just keep an eye on them. Often soft shelled eggs happen because they lack some Calcium. What you can do is when you have eaten some of their eggs bake the shells for a little while in your oven. Maybe after you have had supper one night and the oven is still warm pop them in on a tray and leave them there for a bit. When they are cold just crush them up really small and add it to their feed. This will give them some extra calcium.

Do you know how old they are? Do you know what sort of lives they have had prior to coming to live with you?

Treat wise you can give almost anytime really but always best to make sure that they eat their hen food in the morning and again in the evening before going to bed. I normally give my treat food a lunchtime but it is entirely up to you. Maybe some porridge this time of year as it will help to warm them up. Never give porridge in the summer though as they can overheat after eating it. Cooked rice is another nice treat or cooked pasta and of course greens, dandelion leaves, grass and sweetcorn etc. If you have a soft shelled egg that you obviously wouldn't eat yourself you could open it up and if there is an egg inside you could scramble it up for them and give that too them as a treat. No salt in anything though as it is harmful to them. You can give them bread but don't give it too often as it does contain a little salt.

Hope that is of some help to you. Keep us posted on their progress please.

Take care

Edwink

Happygreen

anyone prepared for bird flu? Received the Scottish government directive this evening so will spend tomorrow preparing to build a cage - was not organised for this as last time we just got away....

Gers

This has been released for England.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38231416