New to chickens!

[Bex]

Hi, I'm new here, but this seems like a good forum so I have a few questions. We are getting 3 chickens in the next few days and we have never had them before. We have converted an old dog kennell and run into our chicken house and we are currently in the process of creating a door and ramp into an enclosure we are building for them in the field so they will get grass to play around in too. The dog run is concrete so we are going to put bark chippings down for them to scratch in, is this ok?

I've been told about the grit for them but where do you leave it, will they just eat it or do you put them in the feed??

What do you put water in?? A dish?

What breeds are best? My Dad's only desire is that they lay big eggs! We're not looking for anything fancy.

Also what common ailments should we look for?

These are the only questions I can think of now, but I'm sure I'll have more! Thanks in advance.

Also any other helpful tips you can think of!

Bex

[AnnaB]

Hi Bex
If they are having grass/greens in the day I would leave the concrete. I had 2 in the greenhouse (concrete floor) and spread straw around to save me treading in stuff - or leave it to them they really enjoy doing this! I read a post that if you use bark and it goes mouldy it is not good for them.
As far as breeds go I only have ex-battery girls and the eggs are very different. One of mine laying a 90gm one.
I put their grit on the floor as if I put it in a bowl they tip it over.
The water can go in a bowl but I find a water feeder works better
Very best wishes.

[Richard]

Hi there,

I agree with Anna. With the water, if you don't have a feeder, make sure it's in something heavy as it's surprising how strong (and clumsy!) they are and they'll knock it over in no time.

If they have good access to roam, I wouldn't worry with the bark as it'll get very pooy very quickly and you'd have to replace it quite often which would be a tad costly I imagine.
With the concrete, you can just hose it all off.

The egg size I'm unsure about, but I get 6- 8 eggs a day of various sizes, but rarely a small one. If they were in the shops they'd be large and extra large with the occasional 'bloomin enormous'

For colour, my Black Rock lays a work of art - really golden terracota. They seem to be 'plumper' eggs.
Morans, Light Sussex are all great layers.

Chickens are usually pretty ailment free, but when they get something, they get it. Occasionally you get the listless ones for a few days and they are prone to get runny eyes and have 'loose poo's'. Most of these things clear up on their own.
You'll get to know as you go along, but feed them well and give them TLC, you'll be fine.
Look for a change in the colour of their crown. If it's going very faint or purply, they are ill.

We've all 'been there' and had the same worries, so please ask anything you want.

Let us know how it's going and great to see you here.

Richard

[Bex]

Thanks for the replies!!

We're going to the feed merchant tomorrow, where I get all my horse feeds from, to go and get a proper feeder and a waterer, i spoke to Dad and he says we're going to do it all properly. I'm going to take pictures of our chickens house, It's actually a work of art! My brother gave them a curved platform to stand on, next to their nesting boxes, as it is more asthetically pleasing and my Dad has built a door in the side of the shed so they can get out into the field enclosure and we've built nice little ramps for them too. As far as breeds go, we're going to just get whichever are being sold locally as it's more practical. I would like to rescue some battery ones but Dad is against it at the moment, I may get some eventually though!

For the nesting boxes am I better putting, straw or shavings down??I use shavings for my horses but i could quite easily get straw.

Do they need any jabs or vet checks etc??

Bex

[Richard]

The straw v wood shavings is personal choice really. Some say that straw isn't good for their breathing, but most free range farm / smallholding chickens spend a lot of time in barns etc.
I use wood shavings.

It sounds like a good set up you have there. You'll have to post a picture, or send me some and I can do the cropping etc. I'm doing a page for forumers chickens / housing as soon as I have a few more, so feel free to show it off!

Again, the Vet check / worming etc. is of personal choice. I've never had any of mine done, but I know that some people would always do it. I think it's more necessary when you have a large flock.
There's a possibility they will have had this if you're buying them from a breeder.

Bet you're all excited !!

Good luck.

Richard

[Bex]

Hi thanks for the info! Dad and I went out and bought the feeder, waterer and grit, layers pellets etc. today. We spent so much money, the woman in the shop reckoned our chickens would be the most spoiled ones ever! We then looked at the adverts to look for hens for sale low and behold there was an add from the huntmasters son, he lives 10mins away from us! So we rang up and drove straight over. He had black rocks, some magpies (which weren't for sale) and some warrens. Because you had all recommended the black rocks we got 2 of them and one warren as he said that they lay well. we brought them all home and very quickly set up the feeders put shavings down etc. We decided to use shavings because we have them already. We put them in and clipped their wings, because with our set up we felt this would be best for them. I then left them all sat on top of our nesting boxes which doubles as a roost. I left them to settle because it's been a stressful day for them. I was a bit worried that they hadn't ventured outside but I went back in 30mins ago to check them and there wass an egg, in the nesting box! It was the warrens but I was so pleased! I thought I'd let Dad have it boiled later so i popped it in my pocket, that was a mistake as it cracked in my pocket :s so I won't be doing that again! Then I decided I'd show the girls where the door to the outside world was as I thought they would be hungry and thirsty and the waterer and feeder are outside. Once they worked it out they all leapt out and were off! I will take some pictures for you later. One question though, yours all look so friendly, I went in with a handful of corn in the hope I could make up for all the stress they've had today but they were have none of it, they just clucked and clucked at me! will they get more friendly the more they begin to realise I have food?

Thanks

Bex

[Mo]

Hi, enjoy your hens, don't let the horses get jealous.
Mine come pacing the netting as sonn as they hear the kitchen door open. They know there may be food or scraps.
I wouldn't exactly call them friendly though, if I want to catch one I wait till they are roosting, then do a quick grab before they know what's happening.

[Bex]

Hi,I don't think the horses are aware of our new arrivals yet, probably a good thing as they eat whatever they can get into, Tini's favourites are fruit pastills! I have to be really careful if I have any because I'm sure they're not good for him!

Bex

[Richard]

Hi,

That's a really nice post and one we can all relate to so much.

Once they get to know your voice, footsteps, routines etc., they'll be a pain in the neck as you fall over whenever you go near them!!

Good luck - sincerely pleased for you (and your Dad!).

Richard

[Clive]

I know all too well how worrying it is when you first bring them home having done it myself on Saturday, but they didn't take long at all to put my mind at ease.

On Sunday they didn't eat much of the pellet feed and hid everytime I went near them.
On Monday they ate more and watched me from a distance, but didn't hide.
Today they have decimated the layers pellets and have all been eating out of my hand...Literally!

At this rate, they'll be sitting round the fire on Sunday, taking tea with the ferret and dog!

[Bex]

Well I thought I'd write a little update on how my girls are getting on. They spent the majority of yesterday in their coop and were very wary of me, as i mentioned before, so we pretty much left them to it. I got up at about 7.15 and went and put some feed in a bucket to take out to them. I was wandering round the corner to where their run and coop are, fully expecting them to all be inside still, but not a chance! They were all outside scratching about and pecking away, it was very reassuring to see! So i filled up the feeder and they all scuttled inside but as soon as I left they came back out again, no eggs though. I had noticed they keep getting dirt, bits of wood etc. in their water. I think it's because they scratch around, so I've popped a concrete slab down and put the waterer on top of it, this seems to have solved the problem, after changing the water they all started drinking a lot, I think they must have been fairly thirsty! When Dad got up we went out to check them, and see if they'd laid any eggs, Dad was sceptical, but there were 2! I think it was the black rocks that had layed them as the warren laid one yesterday and I think it would be a bit much to expect another one from her yet. I didn't break these ones though as I took an egg carton out to collect them in. I took the girls out some bread crumbs at about middday, I put them in a metal dog bowl, we bought it for the purpose, are they ok to eat out of this?? I didn't think it would do them any harm but they peck pretty hard at it. when I went into put the bowl down they all ran into the coop apart from the warren who kept her distance but pretty quickly realised I had food so once I put the bowl made her way very quickly towards it. So they are certainly eating well!

I read on another webpage that marmite on toast is good for them when they've had a stressful time like moving home, is this true?? I was thinking about making them some marmite on toast later if so.

Bex

[Richard]

A full English would probably go down well (only joking!!).

They'll eat what they want to eat is the answer, although I haven't heard the Marmite one before.

Don't be surprised or worried if they stop laying for a while. The eggs they lay this morning were 'in their system'. Almost all my new one's have always stopped after a couple of days whilst settling in.

Good idea with the water. I have very high pots so they just bend their heads over the top. The other answer is to hang them (not the chickens :mrgreen: ).

The metal bowl will be OK. They venture and scrape over all sorts of old rusty things around barns etc.
I bet it sounds like a Tin Band!

Often, when I'm weeding or digging the vegetable patch, I'll throw things over their fence. My chickens now firmly believe that some of their food really is sent from heaven!!

Looks like you're having s good time - great stuff!

Richard

[AnnaB]

Hi Bex
About the water getting 'dirty' I thought at first they were kicking dirt into it and by chance one day I noticed that their beaks were covered in soil (where they had been digging up worms) and then they had a drink, hence dirty water. Dog bowls are a good idea as they seem to be more stable - I use these for porridge.
If I empty their water carriers into the run they immediately drink the water from the ground - you really can't win!!

[wendy]

be careful of marmite. There is a lot of salt in it. Not good for any of us, chickens included, Good to hear they are settling in well.
Wendy