Any last minute advice?

[PixieDust]

Tomorrow we go to chose and bring home the Chix. Do you have any last minute advice please?

[kitla]

position your garden chair appropriately & make sure your camera is charged up!
most of all - enjoy them!

[manda]

Make sure you have plenty of time to sit and enjoy them ...let them come to you ..just be around them.
Other than that ...well just make sure nobody expects you to do housework, make meals ...you know all those incidental things that will get in the way of sitting with chooks

[Mo]

First, prepare to enjoy them.
But, as Manda said, don't rush them. Put them inside the house and let them find their own way out to the food and water that you put near the door. Don't worry if the stay in there for a while though you are longing to see them scratching around. It will all be a bit strange to them - they thought they knew where they live then.... Let them decide that this is home. If they find their way out they have some chance of finding their own way back in at bedtime. A small run is good at first. When they know that then in a few days time you can let them out to free range (if you have plants you want scratched up!). First time let them out at dusk and they won't stray far as they'll be thinking about roosting.

Hens aren't lapdogs, so don't expect to pet them, but they are curious and if you move gently and sometimes bring them what they want they will remember and look out for you as soon as the kitchen door clicks.

Don't overdo the treats. Pellets and greens (if they don't have grass) and maybe a very small amount of corn at bedtime in winter (to digest slowly through the long night).

Have fun. And let us share the excitement of all the Firsts.

[PixieDust]

Thank you all for you helpful replies. I will take my watching duties VERY seriously

[bmpsands]

If you haven't already - get some good wellies and identify a jacket that can be kept for chicken chores. At this time of year especially you'll find both invaluable. Mind you, it's awkward when visitors arrive and find you looking like a bag-person. I always say they should think themselves lucky not to see me first thing. Pyjamas, dressing gown, chicken jacket, old mud caked wellies and on special occasions a rather fetching woolly hat!

[PixieDust]

I have some boots but not wellies. Got plenty of jackets that are old that I can use. Got rubber gloves.

Ooh quick question; can you use detox wet wipes on the perches and floor? I have poultry shield but in the cold damp weather I don't want to make the house wet and not dry before the roost at night.

[Katiee]

In between a thorough clean ( bearing in mind that I have a recycled plastic coup ) I always wipe round with disinfectant wipes and my gorgeous ladies are still fine almost 2 years on. Its a very useful and effective means of cleaning. I would add that I make sure that there is plenty of ventilation for the disinfectant smell to dry out before they use the coup again later. have so much fun.........

[KathJ]

Oh, don't forget the head torch very very useful for these dark mornings and night especially when poo picking

[PixieDust]

Thank you all so much for your advice. See you on the other side!

[amber66]

Have fun picking your girls up today Pixiedust, they will soon crawl into your heart.
Amber.

[animartco]

Am I too late? Probably. You should do a visual health check. Good feathers obviously, and none missing from the tail. Red comb (unless it is a breed with a different coloured comb) bright open eyes, no discharge from nostrils, and CLEAN LEGS. This tends to be the most common fault you will find. It also means the bird is not a spring chicken. You have to look harder if the bird has feathered legs but you should still be able to see horny lifted scales, if there are any. And also of course you should see that the bird is moving around normally before you select it. Another thing to look out for is a drooping undercarriage. If the vent is visible don't buy!
As to breeds I suppose you have already selected, or have an idea of the type of chuck you are looking for. Just remember that different breeds have different temperaments. You mightn't want to end up with chickens that are constantly flying out of the run or are particularly noisy.

[ChickenCarol]

Good luck with your new girls and don't forget to let us know what you get. Most of all enjoy them.

[PixieDust]

They are home!

And I changed my mind several times but I finally chose a Withy Blue, (Bluebell), a Withy Sussex, (Light Sussex), a Withy Copper, (Black Copper Maran), and a rank outsider a Withy Columbine, (Cotswold Legbar). All hybrids of course.

They settled in the house very well and gave me a couple of the smelly poos lol.

Pictures to follow.

[KathJ]

Oohhh, lucky you now the fun really begins. Prepare to lose hours of your day just watching them but most of all enjoy them