I'm considering one of these drinkers too, they just look like a good idea! I use a feeder suspended from teh roof, so they can't tip it over and I have a plastic drinker and a ceramic dog bowl in case theytip one over during the day.

Haha! The dog was on my lap at the time of typing, woops!

36sqft each !! Lucky girls I'd put a pop hole n and let them go in and out of their own accord. It will reduce their stress levels andmean they will lay batter.
Glad you've taken the plunge!

It hasn't put me off, but I struggle after rescues to eat chicken! Tend to go veggie after rescue days!! I think it's cos so many of the girls look oven ready when they come out! I eat Free range organic or from friends who raise their own. It has actually made me think that I could raise my own for...

This must be in association with BHWT as it has their logo on the bag and they donate money to them.
I guess if you're new to it all, you'll do whatever you cen to make your girls as healthy as possible. I use the A&P layers and mine will be sticking with that!!

Don't we need to factor in the wormer and lice powder, disinfectant etc?
Actually I won't do that as then I will probably find out I have chickens costing a couple of hundred pounds each!!

Agree with the above! I put my newbies in a small arc inside the main run adn then put them all together at night. I probably wouldn't bother with the arc if one of my bantams wasn't a total terrier! (she once tried to attack a LF cockerel, about 8 times her size!) If you decide to go for some girls...

Mine won't even come out of the house apart from my little strange rescue hen Hilda, who was just standing still in the snow, not even under cover. So I've shut the pop hole with everyone inside. It's meant to stop later, so hoefully tomorrow, they'll be back out and about!

That's great news! Wish my girl would eat them.....

They always have oyster shell, I put it in with the layers as well as in a seperate bowl and the others lay rock hard eggs, so will try the limestone flour and see if it changes anything.

I haven't tried the limestone flour as I couldn't get hold of any!! Will ask my local pet shop if they can order it in. I'm not bothered if she doesn't lay any with hard shells unless it is harmful? Can she be hurt if she continues like this?

I have a gravelled area that the hens love it! And I discovered this after I had cleared the run of all the gravel! My dog likes to eat the chicken poo and their food! Very strange!

I think they are really good as well. Not sure I could convince the OH that they are pretty enough for the garden though!

I have one rescue girlie who has only ever given me shellless eggs. It doesn't seem to matter what I give her! And she only lays about once a week and then she does it as she's walking around so the others eat it! She clearly laid whilst roosting the other day as 2 of the others where covered in egg...

What lovley girls! They are great aren't they?!