Ms Tilytinkle Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 (edited) Our daughters chickens - 2 Ms Pepperpots . . MADINA & PANDORA Hubby's Chickens - 1 Pepperpot & 1 Speckled . . ETHEL & AGNUS my girlies . . 1 Cou Cou & 1 Silver . . BODECIA & CORDELIA ( i've gone for the female warriors/queens We've enjoyed them so much. I hung a whole broccoli up for them to nibble at & they ignored it, put some little sweetcorn in for them they ignored those too. Hmmmm will they come around to it? PLus the guy from OMLET said not to put garlic powder in with their food, as why would i want garlic flavoured eggs he questioned ? HELP . . do all your eggs taste garlicy then? When it got dark, one of them wouldnt go in & was scratting around in the Hemcore eventually we went out to try & encourage her to go inside, she was having none of it .. we gave up & came inside . our daughter asked which one is it, i described which one & she said "oh that'll be ' PANDORA '" how sweet! Actually looking forward to opening their little door tomorrow, working early but will still enjoy an hour or so before hand. The local breeder said to home them for 2 weeks!!! Oh & please . .How long does the hemcore last, how regularly does everyone change theirs? Ms Tilyhaseventuallygotsixbeautifulchickens PS Hubby can't believe the cubes clips are so dire, all that expense & the clips & wirebits & support bits are lightweight & naff Hubby nearly fainted exclaiming all that money for a bit of plasic & huh we still had to pay for the food?!!!!!! . .whoooops . .he may come around when we clean it, maybe thats where the cost worth is - in its easiness to clean. Ah well can't keep em all happy all of the time. Edited March 7, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Congratulations! Hemcore lasts months. I change the nest box twice a week and the run about every six weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 He told me not to put it in the nest box!!!!!! I thought it would be much nicer in the trays but he said no nothing!! So confusing Thank you, i adore them although not looking forward to cleaning them . .yuk ! Ms TilylovesherwarrierCordeliawhohasagrandbluegreyplumagewithanorangeflash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 So great you got your chickens They will take a while to get the hang of treats - most of what you offer them they will never have seen before so it's all a bit suspect!! They'll soon figure it out. They will also eat loads more once they're laying. I've always used garlic powder in with their food and no garlicky eggs yet. I also use Aubiose/Hemcore in the nest box - the girls like it, its nice and soft to lay eggs on and makes cleaning the nest box a doddle. Do what suits you and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 (edited) Hello Laura, Thank you, in the box . .theres the laying bit & then the sleeping bit - do you have anything in the trays. How much do you put in the plastic bit with the gap. i guss that must be the laying bit . . . he siad nothing in there either, i worried about the eggs breking if there was nothing soft for them They're up out & about this morning - hubby let them out !!!!!!!!! But its a tad windy - bledd so they all puffed up. I have shredded paper & hemcore . .what about in the wooden rung bit , do you leave the rungs clear - again he said don't put anything in there . Ms Tilylearningbylisteningandtryingitout PANDORA ADALIA ETHEL AGNUS BODECIA CORDELIA Edited March 7, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Congratulations on your chooks Ms Tily - they sound lovely, and great names! You don't NEED to put anything in either the trays or the nest box, but most people do. It's purely personal preference! I put a sprinkling of the aubiose in the poo trays under the roosting bars - it helps to absorb any smells and moisture from the poo and helps it slide off easily into the compost bin (or wherever you tip it). I also prefer to have something a bit cozy in the nest box - either straw, shredded paper or aubiose. Again, purely personal, they don't really need it (but they seem to like it ) Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Congratulations! You're a chicken-owner at last! Love the names. Very appropriate. Enjoy your girls. It will all settle down soon, once they get into their routine and they will discover treats. It's all a bit new and confusing for them at the moment, I'm sure. I did try hemcore in my eglu nest box, but the girls ate it (I went back to straw), so now I just put hemcore in the run and the poo tray. I empty the poo tray every 3 days or so. Can't help with the garlic powder question as I don't use it - I use bokashi bran instead. It really firms up the poos! Do take some pics to show the girls to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Hellooooo , i have been working all morning, i work from home, & can see out of my works room window - hmmmm distracted or what . .the chickens antics this morning were great fun . .then we had hailstone, rain, wind . .. . 3 of them took sheltwr . . 3 just stood & quivered !!! They're all now out preening & frolicking in the sunshine. Waiting for camera batteries to recharge then will try to take some decent photies. Meanwhile, i'm out of work clothes into chicken scruff gear & i'm off into the run with them I've put in a perch & three of htem were sitting on it today, put in a big log & one of them loves standing on it & jumping down. Yesterday when i went into the run, after unclipping all of those fiddly little so called clips no way was i going to fasten the all back up just to undo again, so propped closed the door . . hmmmmm Warrior Lady - Cordelia . .noticed the escape route, distracted me by causing a fuss at the ther end of run & when i succumbed to go & see what all the distraction was about she made her exit, great i'd had chicken an hour & already one had escaped!!!!! Hmm i thought two can play at this game . . so after deciding i didn't want to go around & around the cube & run, & the cat decided she wasn't playing either as that thing was real!!!!. . So i retreated to the run & promptly ignored Cordelia, figuring she wouldnt go far & come back in when ready . . THANK HEAVENS THATS EXACTLY WHAT SHE DID . .LUCKY ME !!!!!!!!!! Now i'm going to try to encourage them to feed on the broccoli, show them the sweetcorn is edible too & hopefully get a iittle stroke from a few of them . Ms Tilyneedsrubberglovesandbiggerscrubbingbrush PANDORA MADINA BODICEA CORDELIA ETHEL AGNUS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Hello .. HMMMM TEENAGER & HUBBYS !! Our lovely daughter came home this evening & said MADINA wasnt MADINA anymore, she's now ADALHIA & much to my shock hubby then said, yes i've been thinking about AGNUS...maybe ELSBETH suits her better!!!! & here i was thinking i was the only crazy one !!!!!! ms Tilyverycoldafterwatchingsungodownandchooksgoin BODECIA CORDELIA PANDORA ADALIA AGNUS/ELSBETH ETHEL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Glad you got them at last Mrs Tily.... It sounds like they have worked their chickeny magic already. I use a bit of hemcore in the nest box (they sleep in it) a handful in the poo tray just to absorb any moisture and smell and then hemcore in the run which is changed every 6 weeks ish. Looking forward to seeeing your pics. The clips are a pain (I guess they are the same as the eglu ones - little green ones). Having said that you don't have to dismantle and redo the run very often...top tip is don't do it on a cold winters day when they really hurt your fingers. Some folk have used cable ties instead when they have come to replace them I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I put a couple of sheets of newspaper in the poo tray with a little shredded paper (and a few drops of citronella). I put shredded paper in the nestbox. Glad your girls seem to be settling in well. You seem to be coping with chickenmotherhood very well . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Ha, coping quite well !!!!! i haven't changed a nappy yet !!!! well you know what i mean. tomorrow will be 1st cleaning day . .ooh'er I sat in the run today on a tree stump, & let the chckens just wander around me, one of them - my white one got really curious, she jumped up on her perch so she was at eye level with me & for a moment just stared, she then looked like she was going to jump onto me as if i were a perch .. .hmmm i lost my courage & moved about so she moved off !!!! wimp!!! ( Actually I'm doing well as i have never enjoyed the sensation of birds flying around me so to sit in a confined space with 6 of the feathered friends was really challenging my old dislikes ) Tomorrow my dislike of poops wlil be put to the test Ms Tilygoingtobeddybyessweetdreamseveryone PANDORA ADALIA BODECIA CORDELIA AGNUS/ELSBETH? ETHEL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Tomorrow my dislike of poops wlil be put to the test) Sounds like the new girls are taking over already..... glad you are enjoying them. You'll soon be joining in with poop discussions on the forum. I actually quite enjoy the daily poop pick with the girls clucking round my feet as they free range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...