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Scotty

Looking after the ExBats.

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Hi Guys,

 

We are new to chickens and everything about them! We've just adopted 4 ex-bats, Can somebody advise us regarding Worming, "De-fleaing" and the MUST HAVE items to keep our girls in tip top condition?

 

We bed them down currently on shredded paper as we love to recyle, this we change 3 times a week. But would they eat this paper? is this the best seeing as its been so cold etc?

 

Also in the run are they ok to just strut around on the grass or should we be considering some other base?

 

Finally - and sorry to keep on here! - we have a water glug... how did you actually get your chickens to use it? they seem to just ignore it !!

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Hi Guys,

 

We are new to chickens and everything about them!

 

Hi Scotty! Not got any ex-batts myself, but still, I'll try to help :)

 

We've just adopted 4 ex-bats, Can somebody advise us regarding Worming, "De-fleaing" and the MUST HAVE items to keep our girls in tip top condition?

 

Flubenvet is the wormer of choice in these parts. Recommended items would include:

 

* AviPro - probiotic + vitamins - good for any stressed animal (e.g. any chicken post relocation)

* Poultry Spice - mineral supplement

* Diatomaceous Earth - good against external parasites

* Citricidal - grapefruit seed extract, good for sniffles

 

Most of these can be had from the Omlet shop, except AviPro and Flubenvet which you can buy from a number of online suppliers

 

We bed them down currently on shredded paper as we love to recyle, this we change 3 times a week. But would they eat this paper? is this the best seeing as its been so cold etc?

 

Paper is fine if you change it regularly. They don't usually eat it (tho my pekin did eat one strand once - she hasn't tried again, to my knowledge, so maybe she decided it didn't taste nice!

 

Also in the run are they ok to just strut around on the grass or should we be considering some other base?

 

Grass is OK to begin with, but they will probably eat it eventually - wood chips are good for a permanent base.

 

Finally - and sorry to keep on here! - we have a water glug... how did you actually get your chickens to use it? they seem to just ignore it !!

 

You could try splashing your fingers in it, so they realise it has water in - they may be used to something different, and just need to learn where to find things. My pekins took a while to work out what the Omlet feeders were for :)

 

Welcome to the forum, BTW!

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Hi Scotty and well done for rescuing ex batts! 8)

 

I use a cat litter tray filled up with wood ash from our fire, but dry compost/fine sand works well too. If they are free ranging they will probably make their own dust bath somewhere in the garden.

 

I sprinkle red mite powder in there too, a couple of times a week.

 

All the best

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