4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chickenhawk]

Hello all

 

I have not posted on this forum before however i have been monitoring it for a while & is a mine of good info from like minded chicken folks

 

my daughter has been crazing for a rabbit for months & I always refused but things changed about 10 days ago when she had come back from her freinds that had a smallholding the subject from then on was chickens

Any way I put my foot down it wasnt long before I was ganged up on by the mrs & 2 daughters but i got my own way( for about an hour)

 

I bought a small purpose built house & 3 Rhode Rangers at POL a week ago I thought they would take some settling in but after getting them home we put them in the house & run for an hour & then let them out they were a bit jumpy at first but i was worried i wouldnt get them in at night but as it got dark they went up the ladder & perched.. (amazing)

 

ever since then they have been let out in the mornings & to scratch in the garden they have not been any trouble ( unusual for woman in my experience) we dont have fox trouble here we have a very active local farmer who is on the case but we have always had someone on guard dawn till dusk.

 

 

after all that rambling I have a few questions :-

 

I think the girls are about 18 weeks old when would you expect them to start laying?.

 

Should I be giving them any medicine ? is there an all round medicine for all ailments?

 

What sort of nature do Rhode rangers have they seem very placid but alert & fit birds they look in very good condition. they will allow themselves to be picked up.

 

What experience do other people have with the RR.

 

Thx for reading this im not up to speed with all the system to post some pics yet.

 

Best wishes

[chickenlickin]

Hi, welcome to the world of chickens, and this fab forum. Chickens generally start laying between 20-24 weeks so you may have to wait a while before any yummy eggs arrive.

 

If they are healthy then no medicine is required but you may want to worm them to be on the safe side. I use Flubenvet powder over the course of 7 days. You just have to dip the tip of a raisin/sweetcorn into the powder and throw to chickens (chickens love these treats). Other forum members may recommend other brands, its up to you.

 

I dont know anything about Rhode Rangers but they sound friendly enough. At 18 weeks they wont want to be picked up but if you spend lots of time with them, handfeeding them sweetcorn they will soon become your best friend. Chickens become very docile at night time when they have gone to bed, so you can pick them up gently after dark, give a quick stroke, then put them back to bed they soon get used to you. Also, once chickens start laying, they squat down on the floor thinking you are the cockeral, so you can pick them up very easily once this starts to happen.

 

I hope this helps you. I am sure you will have other members giving you advice also.

 

All the best.

[Hen Watch]

things changed about 10 days ago when she had come back from her freinds that had a smallholding the subject from then on was chickens .............................I bought a small purpose built house & 3 Rhode Rangers at POL a week ago

 

Blimy that's decisive.... wish my hubbie was that easy to convince..

 

Hi and welome to the forum. I don't have that breed so can't help with their characteristics. But generally handling at night once they've gone to bed is a good start and once they start laying, they may "crouch" when you go near them and sort of freeze on the spot, really easy to pick them up then.

 

Won't be long for eggs I'm sure, but may be a few weeks of yet.

 

No real all purpose medecines. But lots of good all round suppliments you can get if you want. Buy from horse supply shops or look on the Omlet shop. There are loads and loads of products out there (and I have much, much more than this) but I would say my top 4 would be:

 

Poultry Spice - mineral suppliement for good all round condition.

 

ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar (NOT refined stuff from supermarket) – add to their water - makes their gut acidic and is supposed to help aid digestion and prevent worms.

 

Garlic Powder – mix with pellets makes poop less smelly.

 

Citricidal - which is grapefruit extract - to add to water when they've got the sneezes.

[Snowy]

Hi and welcome!

You sound like a man who knows when he's beaten!

But getting chickens is a very good decision to be beaten into!

 

The Rhode Ranger is another name for the basic rhode island x light sussex hybrid. They are bred for the battery/mass egg production industry, so lay maximum eggs for minimal feed and are very docile. The downside is that they lay like mad for the first year to 18 months, and die quite young (3 - 4 years old). Also known as gingernut rangers, warrens, meadowsweet rangers, bovans goldline. Hope this helps

[Hen Watch]

The Rhode Ranger is another name for the basic rhode island x light sussex hybrid.................Also known as gingernut rangers, warrens, meadowsweet rangers, bovans goldline.

 

Didn't know an RR was a Ginergnut Ranger.

 

We'll in that case, I've got 2 Gingernuts and regarding your question on their nature, they are very very inquisitive birds. Very friendly, follow you round the garden like dogs, great with my kids. When mine had free range of the whole garden they would park themselves at my back door and tap on the window to get my attention......but I've had to put a stop to that now hubbie wants them to leave his veg alone and they've got their own area of garden now.

[Chickenhawk]

Thx for all the info its a whole new chicken world out there

 

i have plenty to learn

 

cheers