Cube mk2 and WIR

[Egluntyne]

We are getting our 8 Ex-Batts in about 3 weeks (ages away I know, but I'm so excited!) ( ) and I just have a few questions ..

 

1) My dad is going to make a ramp for the , how long will it be before they are able to use the ladder?

It very much depends on the individual hen. Mine were all very weak nin the muscle department and couldn't even hop up some shallow steps we have in the garden at first, so would never have managed the cube ladder from day one. A month later and they were fine with it.

 

2) What drinkers will they be used to? .. Do we stick to the Super Glugs that are coming with the Cube?

Mine used Glugs from the start.

 

3) I have read before about a different diet at first, but I've forgot . What do we need to feed them on at the beginning (sp)?

Layers mash, which is what they had in the battery cage.

4) Do they need any extra things in their food/water?

Don't give them too many changes at one....they have a lot of adjustments to make. A bit of Avipro or probiotic yoghurt added to their feeed will help settle upset tums though.

 

I gave mine Battles Poultry Tonic after a couple of weeks too.

 

I think thats it, but may be back to ask a few more nearer the time ..

Thanks x

[Mrs Slats]

We lifted ours into bed the first 2 nights and after that they went up on their own... no ramp needed although we did out a few blocks out to make an extra step at the bottom... it's that first stretch up to the bottom rung thats a bit high for many... ours still have an upturned flower pot to give them a lift up.

And, yes, agree with Eglutine, glug was fine... and layers mash.

 

little tip... we had one that was a bit off her food and flumpy for a few days... dozing off in the middle of the run and generally not very perky... so we used the mash and some warm water to make a porridge and she lapped it up... 2 days later she was good as new.

 

we also popped a couple of fake eggs in the nest box and after about 5 days they had all mastered the art of laying like proper chickens. No more scrambling around on hands and knees to collect them from the back of the run

[HENthusiastic]

Hi.

My ex batts were living in a wooden converted rabbit hutch until they were ready to be integrated with my other girls. There was no way they could get up the ladder into the house and it was upsetting watching them falling. I did a quick conversion job so that the house and the run were both at ground level. The other point is that they were absolutly terrified of me to start with which I hadn't expected, so any handling (such as putting them to bed) would have been traumatic for them and me. Saying that it was not long before they got used to being touched.

I had a supply of layers pellets for my other girls so I used a food blender to break down the pellets, so it was like mash. They had no problem with this at all.

Good luck. HOpe the 8 weeks goes quickly for you.

[dancing cloud]

Another ex-batt addict on the way then . We should form a club (oh, but we have )!

 

My experience has been very similar to Mrs Slats - mine all managed the ladder in a couple of days or so, except Chance who took 4 days to figure out she had wings . The initial difficulty wasn't the ladder, so much as not knowing how to put themselves to bed or where bed was. They catch on very quickly (especially if it's mischief ). I also used the rubber eggs to give them a hint what the nestbox was for and they laid in there more or less from the start.

 

They never figured out the superglug and are very happy with the standard bell-drinkers. I'd bought a spare bell drinker for free-ranging away from the run, so they always had a choice.

 

BHWT advise layers mash at the start as that is what they have known. I mixed mash with pellets for my little madams and they picked out all the pellets and spat out the mash . I moved to just pellets in a couple of days and they were happy with that.

 

They absolutely love hennie porridge, so I make that with pellets, poultry spice, garlic granules, a bit of live yoghurt and dried mealworms or tuna (or any other treat worth digging for). It gets them to eat the good stuff without noticing, but stand well back as they flick it everywhere!.

 

I put apple cider vinegar in their water, but I doubt it's necessary. Like Eglutine, I phased things in gradually, so they didn't get too many changes at once.

 

My little monsters were confused by me at the start (and everything else, come to that), but not terrified, so I was lucky there. A couple were fairly cuddly - think they saw me as mummy-hen who would protect them - and it's evolved over time with the rest.

 

Sounds like you've got everything covered and there are eight very lucky girls coming to you soon .

[mrsallen08]

 

 

They absolutely love hennie porridge, so I make that with pellets, poultry spice, garlic granules, a bit of live yoghurt and dried mealworms or tuna (or any other treat worth digging for). It gets them to eat the good stuff without noticing, but stand well back as they flick it everywhere!.

 

You should stop telling people how to make it and start producing it yourself! You'd be on great commission the amount of times I have seen you say it on here! LOL

 

Good luck scrambled! My exbatts although they had been rescued 6 weeks earlier were still very timid and not fully adjusted to free range living! After just 3 weeks they are much more settled and now laying again! And only a few baldy patches!

[dancing cloud]

Knew I'd missed my vocation - can burn a boiled egg catering for myself, but make a mean hennie porridge! Think Mrs Slats and many other forum members beat me to it though.

 

Scrambled, don't worry too much about getting layers mash. If you can get layers pellets, you can whizz them in a blender to create mash, and you can then start to introduce pellets in the mash to ease the transfer. Might be easier than specially getting mash and having it rejected as I did! (Still love the little monsters though...)