Ms

[Scramble]

Hi,

I'm getting my chickens tomorrow and before they arrive I have a *few* questions.

 

I've ordered Diatomaceous Earth,Mixed Poultry Grit,Garlic Powder and Poultry Tonic, my questions are mainly about when should I use these?

 

1.Should I start putting Garlic Powder in their food straight away? (for poo smell)

2.Should I start putting Mixed grit in their food straight away?

3.When should I give the eglu it's weekly clean. A thorough clean and douse with DE?

4.When should I worm my chickens?

5.When should I wash my chickens?

 

And also;

 

6. What are your chickens favoutite treats? (so I know what to buy when we do are next weekly shop! )

 

So far my list for them is:

Grapes

Spinach

Corn on the cob

Broccoli

 

All thoughts appreciated.

[Electricbarbarella]

I think you have it covered, I would feed the garlic staright away

Mine love dried meal worms , corn and anything else that I happen to give them. I wouldn't worry about wormning etc to start with.

I clean my poo trays and roosting bars everyday but that is just prefernece, I think weekly is fine.

I have never washed them, they will take a little while until they are all cuddly, let them have a few days to settle in.

I bet you are going to sleep tonight then

[Egluntyne]

Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into it.

 

I personally don't put the Mixed Poultry Grit in with their food, I dish it up in a separate pot from which they can help themselves ad lib.

[Scramble]

Thanks for that,

I think I'll sprinkle some grit along their run as there aren't many stones in our garden, and I'll put some in a pot, and mix it in every now and then.

 

Does any one know how much garlic powder to mix in to the food? The pack only has measure ments for horses

 

Thanks

x

[chelsea]

i put the grit into a seperate grub and they help themselves.

 

treats my girls like (dont go OTT with treats though, mine only get theirs late afternoon)

Raisins

organic mixed poultry corn (go mad for it)

Corn on the cob, or tinned kernels (unsalted unsweetened)

Broccoli (hung in run)

Spinach (hung in run)

left over mashed potato

left over pasta

left over boiled rice

grapes

cucumber

dried meal worms

sesame seeds

sunflower seeds

a strip of millet

seed bell (made with honey and not fat) (hung in run and given occasionally)

natural bio yoghurt with a scattering of raisins (nice on a hot day!)

porridge oats made with hot water (nice on a cold day)

 

think that's about it! spoilt monkeys

[Scramble]

Thank you!

I won't go OTT, I don't want 2 dumplings instead of Chickens!

But will give them their fair share

Like you said, they're spolit monkeys!

[chelsea]

you'll soon see what your girls like. it seems that every flock is different. Some peoples chickens go mad for cabbage or kale - mine turned their noses up!

[laurmurf]

Hi Scramble

we've had our girls a week tomorrow, so I know how you're feeling!

We've put one scoop of garlic powder into the grub and filled the grub about half way. It's never been empty, we just top it up and stir it around as the powder seems to fall to the bottom quite easily. We just added bokashi bran last night; they wouldn't eat it from our hands but we mixed a bit in with the pellets: it's supposed to make their poo less nitrogenous.

 

We've also tried lots of different types of treats on the girls and they all have different tastes! Dried meal worms are an enormous hit with a couple, but others prefer mixed corn. Apple cores are chased around the garden by most but not all. None like raisens, all like grapes... i could go on. Try things out on your girls, that's what we're doing. We even hung a bagel from some twine inside the run for them to peck at! (that was after they knocked down their shiny CD pecking at it).

 

We let them start free ranging just yesterday late afternoon and it was fantastic to watch them wander around then put themselves to bed that evening!

 

We got our girls as POL pullets on Saturday and had our first egg on Wednesday and second one this morning - incredible! I was sitting in the garden with the girls wandering around when our big girl, Meg, started getting restless, walked across the garden, into the cube, up the stairs, and within 15 minutes stood in the doorway and 'announced' she's laid another egg.

 

We are quite honestly addicted, madly in love, and don't watch telly any more - we just watch chooks!

 

You will have a fantastic first few days with your girls while you find out that everything the old-hand omleteers say on this website comes true! I give a huge thanks to everyone here for making our first week so succesful - yours will be too!

[Surfnirvana]

Hiya - How exciting for you! Sounds like you are all prepared and ready to receive your girls.

 

I've had mine for just over 3 months and absolutely love having them. For treats they adore:-

- sweetcorn (I tie a whole cob up with string and hang it from the roof of the run - which means it takes longer for them to gulp it down) - same with brocoli

- also mashed potato (cold) - with a spot of marmite in it,

- toast & marmite

- cold spaghetti / pasta - this is hilarious watching scrabble around for this

- dried mealworms

- cucumbers

- courgettes

- tomatoes

- grapes

- peaches /pears / plums

and the list really goes on and on. the only thing I've been advised not to give them is avocado.

 

I've only just wormed them this week for the first time (flubinet), and they were fine with that.

 

I haven't used garlic powder, but have some order, so not sure of quantities etc

 

Have fun tomorrow!

x

[Scramble]

Thanks everyone!

That sounds absolutly great! I can't wait until tomorrow!

I definitly have an idea what to buy as treats!

 

I'll post pics tomorrow, oh and egg wise they wont lay for a while I'm getting them at 12 weeks!

 

Thanks again

x

[Sandychick]

6. What are your chickens favoutite treats? (so I know what to buy when we do are next weekly shop! )

 

I've just given mine spaghetti mixed with bio yoghurt......what a mess It was like the messiest food fight imaginable. There is yoghurt up the trees, up the fence and they ended up wearing it so they looked like little yoghurt monsters when they had finished. I sat on the bench laughing so much my sides hurt...... definately recomended for comedy value. Thankfully they have now eaten the yoghurt off each other so that saves me a job.