Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[VicW]

I picked up my chickens yesterday! I choose four different breeds - they'd all been in together, so just picked my four favourite. I have one Norfolk Grey, one Cream Legbar, one French Wheaten Maran and one Appenzeller. They are adorable.

 

They are in their new home. Is it normal for them to be really nervous at this stage? - they've hardly come out of the house at all in the 24 hours we've had them, and are just huddled together on the roosting bar looking scared. Can I do anything to help them or should I just leave them to it?

 

They are 10 weeks old and I've got some growers pellets for them. Can I add some mixed grain for them as well? Also, should I add a nesting box just before they are due to come into lay, or now?

 

thanks

Edited September 25, 2008 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Hello Vic, congratulations on your new girls . They sound lovely!

 

I think it's quite normal for them to be timid at first, especially as they're so young. You could try leaving some tidbits out to entice them out.

 

I've no experience of such young chickens but if they were older I'd say hold the corn till the afternoons for a treat and keep them on the pellets.

 

Don't suppose they'll need a nestbox, but no harm giving them one so they are used to it when the eggs come along!

[Egluntyne]

They don't need anything other than growers pellets at this stage.

 

Giving them anything else will just crowd out the good carefully balanced stuff and make them fat.

[quickcluck]

Can we have pics when they come out???

[HENthusiastic]

Oh yes please pictures would be good. Sorry I dont know anything about young birds. Hope they settle okay. Sounds a great collection.

[cordelia]

I got my chickens at 14 weeks...we think...anyway they are no nearer laying...the third one may have been 13weeks..the cream legbar, and she used to try and sit underneath one of the others, once they were friendly...and she sung...beautifully....not how I imagined a chicken to sound at all..

 

anway mine were quite shy in the eglu, but came out for the growers pellets and water, and dont really like anything else...

 

I left them in the run for a week, but really they could stay in longer, especially as yours are even younger...

 

if you let them out of your eglu run, they wont know where to go back the first few times (at night) (if they are anything like mine) and so the best trick would be to put a torch in the eglu.. and they should go back there....if they dont, once its dark and you find them roosting just pick them up, and pop them in your eglu via the egg port door...

 

we have straw in the nest ready, and the cream legbar, Henrietta sleeps in it..

[cordelia]

I have a dog and cats too...sorry meant to say this on last post...and although they have been inquistive, they havent been a problem, but I did try to keep them and our neighbours children away initially to help the chickens settle in....

 

Henrietta our youngest is the most timid, and I think, always having the labrador with me in the garden, when Im seeing to the chickens is making it harder for me to try and get near them to tame them...just some things to bear in mind...

 

at 10 weeks they are really still babies... ..they'll start getting braver soon

 

Its very exciting...but dont start coundting the weeks until you have an egg..it drives you slightly mad

[VicW]

Ok, hope this works...

From left to right: Emilie the Norfolk Grey, Olivia the French Wheaten Maran, Annabel the Crested Cream Legbar, Dylanette the Appenzeller.

All settled in now and coming out into the run and eating and drinking well. Haven't tried introducing the dogs again yet!

 

 

Edited September 25, 2008 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

 

They are lovely girls.

 

(You just needed to highlight the link and click Img (above) to add the code that makes it appear as if by magic.

[VicW]

wooo! thanks Egluntine - photo now sorted!

[mrsallen08]

gorgeous birds! good choice!

[cordelia]

they are lovely