Single hen

[quinlan]

Hello, we have had our girls for a week and a half and are enjoying getting to know them, but I am getting a bit confused about all the extras I'm to give them. I have spent ALL of my spare time on this forum recently so I know all the answers are here, but was wondering if any of you could help me save some time and tell me what you do in one go!

 

The girls have pellets all the time (and every now and then I mix it with warm water and yogurt which they love) and the odd treat in the afternoon, but I've just bought garlic powder, bokashi bran, apple cider vinigar, battles poultry drink and DE. But I'm so confused about what to do with it all!!!! What do I put in their food (and how much and how often) and what do I clean with and what goes in their dustbath.... Argh.......... am I making it all to comlpicated!!! I just want them to be healthy and happy (and one day to lay a little egg for me!!!)

 

Like I said I know the answers are here and I hope you don't think I'm being lazy but I just felt like I have been going round in circles trying to find them all!

 

Any help/advice would be very, very much appreciated.

 

Now I'm off to play with my new friends!!!

 

Natalie

[Daphne]

Out of that list I only use ACV and DE. So: ACV in drinking water at the weekend only (they don't need it every day - or you could do 1 week in 4) and DE in the shavings/straw in the house (I have a wooden coop as well as eglus. Personally I don't think you need DE in an eglu but I'm sure others disagree as its primarily a red mite deterrant, and yes I know it is possible to get red mite in an eglu, but I think its really uncommon. Apparently DE can be used to treat lice/worms as well but I would rather use specific treatments for these). I know some people put DE in dustbath which seems like a good idea.

 

Happy hen keeping!

[Mollystar]

Hi Natalie,

 

You sound like my friend here, a new mum

 

I'm quite new to this too but I feel I'm doing ok by my girls, pellets, grit, clean water, the odd corn on cob, the wormer & the odd grape. a nice cube that gets disinfected once a week & new grass/ground once a week. I know you can get lots of extras but my girls seem fine, I feel (IMO) they don't need overloading on all the other stuff.

 

I just want an egg & my hard work has paid off

 

Good luck & don't stress

[helenmb]

Hi Natalie

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens

 

Its all a bit overwhelming isn't it as there are some many things you can give them. What I can tell you is that is best to make sure that they get a good quota of their normal food either as pellets or mash (my girls like the mash more) before they have a chance to 'chook out' on anything else. This is so that they get all the nutrients then need to help them make eggs and also to keep them in tip top condition.

 

I away give them extras in the late afternoon for the reasons above, some days they get very little extra and others they get more.

 

I use Bokashi Layers Mash (or you can mix some into your existing stuff) but you can use the Bokashi as a treat as they love it just as it is - Egluntine I think uses it for 'treats' for her girls (I'm sure I read that on one of her posts). Its great to help keep their poos more solid (particularly if they are having lots of veggie type extras and if they get stressed about anything like moving to a new home!) and helps the flora in their tummies too.

 

The garlic powder helps their poo smell less strong - I always add this to their food everyday for that reason (buy the stuff they sell in larger pet feed places - the horsey type - as this is better than the human stuff from the supermarket).

 

I use DE in the Eglu/Cube and dust baths plus you can also squirt it carefully onto the girls if you are treating them for mites. However, I find that Flubenvet is the best way to worm them - it is by far the most effective way I have found and I have used Verm-X too (which is more preventative than a cure).

 

I too use ACV occasionally and also use Citricidal as well (but not together) as this helps with colds and sniffles etc - see the Omlet shop for details about this too.

 

Hope this helps. Try not to worry about all the extra bits as many Omleteers only give them the pellets and water plus a bit of free ranging with no adverse results!

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

FOOD

A big handful of bran and a teaspoon of garlic in the pellets every day.

Swish it round to mix.

 

I add a teaspoon of poultry spice to their pellets too.

 

I am about to start adding a spoon of limestone flour to combat soft egg shells. I've had a couple of soft shells in the past week. The calcium in the flour should help.

 

DRINK

A medium splash of vinegar in their water every day keeps worms at bay.

 

GRIT

A cup of grit as and when they run out. Nothing added.

 

CLEANING

I use Poultry shield for cleaning them out with - it stops red mite getting a hold in their housing. I clean mine thoroughly fortnightly - my chicken dealer recommended this frequency and it looks ok to me - not much poo in the coop.

 

WORMING

A course of worming treatment every few months is recommended although I haven't done mine yet - I'm waiting for them to stop laying for winter.

 

Does that help?

 

I got in a bit of an additives pickle to start with. So I just worried about making sure they had pellets, water and grit. Pellets should have everything they need really. Get your head round the basics then add the extras once it all stops feeling overwhelming.

 

Anna x

[quinlan]

Thank you all so much for your quick responses...Its been very useful. I am now calm and going to just enjoy having chickens!!! They seem to be happy and healthy so if I can keep them that way I am happy too!

[Egluntyne]

I put Bokashi, limestone flour and DE in their pellets.

 

Occasionally I ring the changes and add garlic powder instead of the DE.

 

Mine have 3 large drinkers in the run. One has ACV and the 2nd Battles Poultry Tonic and the third has plain water. They seem to like them all equally.

[helenmb]

Thats interesting Egluntine, I have often wondered if they would prefer just plain water. Good idea to have different combos so will try that myself too.