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

[Dawn T-B]

Hello - new chicken owner here!

 

My cube arrived a couple of weeks ago and I picked up my 6 ladies on Thursday. They are about 16 weeks old and fantastic!

 

We live in quite an exposed area - the girls have come out of the cube at last after i covered the run in shower curtains to give them some shelter from the wind!

 

A couple of questions: how much should they eat/drink - they are eating/drinking a lot less than i would have thought. I am feeding them mixed corn at the moment and thought they would eat a small scoop each per day - but they are getting through about a quarter of this. Their water hardly goes down at all.

 

Also so far i have left their door open on a night and they all 6 squash in together in the nest box - do you think if i closed the door it would encourage them to sleep on the roosting bars?

 

thanks Dawn

[quickcluck]

Hi dawn..

 

Congrats on your new girls!!! You must be very excited!!!!

 

I think a lot of us on here have had girls in the nesting box if you dont want them sleeping in there, block it up, we put a piece of card board across the hole for a week, and hey presto, they now sleep on the bars!!!

 

As for the food, I think that they eat much less before they begin laying.... you mention the mixed corn, but are you feeding them layers pellets or mash as well, as I think that corn is a treat

 

i think they take as much water as they need as long as it's in fresh supply it should be fine!

 

I am sure someone more experienced will be along soon to give some advice!

 

[BeckyBoo]

That sounds about right, layers pellets all day and a bit of corn in the evening should be fine. And as Quickcluck said they don't eat much at all before they start laying. At 16 weeks they may still be sleeping in the nest as sort of baby behaviour and if it bothers you then block the nest. Or you can just give in gracefully and let them sleep wherever!

 

Mrs B

[Egluntyne]

Hello dawn Welcome to the forum

 

Are you feeding them only mixed corn? They really need layers pellets. (Asa rule they should be on growers pellets till 18 weeks, but it wont be worth you buying a sack at this stage,) Corn isn't particularly nutritious, whereas the pellets contain all that they need.

 

They won't eat huge amounts until they are ready to lay. and then their appetites will increase massively.

[cordelia]

some smaller establishments sell growers pellets in smaller bags, there are a couple of pet shops near me who do...worth trying..

 

but definitely the chooks need layers pellets at the very least and some grit...too..

 

I always close the door to my eglu every night, it will keep tham a bit warmer if nothing else..and offers more protection...

 

Mine still sleep in the nest as I can see from poop in the straw, but they do start off on the bars....as I check every night, before I close up

 

Best of luck...and very exciting for you

[Dawn T-B]

That's great - thanks for the advice.

 

The breeder said they didn't need layers pellets until they started laying - glad I checked with the forum as I don't expect any eggs this side of Christmas.

 

I'll keep you posted on how they are getting on.

 

thanks Dawn

[stoice]

The breeder said they didn't need layers pellets until they started laying

 

This was probably the breeder implying that the girls should still be on growers pellets/mash until they lay, at which point they can go onto layers pellets/mash. Although if you already have layers it won't hurt to carry on from now on.

 

You'll notice quite a change in your girls appetite once they start to lay. (A sign of coming into lay is crouching, they'll be laying about a week after that)

[chickenanne]

Re: sleeping int eh enst box. There are 2 things not yet suggested, (a) they're too little to've figures out what the roosting bars are for, or (b) they're trying to get out of the draft from the open pop-hole.

 

Personally, I would be inclined to close the pop-hole after they've gone to bed, and gently lift them out the nest box and put them on the roosting bars. Hopefully then they'll get the idea and nopt be bothered by any draftiness (cold is fine, drafts are not).

 

The problem with them sleeping in the nest box is that (a) eggs are more likely to be soiled; (b) eggs are more likely to get broken (if you can't gather them in before they go to bed); © eggs are more likely to get eaten (again, if you can't gather eggs before the choockies bed-time), and (apparantly - am not sure I believe this myself) (d) they are more likely to go broody in the spring if they are already used to sitting in the nestbox.

 

If they really don't get used to the idea of roost bars then I wouldn't get to stressed about it.