alih Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 1. do they learn to eat and drink naturally or can we do anything to help? 2. do we need to clip their wings? 3. Do we need to clip their nails or will they wear down with free-ranging? 4. How often should we administer the red-mite powder? Mine have only been her half a day but I know there are a few of us who have picked up girls this weekend. I work full-time so am worried i can't keep dashing out with warm porridge in the day. Toorrow I can supervise but would hate to miss something. any advice most welcome. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 1. do they learn to eat and drink naturally or can we do anything to help? They will get the hang of it. They have been used to a nipple drinker and so they might need to be shown that there is water in the Glug. They have been fed exclusively on layers mash and won't cope with anything else at first. 2. do we need to clip their wings? I wouldn't bother till they are about to free range, although their muscles will be weak and they will probably not have the strength to flap away. 3. Do we need to clip their nails or will they wear down with free-ranging? They will wear down now. As a rule an hens that have exceptionally long nals will have had them dealt with at the rescue. 4. How often should we administer the red-mite powder? I applied it a couple of times a week when they first arrived, and always add it to the Aubiose that I put in the nesting box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 thanks egluntine as always - I have put the superglug into the run as I knew they drank from nipples so i hope they get it pretty soon. as for the mash i have just put it in the grub but will make porridge tomorrow. I will watch the nail thing once they are stronger and the wings too... they were pootling about in a much more lively fashion just before bedtime..am excited about the challenge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffik Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hi All We picked up our ex battery hen, Sally, from Little Hen Rescue in Norfolk this afternoon. We slipped her in with our other two this evening and they are all snuggled up next to eachother now! I am really looking forward to going down into the garden tomorrow morning and opening up the Eglu and to see what Sally thinks of her new home! Thanks Eglutine for the helpful tips! Will let you know how I get on with Sally! xx xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 raffik, just keep a wary eye on your new girl as she will be quite weak and if your other 2 girls are well established, the new girl could be bullied and being an ex batt, she might not be able to defend herself very well. Fingers x'd all goes well, just urging caution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I adopted 3 exbatts on the 22nd November last year. I love them to bits. i made a blog about them a sort of pictorial diary. It is on my collietalk link below, you need to read it backwards so starting at the day they arrived. Hope my experiences help. Sue xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Alih - hope you are enjoying your ex batts! I have made porridge this morning and as yet they are not interested in it, more importantly Lily & Daisy are fighting again - I know they are probably just establishing the pecking order but it isn't nice to watch, so I keep sending OH to check on them to make sure no blood is drawn........hope the fighting settles down soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Poachedegg.....it isn't unusual for them to fight a bit at first. They have had to assert themselves over food in the battery cage and it takes a short while for them to unlearn this behaviour. Why not have a broom ready to nudge them apart, and if food does appear to be the flash point, a second feeder might be useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Poachedegg.....it isn't unusual for them to fight a bit at first. They have had to assert themselves over food in the battery cage and it takes a short while for them to unlearn this behaviour. Why not have a broom ready to nudge them apart, and if food does appear to be the flash point, a second feeder might be useful. Thanks Egluntine - it isn't food, as we have 2 dishes of porridge, a full grub of mash and a couple of smaller pots and they aren't interested in it. It looks like they are sorting out their pecking order - but it isn't nice to watch - every now and again they seem to have a rest and then start again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I found a water pistol handy in the beginning to split up any fights that looked like getting too nasty, but by and large had to let them get on with it. At least sorting out the pecking order is a normal chickenny thing to do and they're obviously feeling strong enough to get to it straight away! My lot came with very long nails and they soon wore down naturally. I've never clipped their wings (most of their escaping has been done through tiny gaps in the fence ) and always sprinkle red mite powder on their bedding along with diatom. Foodwise, I gave my little monsters mash, as that was what they'd always had, and mixed some pellets in with it in the hope of getting them used to pellets. They promptly chucked all the mash out to get to the pellets , so they moved totally to pellets after a couple of days. They never got used to the superglug and used to throw all the food out of the grub so I moved to the usual bell-type feedrs and drinkers and they are happy with those. Everything is so new to them at first, it will take them a few days to figure things out, but by this time next week they'll be very different little girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Well I have seen them both drinking from the superglug but not eating a thing - have made 2 lots of warm mash which have turned stone cold and the mash in in the grub and in a dish but no joy - just a bit worried in this weather. They are both moving about a bit more this afternoon though.... guess it just takes time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Ours don't seem to haven't eaten either - they have pecked around a bit for the corn we scattered in the hemcore, but our porridge didn't tempt them either! I'm sure they won't starve themselves! We have 2 eggs from them too - buried in the hemcore in the nest box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Well I have seen them both drinking from the superglug but not eating a thing - have made 2 lots of warm mash which have turned stone cold and the mash in in the grub and in a dish but no joy - just a bit worried in this weather. They are both moving about a bit more this afternoon though.... guess it just takes time.. Ali, they won't realise that warm mash is food as they're only used to dried mash. Perhaps they can't get their heads into the grub either. One of mine couldn't because of the size of her comb. Don't think mine ate much for the first couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 good point abwsco..I will leave them some mash in a different kind of dish tomorrow as well as the grub so they have the choice...will forsake porridge for now as it seems as waste! WHen will they start being interested in treats? Have some sweetcorn would like to try but don't know if it's too early? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 i have been told that in the battery farm when a hen is going to be rehomed, she is not fed for up to 7 days before. When i first got mine their crops were very small and they only seemed to eat enough to keep a sparrow alive. the first treat they took was a grape cut in half held between my finger and thumb. now i dont check their crops I can see them swinging at the end of the day. From being like little handbags the first couple of weeks they look like carrier bags now...lol Sue xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks, Sue, am reassured.. they have been pecking a bit at the ground this afternoon so I feel that is a good sign. I love the idea of chicken handbags!! (not handbags made of chickens of course! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffik Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 My two Omlet hens seem to knock the pellets onto the ground under the grub. My new hen has been eating pellets that have fallen (or been knocked) on the floor. I don't think she's had anything to drink yet though, although she's been pecking at snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Ali, I think it was a couple of weeks before they'd try different foods and now there's no stopping them - lol Sue, LOL at them being carrier bags now rather than handbags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 dont tell me that no one else has chooks that fill up on groceries all day?Cant anybody else see the crops swinging from side to side when the girls are called in for treats before bed? OMG what have i done to my girls lol Sue xxx ps always empty in the mornings , must take some pics to show you what i mean....it is very noticeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Well this morning they came straight out of the eglu rather than hanging about in there for ages once I'd opened it. Stilll no sign of any food going in but they have been drinking and I am leaving them with about 5 different types of food station when I go off to work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 If they are pooing, then they must be eating... They will catch up very soon and eat you out of house and home lol love Sue xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 What a difference a day makes! Got home from work just before dark to see the 2 of them scoffing at the glug which am using as a grub. Both look perkier than yesterday. Guess it's one day at a time. They have kicked all their straw out of the nesting box though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 reference straw out of nest boxes, the dont kick it out they pick it up in their beaks and put in on their backs. No idea why.......They are such charcters...have you tried the half grape in between fingers yet.....I sat down on our bench today and Daisy was pecking at my coats pockets when the treats ran out, perhaps she thought i had some more in there... Love Sue xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 How bizarre!! It was all outside in the run when I got in. Not tried the grape trick yet - hope to sneak home early from work tomorrow so will buy grapes on the way to have go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackgold Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Yes it is true though I have observed it and other people said their did it too. I have a webcam set up for the pups arrival that are due this week but will try to put it outside tomorrow to show you my girls and their funny habits...lol Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
