Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[Ecky]

Hi,

 

the ladies (still not named) have moved in on Friday morning. The are confined to their 3 m cube run which is on grass. When I went out this morning to put the water and food back into the run, I've noticed that it already started to whiff a bit. The poo is not collectable, it is fairly wet and squashy, which must be from the wet ground/dew as the ones in the trays are fine.

Question: How do I collect the poo in the grass, stop the smell? I was thinking off sprinkling it with Stalosan F and some wood bedding, rake around a bit and then collect it all and put it on the compost. Will this work? The cube will get moved tomorrow to a fresh patch of grass.

 

Qustion 2: Where to you buy your bokashi bran? I've googled it and found many places that sell the stuff for wormeries and compost bins, but they want £6 for delivery. A bit OTT I think.

 

Question 3: When do I start to worry about the birds not eating from the Grub? They are happy to eat mixed corn from a plate, but I haven't seen them using the Grub. I've weighed it this morning to see how much they consume, so will know tonight if the take any food out of there. They have a pekablock, a cabbage and in the afternoon before bed a handful of mixed corn. Am I right that if they are hungry they will use the Grub? I have layer pellets, garlic flakes, a bit mixed corn and chicken spice in the Grub.

 

On the really good side, they have worked out how to drink from the super glug which has some chicken tonic in.

 

I'm so worried that I do something wrong

 

Thanks

[ted]

Hello,

 

Fairly new myself but heres what I have learnt.

 

Moving the cube around the grass is a pain and if you can set up a "fixed area" it will be easier to manage. I use bark chippings which I rake out, put on heap, stalosan the earth, add some fresh bark... This is the only time I move the cube.

 

Bokashi bran is something I use from these guys

 

http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/category.html?activecategory_id=16&-session=shopper:51982A6F054051AF0FvPFECA4D48

 

I got it because some of mine had very runny poo. I use the layers mash as a supplement mixed up into a fairly thick mixture with pro-biotic yoghurt. It does make a difference with the smell also makes poo easier to move...

 

They do charge for delivery but standard is £3.75

 

In terms of eating from the grub I think it is probably the same issue I had. Its not the grub itself its the contents. Once they have tasted the treats they dont want the pellets. Try cutting out the treats and re-introduce later in the day before bed. This worked for me. (thanks again Claret)

 

The good news is that they use the glug!!! I know that there are score of chickens out there that just dont get it!!!

 

Good luck and keep asking questions. You will get really good advice from the forum. Its helped and reassured me a lot.

 

Cheers

[Ain't Nobody Here]

They often have sloppy poos at the start just as a result of being unsettled by their move. It should settle down soon . Bokashi bran is really good a firming up the poos (I think I got mine from Wiggly Wigglers ) and garlic powder is great at reducing the smell.

 

I agree, a permanent site is so much easier to manage. I have mine on soil with hemcore or easibed and use Stalosan F and powdered garden lime to keep nasties and niffs at bay.

 

If they are happy to eat mixed corn but ignore the pellets, I'd withdraw the corn for a while. It should really only be a treat. They will also start to eat a lot more when they start laying.

[Plum]

If you are moving them to a new bit of grass, I would brush it then and then throw some water on what's left it will act as fertilizer. If you mix a bit of garlic powder in their food it stops their poo smelling as much (and preseasons the chickens-only joking)

[WitchHazel]

Another "Wiggly Wigglers" customer here

 

Sometimes new chickens are a bit pongy, depending on the conditions they've come from. My two previous babies (not my two Newbies, I mean Milly and Jasmine) really stank when they arrived...both them and their poo.

 

Hope that helps

Edited to add:

 

DO you have a hosepipe with a "jet" setting? I don't mean a pressure washer, I mean one of the nozzles/guns you can buy. My girls free range and I go round around the garden every few days (well, every week or so in the winter) and use the "jet" setting on the hose which sort of pulverises the poo into the grass.

[Ecky]

Hi,

 

thanks for all the recommendations. I've just ordered some bokashi bran from Wiggly Wigglers. Garlic is already in the food.

 

I've moved the cube this morning, sprinkled some stalosan on it and will spray the old area later with some water. BTW my husband can't smell them, I do. Maybe something to do with a more sensitive smell of a woman ?

 

I have withdrawn the mixed corn until before bedtime and this morning all of them have their heads in the grub, I will see later tonight how much they've eaten. Yesterday it was only 110 grams for 3, but we are on the right track.

 

Thanks for your patience and all your help, I'm sure there will be some more questions coming from my side.

[stoice]

If they are young girls and not yet laying then they don't really eat that much anyway. Once they come into lay you will see a dramatic increase in their appetite! I wouldn't put mixed corn in their grub with their pellets as they pick out the 'sweets' and ignore their 'greens' if you get my meaning.

My girls aren't on my lawn (Or is that swamp?!) in the winter but in summer i found it very satisfying blasting the poos into the grass with the jet function on my hose. You'll probably find it's the 'curry poos' that stink the worst. Garlic and bokashi will help with smell and firm up the normal 'jobs' but nothing can get rid of the stink from a curry poo. They clear out a different part of their insides and produce one every ten poos or so.

 

Oh and welcome to the forum, you sound as if you are doing a fab job so I wouln't worry too much.

[Ecky]

Hi Stoice,

 

You'll probably find it's the 'curry poos' that stink the worst. Garlic and bokashi will help with smell and firm up the normal 'jobs' but nothing can get rid of the stink from a curry poo. They clear out a different part of their insides and produce one every ten poos or so.

Thanks for the info. Never heard of 'curry poos', are they named like this because of the colour? Then I had quite a few already. Are they also a bit more squashy like the other ones?

Oh and welcome to the forum, you sound as if you are doing a fab job so I wouln't worry too much.

Thanks, I'm getting there, but the worry will carry on for quite a while. My OH always says I am a big worrier (but also a big warrior when it comes to causes close to my heart).

[stoice]

Never heard of 'curry poos', are they named like this because of the colour? Then I had quite a few already. Are they also a bit more squashy like the other ones?

 

Yep. There's a whole sticky in the 'poultry health' section here all about poop if it helps. (Great topics we discuss eh?) 'Curry poo' or 'korma poo' is just a nick name we use on this site but it seems to suit it really!

 

By the way - we all LURVE pics of other peoples chooks.

[Ecky]

Thanks for the link, very interesting reading. Good to know.

By the way - we all LURVE pics of other peoples chooks.

I know, mea culpa, I just haven't had time to do photos, I too busy just looking at them . I promise soon.

[Willow_Warren]

Hi,

 

 

I've moved the cube this morning, sprinkled some stalosan on it and will spray the old area later with some water. BTW my husband can't smell them, I do. Maybe something to do with a more sensitive smell of a woman ?

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm also quite new to chickens (got mine in September). Somedays mine smell, but not always. Sometimes I think I can only smell them because I'm paranoid that they "may" smell and that the neighbours will complain...

 

I was told not to give mine corn until they had started to lay, but I gave them just a little bit as I used it as a taming aid and wanted them to eat out of my hands (which happily they all do).

 

Mine started to eat quite a bit as they were growing, then started to eat a huge amount when they were coming into lay, now they are of course stopped growing but still giving me pretty much an egg a day and food consumption has gone down a little bit.

 

Hannah

[Ecky]

Hi Hannah,

 

I'm also quite new to chickens (got mine in September). Somedays mine smell, but not always. Sometimes I think I can only smell them because I'm paranoid that they "may" smell and that the neighbours will complain...

 

I guess that is it, we are paranoid. I've just washed the roosting bars down and cleaned the tray out. However, I think it still smells in the cube (3 chicken only moved in on Friday). Definitely paranoid . At the moment I am using wood shavings for rabbits, but have just tracked down the local supplier for hemcore. It comes with citronella added and hopefully that will put my mind to rest (a bit more).

 

Food wise they are eating out of the grub, but I've just been out there with a few grapes, the dogs and sausages. It worked fairly well, but I guess I will never trust my doggies fully.

 

I tried mixed corn in the hand, but they are not going for it. Persevere I guess.

 

Thanks for sharing your paranoia with me, good to know that I am not alone

[stoice]

I sprinkle citronella oil (3 drops) inside their house on the hemcore. Smells lovely. Also helps to deter flies in summer. I also have lavender, rosemary and lemon thyme planted near the run so i have to brush past it and release their lovely smell. (Also anti-fly i believe)