Dodge77 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi all I have ordered my chicken house and run (not eglu as too much for my pocket) and ordered 3 ex-batts for collection in a coupley weeks but...despite going through your forum til my eyes are square i still have a few basic questions so here goes: What goes in the house as bedding ? What goes in the nest box? What goes on the floor of the run (do i need to keep moving it if on just grass)? What do they get to scratch in if on slabs? How much feed do they need? When do i feed them? Are ex-batts a risk? Where do i get Garlic powder and that bokashi bran? What has the above got to do with chickens and/or compost ?! Many thanks and sorry for the rapid fire approach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi all I have ordered my chicken house and run (not eglu as too much for my pocket) and ordered 3 ex-batts for collection in a coupley weeks but...despite going through your forum til my eyes are square i still have a few basic questions so here goes: What goes in the house as bedding ? What goes in the nest box? What goes on the floor of the run (do i need to keep moving it if on just grass)? What do they get to scratch in if on slabs? How much feed do they need? When do i feed them? Are ex-batts a risk? Where do i get Garlic powder and that bokashi bran? What has the above got to do with chickens and/or compost ?! Many thanks and sorry for the rapid fire approach I put some aubiouse and straw in the nesting box. I also put aubiouse in the poo trays with straw on the roosting bars to prevent them from getting too pooey each week (I work full time so don't have time to do a daily poo pick). I dig out the runs every six weeks and put a bag of aubiouse down. My girls love this...it's absorbent and they love to dust bathe in it. Mine are not on slabs so I can't advise on this point but I think people put aubiose on top of the slabs for their hens to scrab about in. Give them unlimited feed. They will only eat as much as they need. They don't over eat. I leave dry feed out for them all day every day but I also feed mine hot wet layers mash porridge each morning with bokashi (to firm up their poos), limestone flour (to ensure nice solid egg shells) and poultry spice (to keep them in good condition). I also add their worming powders, etc as I need to. I have ex-batts. I don't understand what you mean by 'are ex-batts a risk?' If you mean do they die quickly, then some do and some don't. I collected five in December 2007. One died within an hour of getting her home. One died Summer 2008. Another died December 2008. The other two are still fit and healthy although they have not laid eggs for at least six months. One has turned he/she and looks like a cockerel complete with sharp spurs. I buy the bokashi bran as part of my girls' feed from wiggly wigglers. The bokashi and garlic powder neutralises their smelly poos and the bokashi also firms up the poos. I buy my garlic powder from a local equestrian shop. http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/product.html?product_id=474&-session=shopper:518D20F9054cd238EAVPFF4E9A67 Hope this helps, Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi all I have ordered my chicken house and run (not eglu as too much for my pocket) and ordered 3 ex-batts for collection in a coupley weeks but...despite going through your forum til my eyes are square i still have a few basic questions so here goes: What goes in the house as bedding ? Lots of us use aubiose/hemcore which is a type of horse bedding available from most horsey shops but some people use dust extracted wood shavings but they are not as absorbent What goes in the nest box? You can either use shredded paper, aubiose/hemcore, woodshavings or straw. its up to you, just don't use hay as this goes mouldy What goes on the floor of the run (do i need to keep moving it if on just grass)? Most of us have covered permanent runs with clear corrugated plastic or a clear tarpaulin held down with bungees, we then have aubiose/hemcore or woodchips on the floor which the chickens can scratch around and dustbath in. What do they get to scratch in if on slabs? Answered in previous question How much feed do they need? You can buy feeders and drinkers for different numbers of hens and you just fill this up to the top and refill when necessary. Most laying hens consume around 120-180g a day. When do i feed them? They should have layers pellets and fresh, clean water available all the time and you can give them treats and corn late afternoon but not before they have eaten their pellets Are ex-batts a risk? I don't have ex-batts my self but from what I have heard they are hard work but well worth it and you feel so proud after when they are free and doing normal 'chickeny' things Where do i get Garlic powder and that bokashi bran? You can order it in the omlet shop The Omlet shop What has the above got to do with chickens and/or compost ?! Bokashi Bran makes their poos nice and firm and garlic powder makes them smell less and firmer. Both of these are bonuses in my opinion Many thanks and sorry for the rapid fire approach Good Luck Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi all I have ordered my chicken house and run (not eglu as too much for my pocket) and ordered 3 ex-batts for collection in a coupley weeks but...despite going through your forum til my eyes are square i still have a few basic questions so here goes: What goes in the house as bedding ? Aubiose What goes in the nest box? Aubiose What goes on the floor of the run (do i need to keep moving it if on just grass)? Aubiose, or yes, keep moving it if on grass. What do they get to scratch in if on slabs? Aubiose. How much feed do they need? Feed them ad lib with pellets, ie don't measure out a prescribed amount. Fill up their feeder as necessary, only discarding uneaten pellets if they become damp. When do i feed them? Leave food out for them to help themselves throughout the day. Are ex-batts a risk? Not sure I understand what you mean here. Where do i get Garlic powder and that bokashi bran? From Omlet, Ebay, Wiggly Wigglers and Recycle Now (Bokashi) and equestrian shops(garlic powder). ....not the supermarket variety. What has the above got to do with chickens and/or compost ?! Not sure what you mean here either. They like something to dustbathe in, if that is what you are referring to. You might have guessed that I am a bit of an Aubiose fan. If you use it in the run, be sure to put some sort of cover over the run as it will absorb every drop of rain that falls on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkspurs Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I am aware that Tom123 and Janty, Egluntine have already answered your questions and would equally agree with their answers. I also recommend Aubiose I just want to say congrats and welcome to the forums Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge77 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Thank you all for your replies With reference to ex-batts being a risk i keep reading bad things aboutthem dying real fast and don't think OH could handle the upset if that were to happen And the bokashi bran is mentioned on a composting bin website - just can't work out how the two uses are related - you either put it on your compost or in your chickens !!??!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Sometimes they do die, Dodge77. It is just one of those things. They have had a hard life, and occasionally the stress of the move is too much for them. Once they have recovered and regained their strength, they are no more likely to die than the next hen, tbh. You will enjoy watching them recover and learn to do what hens to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Thank you all for your replies With reference to ex-batts being a risk i keep reading bad things aboutthem dying real fast and don't think OH could handle the upset if that were to happen And the bokashi bran is mentioned on a composting bin website - just can't work out how the two uses are related - you either put it on your compost or in your chickens !!??!! Bokashi bran added to the feed will firm up the poos and make it smell less whiffy. I also use bokashi bran in my blue composters. You sprinkle it on top of the waste food and it helps it break down ready for composting. This way you can compost everything including meat and bones and leftovers. See here : http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/shop/product.html?product_id=474&-session=shopper:518D20F9054cd238EAVPFF4E9A67 http://www.recycleworks.co.uk/kitchen-composting-c-281.html?gclid=CL_gvsbz45gCFQsyQgodCHu0dA http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/organic/Bokashi-composting/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola O Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 With reference to ex-batts being a risk i keep reading bad things aboutthem dying real fast and don't think OH could handle the upset if that were to happen I rescued three ex-batts in April 2007 - one died last november, but the other two are still going strong almost two years later (though they have 'retired' and haven't laid for about six months). Nicola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
