Single hen

[Jennyhenny]

I've just been having a look at the forum for all the bits and pieces I need to get together for my delivery of and - two weeks today and can't wait

 

So far I have on my shopping list

 

Poultry Spice - (Do I sprinkle in with pelletts)

 

Diatom or Redmite Powder (to keep bugs at bay)

 

Garlic powder (to keep smelly poo at bay - do i put in with food)

 

Cider Vinegar (in water but not quite sure what for)

 

Mixed corn (treat in the afternoon)

 

Straw/arboise or shredded paper for nest

 

Wood chip for the run

 

In one thread I saw it said Poultry Grit and also Crushed Oyster Shells - Do I have to supply both these or will either one do.

 

Seems an absolute mine field and I don't want to do anything wrong and put the girls at risk. There appears to be alot of bits and pieces being added to food and water wouldnt want to overdose them

 

Sorry to go on but I want to try and get everything right

 

Jennyhenny

[wiblick]

Poultry Spice - (Do I sprinkle in with pelletts) Yes but only about 1/4 of a teaspoon, and really they only need it in horribly bad weather or during their moult.

 

Diatom or Redmite Powder (to keep bugs at bay) you can add the Diatom to their feed or put in their dustbath/sprinkle around house. Red Mite powder you sprinkle around the house and/or dust onto the hens when they are asleep!

 

 

Garlic powder (to keep smelly poo at bay - do i put in with food) Yes put it in the food, again only a teaspoon or so for every full feed. Apparently it really does neutralise the smell of poo!

 

Cider Vinegar (in water but not quite sure what for) a tablespoon or so into their water. It is for general health

 

Mixed corn (treat in the afternoon) not essential and if you find they are not eating their layers pellets don't give them treats, if they are new to pellets (feeding on mash previously) probably best not to treat them for a couple of weeks

 

Straw/arboise or shredded paper for nest

 

Wood chip for the run

 

In one thread I saw it said Poultry Grit and also Crushed Oyster Shells - Do I have to supply both these or will either one do. I would say definitely supply grit, in a separate container if they are not going to be free ranging, they need it to break down their food, 'cause they basically just swallow seeds and they need to be crushed, but they don't have teeth. You can get flint grit or granite grit. Oyster Shell is for extra calcium for laying hens to make sure their eggs have nice hard shells. Sometimes it's just easier to buy mixed grit which has both in. http://www.ascott.biz sell 5kg tubs and their shipping is very, very reasonable.

[Kirstine]

Don't panic!

Take a deep breath!

 

What you and your chickens really need boils down to: layers pellets, bedding (aubiose/straw/shavings), water (which is free!).

The pellets contain sufficient calcium and grit if that is their complete diet. As stated before, the new chickens may not be used to pellets so if they don't take to them you can either starve them of anything else until they eat them, or provide mash and gradually wean them (I think most of us would do the latter, ask the seller what they are used to).

The mixed corn is a treat, and if given (most of us do, because we like to spoil our girls and give them some variety), they will probably need a little extra grit (for digestion) and oyster shell (for calcium to make eggshells). If the chickens have time free-ranging, they will pick up their own grit and eat things like clover for calcium so again you won't need these. We have never bothered and the eggshells are just fine.

 

Poultry spice, diatom, garlic, cider vinegar are strictly optional, but a lot of people find them helpful - read the relevant threads here and make up your own mind.

[wiblick]

I'll echo what Kirstine said: most of what you have listed are totally optional. I only bought what I did because I'm in Ireland and we can't get them from suppliers here in a hurry, so I just got a years supply of everything.

 

To put that into perspective, a tub of poultry spice (450g) should last me a year with 6 hens!

 

I panicked too and have bought a lot of stuff I could have done without, and ironically I've yet to find somewhere selling food, which should have been my first and only priority!

 

The feed (layers pellets or mash) is really all they NEED - everything else is like giving chocolate or vitamin tablets!

[Yolky]

Hiya

 

Just from personal preferance I would change the garlic powder to bokashi bran. I used to use both but the garlic stinks so have stopped using it for a while and noticed no real difference. However I notice streight away if I stop using bokashi.

[feemcg]

My chooks get mash and pellets. The grubs all have pellets in them, and I also fill a gravity feeder with mash every couple of days and add a tablespoon of Poultry Spice and a tablespoon of Diatom (just to confuse you even more ).

[fluffyknickers]

I am fairly new to this, and enjoying it.

 

As mentioned you really do only need food (pellets), water, chickens and bedding, however if like me you like everything then I currently do this...

 

Have a grub full of pellets (got mine from Omlet with the cube) in the run and to this I add a couple of handfuls of Bokashi and a sprinkling of garlic powder (it STINKS). In the beginning they hardly ate any but now they are laying I have to refill every day (have three hens).

 

In the beginning when they were establishing the pecking order I also had another little pot on the wire of the run with food in as they pecked my when she went to eat.

 

I have a little pot on the wire with grit in (omlets grit) although hardly gets touched.

 

I have the glug full of water, to this I sometimes add cider vinegar (from horse supply shops) and other days I add chicken tonic (just because I have it!!!)

 

I have aubiose and wood chip in the run and nest area.

 

I put some diatom and red mite round the nest and run. Diatom is actually edible and can be given to them to eat eg sprinkled in their food. Red mite can be sprinkled round the run and nest and also put directly on the chickens.

 

Corn - in the beginning we loved giving them this as they would take from our hand. I wanted them to eat more pellets so stopped for a while but still give as a treat every now and again and to get them in the run.

 

Poultry spice - I believe only really needed when they are moulting or need a pick me up.

 

At the moment I am giving my hens a treat around 5pm - its not really a treat as just their food and extras with boiling water but they love it and makes me feel like they are getting some goodness. So at the moment I have a tin bowl (pets at home) and put in a couple of handfuls of pellets, one handful of bokashi then sometimes I add some supplements such as a sprinkle of diatom, grit, cider vinegar, garlic then pour in boiling hot water and mash all up and give to them!

 

Other things I have found useful are my leather gardening gloves for feeding from hand, thick rubber gloves for pooh picking, dustbin for the food, storage box for all the bits I keep in the shed, broom and a rake (for sorting the run and sweeping up when they have created a mess!).

 

You'll love it!

Michelle