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

[no1smiles2000]

Hi there.

 

I rehomed my 4 girls 2 weeks ago. They are lovely.

 

1st few days we had 3/4 eggs a day but now we are lucky to get one!

 

they seem to be permenantly hungry so i make sure they have their layers mash available all the time. they also have water.

 

They seem to sleep in the nest box! ( i have a purple cube!) and poo loads!hehe

 

I am worried they are bored/ unhappy which is why we arent getting eggs?

 

Bad planning meant that the cover i put on the run came off in bad weather meaning the woodchip got wet!

 

so they are on the patio with woodchip, i've let them out a couple of times & they seemed really happy but we have a tiny enclosed garden and hubby isnt happy about the pooing everywhere!

 

so i am thinking of repositioning the run (when time permits) to mke it a bit more convenient.

I was thinking of removing a flower bed for the run and then fencing off the grass so they can free range without pooing on the patio. but then i am worried about them gettin over the fence! can they get that high? hubby found one ontop of the cube the last time they were out.

 

So questions:

 

is it best for the run to be on grass or patio slabs?

where do i get cleaner for the cube?

where do i get mite stuff, pets at home?

why arent they laying?

Do i mix the gritt in with their layers mash or seperately?

how do i stop them being bored?

how can i hang veggies etc for them and what do they like?

 

thanks and sorry for all the questions!

 

Katie

[no1smiles2000]

oh yeah, if i build run for daytime does it have to have a roof?

how much have your walk in runs cost?

[quickcluck]

Hi Katie! Welcome to the world of chickens!

 

Dont worry so much you can't really get it wrong.

 

You can get most stuff from horsey type shops. I use either ecover washing up liquid or poultry sheild to clean with.

 

The grit I put in a little container and hang it like a grub.

 

I hang stuff like melon, broccoli and cabbage by a piece of string from the roof!

 

Should you have a day time run, I think it should have some sort of roofing....

 

I am sure they will start laying again soon, do you know when they were last wormed??

 

hope that helps

 

K

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there! Are they ex-batts? Because any re-homed hens can find a change of scene stressful enough to put them off laying for a while. They might be moulting, or if they're ex-batts they might be concentrating on growing new feathers - either way a tin of rinsed tuna can help get them over any hiccups.

The warmer weather and longer daylight hours should kickstart them into action. Check your hen house for red mite as that can make them under the weather, maybe add a teaspoon or two or poultry spice to their food to give them a pick me up. But keep treats to a minimum to ensure that most of their diet comes from their main food.

 

Good luck, that's the only advice I can give, hope it helps a bit!

 

BeckyBoo

[no1smiles2000]

they were wormed when we rescued them so that was only 2 weeks ago, maybe i'll get some, could that stop them laying? i have tried pets at home but they dont have much for chickens! will have to try some other shops for wormer etc

[quickcluck]

flubenvet is internet only but usually comes pretty quickly.... But if they were done with a good wormer recently it shouldn't be that.......

 

so it could just be the stress

 

I am sure someone with more experience will be along shortly...

[no1smiles2000]

hehe thanks for your help!

[no1smiles2000]

thanks yes they are ex bats! and getting new feathers and pecking each other!hehe

 

i'll try tuna, didnt know about feeding them that

 

Katie

[alih]

So questions:

 

is it best for the run to be on grass or patio slabs?

where do i get cleaner for the cube?

where do i get mite stuff, pets at home?

why arent they laying?

Do i mix the gritt in with their layers mash or seperately?

how do i stop them being bored?

how can i hang veggies etc for them and what do they like?

 

thanks and sorry for all the questions!

 

Katie

 

 

Hi and welcome to the forum!

 

The grass will be trashed if you keep the run on it - many people including me have a permanent spot for it. Slabs are great if you cover them in woodchip and can be hosed down evey so often. Mine are on an old veg patch but loads of people keep them on slabs.

 

To clean the cube I use hot water with a dash of eco-friendly washing up liquid or a power washer every so often.

 

The chickens often stop laying after a move and take a while to get going again - if they are eating layers mash or pellets they will start up again once they have got used to their new life.

 

red mite powder can be bougth from the forum but other pet shops do it - too - not sure which ones, others will probably tell you.

 

I don't give my chickens extra grit, but add ground-up eggshells baked in the oven for a bit of extra calcium. Not sure whether grit is an absolute necessity - a sure wiser folk than me will tell you but all I can say is that mine have never seemed to suffer from lack of it.

 

To hang veggies I use the food balls you can buy from the omlet shop - they are really useful and I stuff them with greens, broccoli talks. cauliflower leaves, apple cores etc. Anything green but not potato peelings or rhubarb leaves which are meant to be poisonous for chooks.

 

You can also buy peckablocs from Flytesofancy to stop boredom if you are worried. They are expensive but last ages and ages so in my view well worth it.

 

Lastly, don't apologise for asking - we all ask loads of questions on here, that's what it's for. Enjoy your chickens!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

is it best for the run to be on grass or patio slabs? They'll soon eat/scratch/trash your grass . I have mine on soil with Hemcore and it works well.

where do i get cleaner for the cube? I use Ecover washing up liquid (and some pet friendly spray inside)

where do i get mite stuff, pets at home? Most stuff you can get off the internet, if you get a few things at the same time the P&P is worth it.

why arent they laying? I don't have ex-batts so don't know, sorry!

Do i mix the gritt in with their layers mash or seperately? I put my grit in a coop cup available 24/7

how do i stop them being bored? You can give them hanging up veg/fruit or throw things like apples into the run. Mine have branches, logs and a garden bench to sit on!

how can i hang veggies etc for them and what do they like? I use green garden wire. They all seem to have different tastes (like humans!). Mine don't seem to like green veggies but love apples!

 

You can use Omlet netting to keep them off patios. I love mine - I don't have to watch my feet at all now .

 

My Aviaries4u run cost about £300 (3 sided, with translucent roof and 2 doors, one a stable type).

 

They can get quite high if they find a launch pad .