KINK1PH Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Getting 6 ex-batts soonish. I have a cube with a 2m run and 2 extensions. I have never had chooks before and would like everything in place when they come. How does it sound to only have the 2m run fisrt with most of the sides shaded off and then get them used to the outside world by degrees by over time extending the run and removing the shades so their new home does not come as too much of a shock. Also I noticed from reading the forum that they will probably be unable to manage the ladder. I do have a large plastic cat basket and also one of those closed in cat litter trays, would these work at a resting place during the day, and then I can lift them into and out of the cube at night/morning? I know I can make a ramp for them but I assume that they will not even be able to use this immediately, but if it as available at least they can try. Any suggestions as to the best type of ramp, does it need ridges etc. I would be grateful for any suggestions as to how to make the transistion easy of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alet_chicken Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hi KINK1PH, welcome to the forum and to chicken-keeping! We have rehabilitated (is that the right word?) ex-battery hens twice now, and we find that they often need the extra bit of space during the getting-to-know-each-other phase, once they get used to the new environment and realise they need to sort out the pecking order. If you shade off the 2m run as you describe, then I don't see why you can't just have the whole 4m run assembled right from the beginning. (Disassembling and re-assembling the run sounds like a lot of work to me, but then I'm quite lazy...) I guess the important thing is to make sure they know where the food and water is. Your ideas for daytime shelter sounds fine - it would also help for rain (though, three months in, our most recent arrivals still run around in the rain like mad things!). Both times our new ex-batts started their new lives in an Eglu (with 2m run + 1m extension), so I can't really comment on the ladder issue (within a month the most recent arrivals were certainly able to hop up the ladder of the Cube to check out how their neighbors lived). I can however say that you may have to put them in the Cube the first couple of nights anyway, as not all of mine found the door straightaway. I solved the issue by getting into the run and lifting any stragglers up the ladder the first couple of times. Others have reported that shining a torch from inside the Cube helps to attract their attention. Your plan of a ramp sounds sensible to me (a plank should do methinks?), but I'm sure somebody with more experience will be along soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I'm using 2 large plastic pet carriers in my intro area in my WIR for my newbies. OH made roosting bars to go in them, and coated them with plastikote. I have 4 newbies, but they are all piling into the one pet carrier. They seem very content with the arrangement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
