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

[peakfreak]

Hi All

 

Just got my 3 new girlies and they are brilliant 1 x Blackrock, 1 x Bluebell & 1 x Sussex. Big up to Sarah and co at Happychicks, they have been great over the past few days whilst I was setting up my coop and run.

I am a complete novice to this hen keeping malarky so please be gentle with me and my following questions;

 

Q1. I got the girlies on Saturday (2 days ago) and put thier feed in a chicken feeder, one of the red plastic ones supplied by HC, Saturday they were fine and semed to be feeding from it no problem. Also Sunday they seemed to be doing fine but I wasn't around for most of the day.

Today though (Monday) they hardly seem to have touched the feeder but my wife went and put a handfull of feed on the ground and the girlies have been scratching around in the bark chippings quite happily, picking up the food in this way. The girlies have been quite happily scratching around the rest of the run eating bugs and grass so they are probably getting enough to eat but I am just a little concerned that they aren't eating from the feeder directly. Is there an issue here or am I just being a complete over sensitive muppet?

 

Q2. When I first brought the girlies home thier poo was very sloppy for the first few hours (which I put down to nervousness of the journey home) and seemed to settle down fine soon after to normal firm ones but the Blackrocks poo, whilst still containing firm lumps does have quite a lot of orangey slop with it. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

 

Q3. Whilst happily pecking around (the hens, not me) if the girlies come across a discarded feather (small downy ones) they tend to eat it, is this OK?

 

Q4. The run I have for the girlies is quite large, approx 30ft by 15ft at it's widest, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore but they only seem to be staying in the one part by the coop. I have even moved them to other areas but they just seem to make thier way back to the coop area. Will they explore further as they get used to the run?

 

Q5. I open the coop at approx 7:45am just before I go to work, this morning my wife went out to the girlies at approx 9:00am and they will still huddled together in the nest box. My wife shood them out and they were fine. Should they come out on thier own or are they just being lazy?

 

Enough questions for now and thanks in advance for any help.

 

Bren

[Saronne]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

 

 

Don't feel shy about asking questions - it's what the forum is all about.

 

Sounds like your hens are behaving like normal newbies. Their poos will be a bit strange for a week or two whilst they get used to things. A bit of orange poo isn't unusual and can be nerves. With regards to their appetites, how old are they? They'll be much hungrier once they start laying eggs.

 

Some chickens are bold and adventurous and others take things a bit more slowly. It may take a week or two for them to feel brave enough to explore all their surroundings. Mine needed a little bit of help going into their Eglu at night and coming out again in the morning. They'll work it out. Enjoy your hens!

 

Saronne x

[K-F-C]

I've only had mine for a couple of weeks...

 

With regards to the poop... I found this link really helpful! http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

Mine also eat feathers.

 

They also free-range quite near to the cube and run... I think they feel safer there!

 

Although mine do bundle out of the door as soon as I open it in the morning... usually about 6:30am

[Sue and the Spice Girls]

Don't worry about asking questions, we all have loads, especially at the start.

 

I've just had two new girls, who wouldn't go into the house on the first night and then wouldn't come out the next morning!, they eat feathers too, so don't worry they're just being chickens, enjoy getting to know them!

 

It's an addictive hobby....you have been warned!