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

[Milliechick]

Hello,

 

can I get some advice on what is best to have 'in stock' for when you get chickens. I'm getting some Silkies and some Pekins in the next couple of weeks, I know about getting the feeder and drinker. What is best to use in the nest area? Would it be a good idea to get some red mite powder? And with Silkies would it be an idea to get some Scaly Leg sray? As a complete beginner I need help!

 

Many thanks!

[cockadoodle1]

I swear by Diatom as it is a natural wormer and also you can spread it around the coop and nesting area and it will kill red mite.

Dust free straw for the nest box but some people use shredded paper

Stalosan F is a deodorant you can shake into the run to cut down on smells

Garlic powder in their food has the same effect

Poultry spice gives the a tonic and they love it

Hope you find these ideas useful

[alex_m]

Is bokashi bran any good? does it go in their food?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Is bokashi bran any good? does it go in their food?

 

Yes and yes...if they have a "dicky tum" mix it with yoghurt, that sorts them out...add it to normal food as it firms up their poo & (I think) reduces the smell, along with the garlic powder above.

 

Milliechick, do you have an grit for the girls? They don't have teeth so the grit goes into their gizzard to grind the food up,.............

I also like apple cider vinegar to put in their water (can't remember why exactly & thumping head isn't helping )......

re scaley leg mite, I have a Pekin who came with SLM & I treated with surgical spirit and vaseline, dunk the chook's leg in a jar of the former & rub a good dollop of the latter over the leg to suffocate the little blighters, treat once or twice a week for 3 weeks I think was the treatment, she looks much better now ..........

I use Hemcore rather than straw of any variety in the nestbox and will also use it on the floor of the WIR (walk in run) once I've "winterised" it....

Purple Spray, whilst not a necessity is very useful in the event that one of your girls gets injured, it's a mild antiseptic and also covers the blood red which draws the other girls attention & will make things worse for the "patient", to get the blood to stop flowing eg on the comb, sprinkle a little corn flour over the blood, it usually seals quite quickly.

 

I'm sure there are other bits & bobs which other members find invaluable & they'll be along soon,

 

Good luck with your new girlies...don't forget we are rather fond of photos of the chooks on a regular basis

 

Sha x

[veggiemad]

hi.

congrats on planning your new arrivals. We've had 3 exbatts for little over aonth now and i remeber getting sooo excited!

Things i bought and needed we're -poultry spice, mixed grit and red mite powder , eazi bed(like hemcore) food (obviously!)

Things i bought and havent used - verm-x (i've bought flubenvet now)

Things i ran out to buy in the first week!! - rubber gloves!!! Scrubbing brush for eglu, Water bottle sprayer for bully hen, extra feeding pots , life guard tonic to put in the water, meal worms(they'll love you for it!), corn(2nd inline to meal worms!) and limestone flour (to prevent soft shelled eggs)

hope this helps - enjoy- they are fab.x

[Valkyrie]

This was our list:

Growers pellets and layers pellets

Corn

Citricidal (for colds and cold prevention)

Grit and oystershell

Diatomaceous Earth

Stockholm Tar (never used)

Cider vinegar

Garlic powder

Red mite and Louse powders

Verm X

Poultry Spice

Life guard

 

For the cube one paint s"Ooops, word censored!"er for the roosting bars

 

Then we added more gradually - Flubenvet is a must, so I use Verm x for 2 months and Flubenvet on the third month - because ours free range and there are lots of wild birds

 

Vaseline

Surgical Spirit

Johnsons Anti Mite

Ground limestone

Seaweed (see them turn their noses up at that!)

Bokashi bran - brilliant

Aubiose

Vetinary wound powder (not needed until this summer - when they got caught on thorns).

Red top fly trap

Corrugated plastic roof

Bungee ropes.

Electric fencing (not plugged in but it makes a brilliant barrier to the veggie patch)

Avipro

Stalosan - it's disinfectant too

Poultry Shield

Neem oil stuff

Drops to put on their necks and I can't remember what it was called to kill off any pests.

There's probably more and I'm not counting the treats! I used to log it all in (OH requested) but I have given up now. Chickens can be expensive, a headache with all the things that test you, and pure joy - which outweighs all the negatives. Oh and eggs are good too.

[Valkyrie]

Forgot to add cod liver oil - goes down well with pasta!

[lollyfry]

With the limestone flour - what do you do with it?!? (hope that doesn't sound too daft!!) Do you sprinkle it on the food? And how much??

[Valkyrie]

I usually put about half a teaspoon in their brekkers and mix it in every other day or so - they should be getting enough from the oyster shell in the grit, but it won't hurt them (not for young birdies and chicks though).