Take part in study on PFAS 'forever chemicals' in eggs

[Chook n Boo Mum]

At present my 14ish week old Pekins are in the Nursery wing, but are at some point in the future expected to join with Blossom and Jasmine in the . We are just starting to do short free ranges together, so know it isn't going to happen any time soon!!

 

They don't have any roosting bars in the yet..........precious little point as they pile into the nestbox at bedtime , also I've seen advice from 12 - 16 weeks as the optimum time to add the bars I understand the latter age is due to the breast bone being less likely to be damaged by the roosting bars.............if the advice is to put the bars into the I need to order another set of roosting bars as the came without, due to it being a duck house in it's previous life. ultimately my is going to become a guinlu, so I'll only need one set of bars, therefore to order a set for just a few weeks maybe unnecessary.

 

I'd like to move the out of their pen so they have more ranging space, though if the intros are not smooth, it will have to stay

 

When would be the best age (intros permitting) to get the babies into the ? Presumably after the bars have been in the eglu for a while & they are comfortable with them, either that or leave the back bar intact as Blossom certainly roosts on that one, removing the front one and filling the poo trays at the front of the cube with hemcore so they can move around the house in comfort & get used to the bars at their own pace.......or am I pandering to them just a little

 

Oh dear what a confused situation it seems at 1046 on a Monday evening

 

Sha x

[Redwing]

Wow Sha, I have read that three times and only now think I am grasping it

 

I think you are over thinking this, if the babies have to learn to use the bars in an Eglu its no different to them learning it in the cube so I personally I dont think that 'preparing' them will make thngs much easier

 

I have cut some 2 x 2 wood n to lengths of about a foot then just laid them down in the youngsters coops so they can sit around on them - perhaps give that a go. Alternatively you could take the small bars out of the Eglu and place it in the other one so that the babies have to walk over it to go to bed

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I think you are over thinking this

 

 

I think you could be right!! And I type as if I'm speaking, as you know that can be difficult to follow too, though I can at least go back over & clarify when yabbering !

 

There are perches in their run from when Blossom & the Bitzas were in there, wedged through the bars & am often "losing" the Mille Fleurs as they essentially sit in the roof of the run when the plastic sheets are in place so are difficult to see, so the grasping of the bars wouldn't be a problem I don't think...there I go again, thinking too much

 

The Bufflings had a long, thinish branch to practice perching on & did from a very early age, it is too long to post into the eglu run though...must hack some off for the little ones to make good use of it in their run too!

 

So are you saying "stop worrying woman & get on with it, they'll sort themselves out soon enough!"

 

I think the anti-bs & painkillers are starting to kick in for the tonsillitis I've got so my wafflings are a little clearer now than they were when I first started typing this message, sorry !!

 

Sha x

[Patricia W]

Wild Mum - that's what we are here for - waffle sounding boards! It's the only way to go!

 

It's better than trying to sort all the permutations of eglu/cube/babies/chickens/ etc in your head!

 

Which reminds me... have I told you about the blue cube I'm picking up tomorrow to join the green one, and the 2 eglus ? No? Must just have slipped my mind ( not told OH either... ) - and I'm taking some of the babies back at the weekend because they are crowing - and I can't decide which- should I keep a trio, should it be the Splash cockerel, or the black gold laced or none and start again... and where should they live if I keep them, blue, green cube, red, green eglu and... and.... You see - it's catching.....

 

Tricia

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Chook Wafflers of the World Unite!!!!

 

Congrats on the new addition to the "Rainbow family" but sorry to hear about the crowing babies I decided to go with the "take them all back & start again from elsewhere" route as I obviously couldn't rely on this lady's sexing prowess

The only exception is Jasmine who is pooing enormous poos so can't possibly be a boy (using Chicken Shirl's method of sexing ) and has been labelled a girl by several experienced bods on here...the chicks I'd picked up to replace Clover were also returned as I couldn't go through all that again

 

Have you any pics of these gorgeous sounding crowers...are they Orps by any chance...I love the black gold laced ones.........maybe one day

 

Good luck with your choices..and how are you going to slip a blue cube past your DH......"oh that old thing, been cluttering up the shed for ages, thought I'd get it out for intros with the replacements for the crowers"

 

Sha x

[Patricia W]

Blue cube just fell in my car today and has just fallen out into the garden... OH just bemused. Have ameliorated it by " selling" red eglu to young friend on very long payment terms...

 

Photos will appear at some point- must get hold of astw - or maybe even try from Australia with clever son at hand..... In the meantime, imagine....

 

Tricia

[abwsco]

Sha, if it helps my four growers I bought last year slept in a rabbit hutch without any bars for roosting until they decided to take themselves off into the coop at night. Think they were probably about 20 weeks old when they decided to do that. It hasn't done them any harm. My chicks (now 18 weeks) have been in the Go with the bars since it arrived a couple of weeks ago and they were already perching on anything they could!

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Ame...ameli.....oh bother... Softened the blow !!!!! That's a big old word for little old me ! I wonder if I can use it at all today........ !

 

Yes I did the selling of one to help pay for the ...........got another eglu again since then.....and I think there's still has some ££ outstanding on ...will chase DH for info on that!!!

 

Have a great time with your family in Oz

 

Sha, if it helps my four growers I bought last year slept in a rabbit hutch without any bars for roosting until they decided to take themselves off into the coop at night. Think they were probably about 20 weeks old when they decided to do that. It hasn't done them any harm. My chicks (now 18 weeks) have been in the Go with the bars since it arrived a couple of weeks ago and they were already perching on anything they could!

 

Brilliant Ann, that's really helpful, my bufflings are quite happy on the bars...one of them perched on the edge of the nestbox at a very young age

 

 

I've ordered a set of bars & will use them if needs be.........

 

Sha x