Chicken bald back

[sage]

Hi all

My name is Sage & I'm thinking of getting a cube in the new year.

I'm hoping you may be able to answer a few questions.

Do any of you have trouble with rats?

What is your normal daily routine whith the chickens?

What s"Ooops, word censored!"ps do you feed them?

How much are vet bills?

 

Many thanks

Sage

[chick wiggle]

Hi sage

Welcome to the forum

You definately wont regret getting chickens, they are so amusing and lovely.

You definately wont regret getting a cube either! They are incredibly easy to look after and keep clean.

 

I have had rats but got rid of them pronto with poison in bait boxes. But they were not down to the chickens as we have had them before. We are semi rural and live close to a river so get them once or twice a year. Having chickens does not encourage rats. Its leaving food and water out that may encourage them. Just general housekeeping and you shouldnt have any more trouble than you might usually have.

 

My daily routine has changed since getting the chicks but before them it was just a case of making sure they had food and water in the run. I leave the cube door half open so they can go to bed and get up whenever they want, so no early mornings to let them out!

 

I clean out the poo trays at least twice a week but thats because I have 11 hens sleeping in there! with fewer chickens it would probably once or twice a week

I also do a full deep clean every 2 to 3 weeks, weather permitting really!

 

i dont feed them too many s"Ooops, word censored!"s as you really want them to fill up on their pellets, maybe the odd sweetcorn, cabbage, corn etc before bed.

 

Vets bills i have only encountered when one of mine had a prolapse and had to be PTS and when one of my little chicks had a poorly eye - nothing too expensive.

 

i do seem to have gone on a bit, but hope this is helpful and not put you off, chickens really are the best pets plus you get eggs!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask there will always be someone on here to help you.

Let us know how you get on.

[veggiemad]

Get it!!

 

Thats about all i can say!! - I started just 3 months ago with a standard eglu and with in 6 weeks got a cube and sold my eglu. Should've got a cube to start with, its much easier for me in all respects.

 

We have 3 ex batts and they are fab- planning to increase in the new year.

 

Mine sleep in the nest box so end up having to clean them out more often - nest box daily, trays twice weekly, but they now reward me with 2 eggs aday between them.

 

Had no vets bills etc yet- one was a little poorly as soon as she was rescued but got advice from the BHWT and she soon recovered and has re-feathered perfectly!

 

Mine dont manage the raw peelings yet from the kitchen only cooked cauli and carot but do love a corn on the cob hung from a string!!

 

Totally recommend chickens- they are ace- i love them and live in a town, couldnt beleive my luck when i found out i could have them here and not have to wait to win the lottery to get my country manor!!!!!

 

xx

[docsquid]

We're beginners too. We got a cube and it is excellent - really easy to clean and take care of. We have three Omlet hybrid chickens, yet to lay, but they are still pretty young.

 

Rats: None yet, but our largest tom cat is a decent ratter/mouser and there are a lot of cats around, some semi-feral and quite capable of taking on a rat - indeed, our tiny female cat who died a couple of years ago would bring in whole piles of dead rats that were at least as big as her when we lived in our previous house! We have an open compost heap and leave wild bird food out all the time, so if they were going to come here, I think we would have noticed them by now.

 

Routine: I am shutting the cube door at the moment, but a month ago when it was warmer I just shut the run, not the hen house itself. I shut it when they have gone to roost at about 4.15pm, and open again at about 7 to 7.30 when I get up. I then give them a bowl of Sarah's Special porridge (layers pellets and corn with poultry spice soaked in hot water - they like this more than dry pellets). We are at home most days so they get let out into the garden by about 11.30 to FR and get most vocal if they can't go out! They are put back in the run about 3.30 to 3.45 to settle down and have a final feed before bed. They have decided to sleep in the nestbox, so I poo pick that every day (and top up the Hemcore bedding if need be, dusted with diatom), and empty the poo trays if they have used them. I top up the pellets as they do eat these sometimes, and check the grit and top up the water. They only get chicky-treats in the afternoon (unless DH is naughty and gives them grapes). They don't eat s"Ooops, word censored!"s but that is largely because I don't have any - we eat everything we buy or grow and don't peel veg. They get given grapes, raisins and dried mealworms as treats. I try to give them each a cuddle every day to get them used to being handled regularly.

 

I clean out the cube once a week or so, weather-permitting, by wiping and rinsing down. I alternate between using the clean and safe disinfectant stuff and the Poulty-shield stuff to cut down red mite. I top up their dust bath at the same time and put in diatom to contra red mite. Since putting them on a permanent base (Hemcore on soil) this week, I'll rake out the dried poo once a week too and top up the Hemcore.

 

Vet: No bills as yet - fingers crossed!

 

I have found that the chickens have trained me quite well, and we have slipped easily into a routine. It really does only take a few minutes a day plus about 20-30 mins once a week or so for a proper clean.

[Sal119]

Dont't hesitate, get it You'll never look back or regret it. We had the same reservations as you and asked the same questions, now 6 months on from having an Eglu, we've built a WIR It's great fun. Never had any trouble with rats, I think as long as you don't leave s"Ooops, word censored!"s of food lying around you will be fine. My two gobble up any treats they're given straight away so there's never anything left! As to vets bills, one of ours had an eye infection a few months ago but it didn't cost much at the vets to get her well.

 

I give ours a quick clean out nearly every day which just involves replacing soiled straw with new stuff and give them clean water every couple of days and top up the food. They really are low maintenance and the eggs are so much better . I do a big hose down of the Eglu about once a month but it's so easy.

 

Never thought I'd get attached to a chicken

 

Hope this convinces you

[sage]

Many thanks,

You have put my mind at rest.

I will be getting a cube in the New Year.

 

Sage

[docsquid]

I'm sure you won't regret it. We will, of course, need pictures