Solitary chicken - need advice

[HRC99]

Following the sad passing of Gladys this week, we're keen to get a couple more chickens now to replace her. We've got a Cube with the 1m extension run but I've been reading that the advice to house the newcomers separately for a week or so.

 

We don't really want to spend much on some kind of housing for them just for a week or two so I was after some suggestions as to how we could do this. I've tried Freecycle without success. So if anyone's got a bright ideas as to how to house them, I'd love to hear them!

 

Thanks

[Plum]

I got a little house on ebay and made a run for it cost £35.

 

The panels for the run are used for all sorts now. At first a divider in the run, now as a blockade to stop them going places and a couple laid on top of the covers on the run to stop them blowing away. Not very elegant but neighbours aren't out much in this weather.

 

Try ebay then either a chicken house or rabbit hutch

[Redwing]

Rabbit hutches are good, block the wire door with a bit of board and open the small door as the entrance so they can get through to the bigger (now covered) section as their bedroom (makng sense?)

 

A run can easily be cobbled together to go with it

[House MD 221B]

We kept our new 3 (although 1 of those is a bantam) in a large pet carrier, which cost us £35 from pets at home. They were quite happily snuggled up together in there for a week or two during introductions.

 

But we are fortunate enough to be able to let ours free-range all day every day, as we have a nice secure garden, so it didn't matter that the new 3 could free range and Poach could have the run to herself.

 

I hope that helps you.

[HRC99]

We kept our new 3 (although 1 of those is a bantam) in a large pet carrier, which cost us £35 from pets at home. They were quite happily snuggled up together in there for a week or two during introductions.

 

But we are fortunate enough to be able to let ours free-range all day every day, as we have a nice secure garden, so it didn't matter that the new 3 could free range and Poach could have the run to herself.

 

I hope that helps you.

 

Can I ask how big the pet carrier was? I've got quite a big dog crate which is about 2.5ft by 2ft and I'm just wondering if I could adapt that some how?

[sjp]

it sounds about the same size as my broody coop I kept my 3 youngsters in it from 10 weeks untill they were about 23 weeks old

[HRC99]

it sounds about the same size as my broody coop I kept my 3 youngsters in it from 10 weeks untill they were about 23 weeks old

 

Do you think that it'd be ok to keep the new girls in for a week or so?

[beulah59]

I'm planning on using a tea chest ... I already have a separate, small run to go with it.

[debbier]

 

Can I ask how big the pet carrier was? I've got quite a big dog crate which is about 2.5ft by 2ft and I'm just wondering if I could adapt that some how?

 

 

That sounds very much like what my two newbies are in at the moment, though they do have access to around 1-2m2 of cordoned off bit of a wir. I've covered it over with a couple of old blankets and one of those waterproof picnic rugs. The tray has aubiose in it. I'll try and get a pic.

[Gelbel]

Look what I just found

 

Or try Googling ROTATIONALLY MOULDED PLASTIC 'SNUGS' CAT SHELTER / KENNEL - which is the listing that I came across on ebay to find the above URL.

[House MD 221B]

We kept our new 3 (although 1 of those is a bantam) in a large pet carrier, which cost us £35 from pets at home. They were quite happily snuggled up together in there for a week or two during introductions.

 

But we are fortunate enough to be able to let ours free-range all day every day, as we have a nice secure garden, so it didn't matter that the new 3 could free range and Poach could have the run to herself.

 

I hope that helps you.

 

Can I ask how big the pet carrier was? I've got quite a big dog crate which is about 2.5ft by 2ft and I'm just wondering if I could adapt that some how?

 

 

I'd say it's around 1.5ft by 2ft/2.5ft I was concerned it wouldn't be big enough for 3, but they only spent the night in there, and they all huddled together at the back every night using less than half the space, im sure if you put some wood chip or something as a nice insulating floor layer in you're dog crate, and put it in a shed or somewhere sheltered and perhaps cover it with a blanket or something it should be fine. Ours were more than happy and when it got dark they would sit by the shed and wait for us to get it out and put them to bed, so they were obviously quite happy, and if we got it out early they would put themselves to bed. So they must have liked it.

[HRC99]

We kept our new 3 (although 1 of those is a bantam) in a large pet carrier, which cost us £35 from pets at home. They were quite happily snuggled up together in there for a week or two during introductions.

 

But we are fortunate enough to be able to let ours free-range all day every day, as we have a nice secure garden, so it didn't matter that the new 3 could free range and Poach could have the run to herself.

 

I hope that helps you.

 

Can I ask how big the pet carrier was? I've got quite a big dog crate which is about 2.5ft by 2ft and I'm just wondering if I could adapt that some how?

 

 

I'd say it's around 1.5ft by 2ft/2.5ft I was concerned it wouldn't be big enough for 3, but they only spent the night in there, and they all huddled together at the back every night using less than half the space, im sure if you put some wood chip or something as a nice insulating floor layer in you're dog crate, and put it in a shed or somewhere sheltered and perhaps cover it with a blanket or something it should be fine. Ours were more than happy and when it got dark they would sit by the shed and wait for us to get it out and put them to bed, so they were obviously quite happy, and if we got it out early they would put themselves to bed. So they must have liked it.

 

 

The dog crate should be fine as a shelter. I can cover it and insulate it easily enough. It's just the run that's the problem. They can free-range most of the day but shouldn't you keep newcomers cooped up for a few days to get them used to their surroundings?

[HRC99]

Look what I just found

 

Or try Googling ROTATIONALLY MOULDED PLASTIC 'SNUGS' CAT SHELTER / KENNEL - which is the listing that I came across on ebay to find the above URL.

 

That'd be great but I don't really want to spend as much as that to house the newbies for a week or so. Plus I'd have nowhere to put it once they've moved into the Cube!

[House MD 221B]

The dog crate should be fine as a shelter. I can cover it and insulate it easily enough. It's just the run that's the problem. They can free-range most of the day but shouldn't you keep newcomers cooped up for a few days to get them used to their surroundings?

 

 

We checked ours over fully the first day for any mites / lice / health issues / checked their bowel movements etc. for loose stools etc. and all came up good, and we had no trouble, for the first day or two they free-ranged and poach had the run, and then for the rest of the week we switched them around so poach free-roamed and the others had the run.

 

They are all happy together now like they've known each other for years, so i guess its up to you. See how they get on, but so long as they cant get out, it shouldn't be a problem, they still associated it as "Bed time place" even while free-ranging.

[HRC99]

So we could just use that as a shelter and alternate letting them out to free range or moving them into the main Cube run? Then see how they get on.

[House MD 221B]

Good luck I'm sure they'll be fine, there's some great introduction advice on this forum. after a week or two they should be able to mix under constant supervision, but we were surprised at how quickly ours sorted themselves out and settled. Maybe we were just very lucky at the speed of it, but just keep an eye on it and if blood gets drawn then use some purple spray and separate again.

 

But the info we got form here is pretty much watch them, even though it is hard to watch, when they start pecking, but its natural and they're just sorting themselves out. And unless blood is drawn leave them too it and just keep an eye on them.

[sallyj]

I found a pet carrier for £1 in a charity shop which I am going to use for temporary accommodation.