3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[fluffyknickers]

Hi all,

 

I am sure you all can help as I cant!

 

My daughters nursery had Living Eggs and about 4 hatched but 3 of them boys so they replaced them with girls (as being kept) and took the boys away.

 

One of the teachers wants to keep the girls and have them at home so she is rearing them but hasnt had chickens before.

 

I was cuddling them on Friday and spoke to her and she has some queries.

 

They are currently about 3 weeks old and moved into a plastic box with heating she puts on at night. They have chick crumb and water and walk around on newspaper - all healthy and fine and VVVV cute!

 

What she is concerned about it how long she should be keeping them inside before putting them in their own run outside.

 

Also the whole time they are inside what do they need to go into as she said its quite smelly in the morning when she refreshes the newspaper etc.

 

How long to keep them heated.

 

I said I would help out as know some wonderful people that will know the answers!

 

I suppose I am looking for a timeline.

 

Also I am very excited as I have persuaded my sons school to get Living Eggs in April!!!

 

Thanks

michelle

[Redwing]

Chicks as first chickens is a bit of a big step!

 

Litter - A layer of newspaper (or I use J cloths) with a sprinkling of aubiose or similar (I use wood pellet animal bedding) to soak up the poo is good as a litter, the paper or cloth underneath will make it easier to clean out, beware the aubiose will be everywhere after a few days unless the brooder has enclosed sides - thats why I use the heavy pellets - cat litter wood pellets are good too

 

An indoor rabbit cage keeps my chicks contained until they can go to the brooder shed and a bigger pen, cardboard can be wired to the mesh to keep bedding in! basically anything plastic will be easy to clean, a wooden trunk with a wire lid is good from a bedding retention point of view but much harder to clean!

 

the amount of dust created by chicks is immense so if they are inside your friend will need to consider that, if the smell is bad the dust will be far worse!!

 

At this time of year heat all day for 4 weeks plus at night for another 2 or 3 (provided they are indoors) will probably be ok

 

At which time they should be reasonably well feathered and they can be moved to a pen or larger area in a fox proof garage or shed for another 3/4 weeks or so before going out at about 10 weeks with the view that they can be moved backwards to the shed if necessary. When outside a sheltered and safe run is obviously necessary.

 

When they are at the 'shed' stage she could put them out in a run on sunny days from about 8 weeks and bring them indoors at night (with no extra heat)

 

An alternative is to put the brooder in a garage or shed from the start because of potential mess but use a higher wattage bulb to keep the chicks warmer. I dont do this as I like to keep a closer eye on the chicks when they are very young

 

A good gauge will be the chicks themselves, some batches seem stronger than others, if they seem unhappy or inactive move them back a stage

[Madchook]

I had chicks as first chickens -my avatar is my first two, 3.5 yrs ago I thoroughly researched it first, but we were in rented accomodation at the time and they were in a wire rat cage brooder...it was tiled floor and omg, the fluff balls and dust from just two chicks

 

Smell shouldn't be too bad...I have not had an issue with it anyway, not unless they tip the water everywhere. Mine are on shavings, they are grotty critters though I have just taken all the girls from my mum's school hatch (living egg I think) so currently have 5 chickies (one I hatched) of nearly 2weeks old. I have just moved them into a guinea pig cage with a reptile heat mat out in the utility (with the dog and the cat!) and they are feathering up nicely- they started out with the electric hen in a plastic storage box.

 

My first chicks were adopted this time of yr and I moved them out to the eglu at 6 weeks - but the weather was good -it was an eglu-it was quite well sheltered from the elements. The types do feather quickly though, they were proper little ginger terrors by that age and were absolutely fine, this lot, well I will see how it goes I guess, but I want them out as early as is safe for them. I have a batch hatching Saturday (possibly 9), 5 bantams cooking and some LS being hatched for me...so alot of juvies that can cuddle up in the eglu... or my utility room is going to be minging!

[Chucky Mama]

I am suprised that she didn't do her research first.

[madclucker]

Hi, thanks to everyone for their advice. I am the teacher raising the chicks. I have followed your advice and they are now in a rabbit run in my kitchen which is not ideal but I want to keep my eye on them and I am worried about them being cold. They still have their light bulb at night and snuggle up underneath it but seem happy in the day without it. They are now just over 4 weeks old. Our chicen coop is arriving tomorrow. Will it be too early for them to go in it? My OH could rig up a bulb in there for them. We need to build it but can do that on Sat.

 

Thanks everyone

Jacqui

[Egluntyne]

They are still a little young to be going outside, especially as there is a cold snap forecast for the coming weekend.

 

I'd keep them indoors until they are around 6 weeks old, and then introduce them to the outdoors gradually. They will need to come in at night, and go back under the lamp if it remains very cold.

[madclucker]

Thanks Eglyntyne. We will wait. Just can't wait to use the chicken house though!

 

Jacqui

[fluffyknickers]

Welcome - good to see you on here. A wealth of information.

Michelle

[fluffyknickers]

hi all,

 

my son's school has hatched living eggs now after I organised them for them. They have all 10 with 6 girls and 4 boys - all gorgeous.

 

The headmistress would like to keep some girls and converting a shed and I am going tp print this information off and provide a book for her to read.

 

I have the info above about where to house them and when but also thought I would check up about immunisations and feed info.

 

What immunisations do they need and when?

When should they receive the first worming?

When do they go from chick crumb to layers pellets?

 

Thanks all

Michelle

[Lewis]

that she wants to keep a couple

 

What immunisations do they need and when?

They shouldn't need them - they come in really big doses and have to be used up within a few hours of opening, so isn't really viable.

When should they receive the first worming?

I'd think when they first go outside, so at about 10 weeks

When do they go from chick crumb to layers pellets?

At about 8 weeks old they'll need to go from chick crumb to growers pellets, and then at POL they'll switch to layers

[fluffyknickers]

Thank you Lewis.

 

On the immunisation/vaccine thing - how come when you get them from Omlet it states they come with some vaccine or other? Or am I imagining it (its possible with my brain at the moment!).

 

Michelle

[Lewis]

On the immunisation/vaccine thing - how come when you get them from Omlet it states they come with some vaccine or other? Or am I imagining it (its possible with my brain at the moment!).

No, the hybrids are vaccinated

 

They'll be from a commercial hatchery, so they can buy the large doses and so it'd be worth it for them to do so.

If you keep them wormed etc, you shouldn't you need to vaccinate just pets