HELP aggressive chicken

[Minkey]

Hello,

 

I am collecting my new bantums on Sunday. I have read I should keep them in their house for 24 hrs with food & water before letting them out into the run - is this the case?

 

Also was going to make them up a dust bath in the run with some grit in it in a litter tray, until they can free range, will this be OK? How log before I can let them free range do you think?

 

Thanks,

 

Minkey

[joza2210]

Hello ,

When i get my new chickens i keep them in there house for the first night then let them in the run ... And yes that should be fine for the dust bath but i would add a bit of sand and soil ... And i let mine free range after around 2 - 3 weeks

 

Good Luck

[Margaret]

Never heard of keeping them in the hen house, in the run for the first week, so they know their way back to safety, but my girlies were delivered early in the morning last year and to have kept them for 24 hours in the heat I think would of distressed them, but maybe things are different now, im sure someone will be along in a moment to give more eggspert help.

Enjoy them and hope you have lots of fun with them, dont forget comfy chair and large glass of wine as all you will be doing is watching them, also do house work now as wont have time for it afterwards

[miller30]

Depending on what time of day i get new chickens if its the morning they go in their house for a couple of hours if its late afternoon its alnight leanne.

[squidsin]

Never heard of that before! Seems a bit mean to shut them up in the dark house. I just stuck mine into the Eglu and run - it's partly on hard dusty ground so they made their own dust baths too. Meant to keep them in for 2 weeks like I am sure you are meant to - but let them out to free range after 4 days as I was worried they were bored, and that was fine too. Only thing is now, whenever they see me, they run up and down in front of the run door wanting to be let out! And I work three days a week so that's not always possible.

[chickyhazel]

We just put them in the run for 2 weeks - 1 so they settle in and another for worming and quarantine. Although, obviously you only need to keep them in for 1 if you don't have chickens already.

[Minkey]

Thanks, I might let them straight into the run then. We have no other hens do don't need to worry about quarantine.

Thanks,

 

Minkey x

[miller30]

sorry i should have put in my post i dont have runs all my girls run free thats why mine get shut in so they know where their house is if you have a run just keep them in that leanne.