2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Isabel]

Wev'e got them .... finally! They're just the most adorable, gorgeous, cuddly little things

 

Chose a Buff Orpington - she's 8w and quite big (compared to the other two anyway!), has the most beautiful silky soft feathers and is sooooo beautiful. A Buff Sussex, 7w and again, a beautiful chicken - to my inexperienced eye anyway! And finally, a New Hampshire Red, 6w and a scraggy little thing compared to the others but not off the heat for as long and will fill out, I hope. They're all really well handled - 4 children at their previous home who carry them around and cuddle them!

 

I had contemplated a Brahma ... OMG, they are soooooooo big! I didn't realise just how big they are - gorgeous, yes but too big - one of those would take up 3/4 of the hen-house!

 

The breeder has Pekins under the lamp - DS's have chosen two and we'll get them in around a month. They have black and grey. Is there such thing as a grey Pekin or will it turn out to be lavendar - does anyone know? It's quite white at the moment but you can see the grey-ish feathers shining through.

 

Anyway, I digress ... let the girls out in their run for a couple of hours when we got home and then tucked them up in their new home just after 7.30pm. Hope they'll be okay. They're bedded with aubiose (I've taken the perching bars out) which has been doused with Diatom ... as I tucked them in, all I could hear was them pecking the diatom out of the bedding - I'm assuming it won't do them any harm?

 

Shall check them before i go to bed - hope we don't have any fox-visits tonight. Thanks for everyone's advice over last few weeks.

 

Isabel

[scarlettohara]

Lovely so exciting

[chicken bark]

Looking forward to the photo's - they sound really sweet.

[Plum]

Congratulations, how lovely to have them from so young

[Isabel]

Thanks!

 

Just went out to have a peek. Nigella, the Orpington, is sitting pretty much on top of Rachel (new Hamp) and Delia (Buff Sussex) is sort of under Nigella too. Will they be okay like that? Nigella is scratching herself a lot - I took her out to examine her but as our Lab was standing beside me, she wasn't too happy and wanted back in. I'll have a look tomorrow. Do they usually scratch - when I say scratching, I really mean pecking at herself. Not pulling feathers out. Uh-oh, I'm worrying already! I have diatom in their bed - though I think they've eaten most of it - will that kill any nasties?

 

Thanks

 

I

[Daphne]

Many hens like living with orpingtons - they are ready made soft eiderdowns! Its really sweet (and normal) to see smaller or younger hens appearing to be squashed under their skirts

 

Regarding lice and mites and other nasties, Diatom is sold as being effective against redmite which lives in houses but lives off birds - coming out at night to suck blood. You'd be best off using a different treatment against lice/mites. There are many of them on the market, and there are sure to be threads on here giving you people's opinions. Some of the most effective are not licensed for use on poultry which means they are available (eg Frontline spray for cats - not drops) but you shouldn't use them on your birds without vetinary approval.

[Isabel]

Thanks for that bit of advice re lice etc Daphne. I shall have a read of old threads later. Had a look at Nigella this morning and couldn't see anything. There are a few Orpy feathers fluttering about in the strong and cold wind ... should she be losing them? Not a lot - maybe 3-4 in the house overnight and half a dozen in the run this morning.

 

It's a really really cold day today. They've been out since 7.30am but I put them in at 10.30 as they were all huddled up together. They're out again now with a few little pieces of strawberry which they don't seem that fussed on. Is it okay to pop them in and out during the day if they look nippy? I could watch them all day Rachel, the Hampshire, is the friendliest but I think the others will come around. Am a bit worried about the feed they're on - got growers, small pellets. Sussex & Orp are munching away at it, Hamp is just nibbling and then walking off. Maybe it's not fine enough for her - is there such thing as a growers mash or something inbetween crumb and pellets? It'll be off to Agri feed place on Monday for an alternative for Rachel & some corn.

 

Sorry - this is a long one. Honestly, it's worse than worrying about children!

 

Isabel

[Daphne]

They are quite young, your 6 week old won't have been off heat (ie not under Mum/a lamp) for long so you do the right thing to keep an eye on her. You could even bring them in overnight if a very cold one is forecast, at that age a cardboard box with airholes would do it. Rachel might well have still been on crumb and anyway you would normally phase in new food so perhaps if anything I'd be tempted to get a small bag of crumb and mix it with the growers if you're concerned. I'm not sure if you can get growers mash as I always use pellets. You can also try moistening pellets with water; sometimes birds prefer that.

 

I'd hold off the treats. Youngsters should really be fed on crumb/growers for as long as possible. Its human nature to give them varied things to eat but actually the processed food has the balance of vits and minerals etc to help them grow correctly.

 

Re the orp and her feathers - it could be that she's still losing her chick down and her first set of feathers are not yet fully through. Just keep an eye on them.