Best liner/ bedding for drop tray

[Burtie14]

Hello everyone,

 

10 days into Life With Chickens, and we're having a few ups and downs.

 

Ups - a regular supply of tasty eggs, hours wasted watching our girls go importantly about their business, and a lovely sense of wellbeing.

 

Downs - waking up at 4.30am to a deafening clucking and discovering a mangey Mr Fox slathering right outside the walk-in-run working out how he could make breakfast of our girls, and Betty still being a real cow to the others and eating their feathers.

 

This brings me onto my main question. Betty (the boss) is very friendly (to us) and we've no problems picking her up, examining her, and generally handling her. Dusty (2nd in command) is also quite tame, and as she seems to have borne the brunt of Betty's pecking, we've been able to give her a really good coating of Ukadex, which seems to have put Betty off her.

 

Unfortunately, Ginger is incredibly nervous. When we go to pick her up, she flies into a real panic, sometimes bashing herself really violently against the run to get away. She gets very stressed very easily and we don't want to start chasing her. However, as Betty is now taking clumps of feathers out of Ginger, it's really important for us to get hold of her so that we can give her a good coating of Ukadex and examine her properly.

 

Our Cube sits outside the WIR so we can't really pick her up while she's sleeping in case she scarpers and we lose her. She's too shy to eat from our hands, even for treats. We're getting a bit worried because we obviously need to examine her from time to time, and we really want to spray her with Ukadex so that Betty leaves her alone. We need something that will make her docile and drowsy during the day, so that we can pick her up without her getting into a flap (so to speak).

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

Burtie

[Redwing]

The best time to get a hen used to being handled is to get them out of the coop after dark when they are sleepy and docile, if you do this for a few nights on the trot they relax and cuddle in, it should make them easier to handle during the day once they get used to it

 

A bird will often flap if they feel unsafe or unstable, when you pick up the hen quickly slip a hand under her and clamp her legs with your fingers, palm against her tummy, her legs should be between your first and last fingers. rest her chest against your wrist and forearm so she is facing your elbow and then hold your arm close to you so that her inside wing is pinned use your thumb to hold the other wing down, you can then use your free hand to open coops etc..

[Forge Cottage]

That was a brilliant description Redwing. The hold feels very well balanced and natural - and if they poo, it should miss you too! You are right about them calming down once they feel you have got them securely. And important advice to pin the wings, as it also stops you getting a sharp clipped wing in the eye. I sometimes think they are less nervous on my fleece rather than bare arms, as maybe there is more to snuggle into.

 

Unfortunately it doesn't work with Gertie, our special chicken, who goes mad with terror unless her feet are touching the ground, and sometimes even wees at the same time. We don't know whether it is vertigo or what. So when we pick her up, we sit down resting her feet on our lap, or place her on a table. After stroking her head with fingers either side of her comb she quickly starts to shut her eyes and relax, especially if you pretend to shut your eyes too! So, like Gertie, she might just be 'different' and want to feel safe, but I promise she will get easier to handle over time.

 

If a chicken really goes beserk, they will calm completely within a few seconds if held carefully upside down by the ankles (not held together, but slightly apart between the fingers). It sounds unpleasant, but does not hurt them at all. Then they can be turned back and held calmly as described for some time, or put down etc. I find this is a very good way of administering mite powder etc, as with a hand free it is easy to reach all the right parts, without knocking yourself or the chicken out with the tin, or covering everything in white!

 

Good luck!

[Alis girls]

Two of mine loved being picked up and cooed over - but Jez the littlest runs away - we did try at dusk - opened back of Eglu and scooped her out - she was fine and OH grabbed her one day when her head was in the glug eating - she was fine if not a little surprised I just think shes not a cuddly chuck like some humans

[Burtie14]

Haha! Success! A proud moment in the Burtie household.

 

After the girls put themselves to bed, I performed a contortionist-style act to reach in to the back of the Cube and give Ginger a bit of a stroke, and then eventually lift her out with my fingertips.

 

She gave a few tentative hoots but it was amazing the way the flapping, nervous girl we see during the day was so docile and dozy in the evening. After ten minutes stroking her we popped her back into bed, where she snuggled into her wing.

 

We're so excited to have finally "met" our last girl properly and can't wait until tomorrow evening! Though I do feel guilty knowing that in a few nights' time she'll be getting a good coating of Ukadex...

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Well done - it's lovely when they trust you to stroke them isn't it ?

[Burtie14]

It's genuinely amazing. I've just popped down this morning and it's like she's a different chicken. I went over to say hello and she immediately squatted down to let me pick her up! 24 hours ago this girl would've been sprinting all round the run to avoid me, bashing herself against the wire in a panic. Now she just hoots a bit and looks at me uncertainly as though she thinks I'm possibly slightly mental.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Which of course you're not .

[Gelbel]

It's genuinely amazing. I've just popped down this morning and it's like she's a different chicken. I went over to say hello and she immediately squatted down to let me pick her up! 24 hours ago this girl would've been sprinting all round the run to avoid me, bashing herself against the wire in a panic. Now she just hoots a bit and looks at me uncertainly as though she thinks I'm possibly slightly mental.

She's a girl and is absolutely entitled to change her mind.