Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[chookmumtobe]

Hi everyone,

 

I have become addicted to your forum and have learnt so much about chicken keeping. We took delivery of our eglu classic last week and are eagerly awaiting our 3 sussex bantams due at the beginning of September. I am having a light sussex and my daughters are having a white and buff sussex.

 

One silly question is - can anything crawl up the hole that is in the bottom of the nest box? we have field mice around us so its a possibility.

 

The bantams will be approximately 16 weeks old when we get them, should I line the nest box yet or wait until they are a particular age? Our supplier has said that we might not get any eggs until the Spring, is this your experience? I am planning on buying a 5kg bag of growers pellets and then add in the layers as the bag gets low - is this the correct thing to do?

Thank you in advance of your answers

[Chucky1]

Hi CMT, welcome to the forum

 

I wouldn't worry about field mice, our girls love them - I'm sure yours will too

 

I suppose you have about 6 to 8 weeks before they get to POL, so by then we could be talking mid November. I imagine it depends on the weather then in your neck of the woods. They might start laying or they might hang on. Of course we can all hazard a guess - then the girls will let us know what they are going to do

 

On the food front, it's something like 125 gms to 150gms per day. So allowing a bit of wastage, through spillage, wild birds etc. you could get through .5Kg per day. So 5Kg would last you about 10days. I would keep them on growers until they get to POL and then as you say mix it in with the layers.

 

Good Luck

[chookmumtobe]

Thank you Chucky1, on your calculation I would be better off getting a 20kg bag of growers. We are in the South of England so who knows what kind of winter we are going to get?

 

Looking ahead to the winter, any tips on stopping drinking water from freezing in the glug or would something else be better? I'm trying to get ahead of myself and be as prepared as possible.

 

Thank you.

[Plum]

Hello there, it's easier to empty it at night and put out fresh in the morning when it is freezing weather.

[Chucky1]

Thank you Chucky1, on your calculation I would be better off getting a 20kg bag of growers.

 

I think so, but do be aware that food does have a shelf life plus it can spoil if it gets damp. There are a couple of threads on here about storing food - plastic or galvanised dustbin. We use a heavy plastic coal bunker. Also you find some people (me included) prefer to get the food in plastic bags to protect against damp, whilst others prefer the paper bag type because of the tendency to sweat in plastic. Like a lot of things you pays your money and takes your choice - some things work well - some we muddle through

 

Looking ahead to the winter, any tips on stopping drinking water from freezing in the glug or would something else be better?

 

What Plum said Again there are a couple of threads on here about that issue. I would avoid any additives to stop the water freezing.

 

Best of Luck