Chicken boarders

[nattie]

Hi Everyone,

We got our chickens today and moved them into their lovely Purple Cube. They seemed ok. We are complete novices and although armed with various books and this website we would just like some reassurance that we are doing the right thing and any tips are welcomed. Lily and Lizzie have been adopted from a friend's Dad and have not yet laid their first eggs although are probably close.

 

My Questions are:-

1. Is there an optimum height for the Glug and how do you know that they are drinking from it? I did watch them for ages today but they didn't seem to drink. Will they be able to find the water or should I put an extra bowl in?

2. I have put straw in the nestbox area - how much for them to be comfortable? and paper and woodshavings in the poo trays is this ok?

3. At dusk they seemed to be clucking more but not sure where to go so I picked them up and put them inside, they seemed to roost ok and settled quickly, do they have any specific behaviour at bedtime?

4. Is the grit ok in a dish or should I scatter some about too so they can peck for it?

 

They did not seem to be too distressed and ate half an apple and some corn and grit, there was a lot of s"Ooops, word censored!"ing of grass with their feet and pecking about for food and I am hoping they will settle soon.

 

I am just worried in case I hurt them through ignorance really.

Thank you in advance.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Guest

[Plum]

Don''t worry you are doing fine.

You can help them find their way in at dusk by shining a light in the cube but bet they go in anyway tomorrow.

 

If you tap the glug nipples with a stick it attracts their attention and they will start to drink the drips.

 

You can scatter some grit but I put it in a pot tied to the wire.

 

Enjoy yourself tomorrow. Forcast sounds good for chookwatching

[karena]

My (novice - chickens for all of 2 weeks) answers are:

 

Their glug is prob about their chest height. They dip in and the tip their heads back to drink. Obviously the water level changes to they are flexible. I also have an upturned pot near it and they sometimes stand on that. Don't think they need to but they vary in height so they they can be more even. [edited after seeing Plum's reply to say I have glugs not super glugs so might be different]

 

Mine have shredded paper in the nest and newspaper in the tray. I check the nest and if it looks like they don't have a very thick layer after they have fussed with it and made it how they like, I chuck some more on. Just enough so they look like the have enough of a layer, and enough space to sit in there. I imagine if they had too much they would chuck it out as they seem capable of doing so, and they do like to organise their nest.

 

The behaviour of mine at bedtime is go in Eglu, quiety cluck a little, organise themselves and then sleep.

 

I scatter the grit, and they are on dirt so they would find more if they looked. Don't know if that is right though, but have had 3 eggs, all hard shells every day, and no sign of blocked crops.

[Redwing]

Hi and welcome

 

If the glug is the super glug (the rectangular one with the droppers on the bottom) then the chooks need to stretch up a bit to drink, if you knock the glug water should drip out and show them where the water is. You could put a bowl in too but they will never learn how to use the glug if you do - some people find that their chooks dont ever get what to do and so replace the glug or put it low so the birds drink from the top (the droppers shouldnt make contact with the ground if you do that or it will leak) do try to see if they will use it first though as its a good way to give water and keep the water clean

 

Grit is ok in a pot or scattered, it doesnt really matter

 

Putting a torch in the coop at bedtime will encourage the chooks to head for the light to bed, once they have done it a couple of times they will get the message, in the morning dont lift them out let them go at their own pace - they need to know where bed is, if you lift them out they wont know where to go back to and it becomes a cycle of you putting them to bed which gets old very quickly

 

Straw in the nest box is ok, you can also use the woodshavings which may be more preferable as straw gets damp. If you want to use straw do put a small layer of woodshavings under it to absorb any damp, this keeps things sweet (a bit of tape over the nest box slot will stop the shavings falling out)

 

lastly relax, chickens arent high complicated honest

[sadietoo]

Chickens are tough critters generally, and it sounds like you are doing everything fine. With regard to the glug, if it is an ordinary glug then it should I think be hooked on to the run at ground level, although I find that mine kick a load of aubiose in it, (horse bedding but widely used by forum members if, like mine, the run is on hardstanding), at ground level and so I have mine up on a brick and hooked on to the side which helps a bit. If it is a superglug I have no experience of them but I'm sure someone will be along shortly who does. Personally, I feed grit in a hopper clipped to the side of the run, but I'm sure others will sprinkle theirs on the ground. As for roosting, they will soon get the hang of it, and it's fine to lift them in to bed . You can also shine a torch inside the coop to encourage them to bed.

I well remember those first few weeks of chicken keeping...it's all very worrying, but the rewards of keeping chicken make it all worthwhile. Just wait till you get your first egg.. you'll be so proud of them! I wish you a long and happy experience Chicken keeping. Enjoy your girlies!

[nattie]

Thank you, I'm feeling less worried now.

It is the super glug so I will knock the droppers tomorrow and see how we go. Thanks for the other tips too, I will give them a go.

I am looking forward to getting up tomorrow morning and seeing my girls. I'm also keen to see how quickly a 5 year old can get dressed when there are chickens to be seen.

[MarkBevBen]

Hiya Nattie, I just read your thread and the advice with interest as we're getting our ladies on Wednesday this week - really looking forward to their arrival

 

We've ordered the Eglu Classic and I know it comes with a 'Glug' of some form, not sure if it's the super one or not! We'll see

 

Enjoy your chickens today

[chickenopolis]

Just wanted to say don't worry. Chooks are hardy little things and there are always people here on this forum to help you. To be honest I don't think I could have coped without this forum when we got our girls.

No question is a silly question, and if you put some picture on here of your new girls, you will get lots of answers.

We love pictures of other peoples chooks by the way.

Welcome to the brilliant and funny world of chicken keeping. I tell you, you will now prick up your ears when you hear anyone say "chicken".

[nattie]

Well it's day two and a big thank you to all.

 

Both chickens drank from the glug today, I did as suggested and used a stick to make the water drip out, they ate their pellets, scratched around, devoured their treats of apple, corn, cucumber, tomato, carrot and dandelion leaves, spent a lot of time sitting around looking relaxed and put themselves to bed at 8pm with no help from me and were very settled when I closed the door.

 

I feel so much more relaxed and happy about it all today.

[MarkBevBen]

Well it's day two and a big thank you to all.

 

Both chickens drank from the glug today, I did as suggested and used a stick to make the water drip out, they ate their pellets, scratched around, devoured their treats of apple, corn, cucumber, tomato, carrot and dandelion leaves, spent a lot of time sitting around looking relaxed and put themselves to bed at 8pm with no help from me and were very settled when I closed the door.

 

I feel so much more relaxed and happy about it all today.

 

 

Awwww what a gorgeous picture and so glad you're feeling more relaxed about them

[karena]

Great news, relaxed is good