markymarque Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 (edited) Picked them up Saturday afternoon we got 2 welsummers and 1 maran. They all seem to be getting along ok, no eggs yet. We spoke to our local farm shop where we brought the grit, layers pellets and corn from and she suggested using a galvanised trough for the git with a brick in it, and a sauce pan as a drinker. She said don’t bother with the plastic drinkers as there not very good, freeze and crack etc. Am I right in saying to keep the corn separate and only give them some once a day? Also they like to walk in there poo, I’ve been shovelling it up everyday, do the slabs need rinsing everyday. Thanks Mark some reaseon it cuts half the pic off, and i did clean the poo up after taking the pics Edited January 27, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 congrats look forward to seeing pics keep the corn seprate, i give mine a handful every couple of days, with slabs i have put soft woodchips from b&q on them and change it in the winter every couple of months in the summer you can keep them down longer i just rake it daily. At the moment i would try to spray the slabs down daily when they've gone in on the night hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Congratulations on your new girls. I've got a Welsummer, lovely looking but not the brightest of hens. I use woodchip in my run and rake it over once a week. I use the green and white pastic feeders and drinkers. they have withstood two winters and freezing conditions without any problems. For the grit I use plastic cage cups that just hook onto the side of the run. I had a grit pot but they just knocked it over all the time. As for the corn mine get a bit every night just before bedtime. They don't get any at all in the summer though. hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Congrats I have a few feeders + drinkers but do end up using odd things for them too I'd get some proper ones just 'cos it will be easier for you and they can hold a lot of water/feed Not had a problem with many of ours cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Congratulations on your new chooks, really looking forward to seeing some pictures (thats a hint, that right there! ) my plastic feeders and drinkers have also survived two winters, so i guess its entirely up to you and what you find easiest. Did i mention i was looking forward to seeing pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfin Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Good luck with the girls. I am in the process of setting up my egg producing system and I recently bought a 6 litre water and feeding set from Flyte so Fancy. They cost just over £13 plus delivery. They are well designed and well made with a good thickness of plastic. I am very pleased with them. They do sell a 3 litre version for about £9 that may be suitable for you. This is the first time I've purchased from this company but their delivery was very fast and I will trade with them again. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PandoraTiffany Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Mine poo a lot too and I still clean up every day. We let ours roam the garden in the day from quite early on and they are not keen any more on being in the eglu. We had a lovely lawn once and its now not so lovely so if you are fond of your garden, you might want to think about keeping them off it. We have had a plastic drinker for nearly two years and its been fine, they are less keen on the glug drinker. As for corn, ours love corn on the cob and tinned sweetcorn and I do put a handful of corn in their feeder with the layers pellets. Their favourite food is grapes; I cut them up and they line up and jump for them, its hilarious. Spoiled or what! Good luck with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Mine poo a lot too and I still clean up every day. We let ours roam the garden in the day from quite early on and they are not keen any more on being in the eglu. We had a lovely lawn once and its now not so lovely so if you are fond of your garden, you might want to think about keeping them off it. We have had a plastic drinker for nearly two years and its been fine, they are less keen on the glug drinker. As for corn, ours love corn on the cob and tinned sweetcorn and I do put a handful of corn in their feeder with the layers pellets. Their favourite food is grapes; I cut them up and they line up and jump for them, its hilarious. Spoiled or what! Good luck with yours. ours are the same for grapes too it's like a roll call i think it's a good idea to clean the poop daily, especially in the coop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymarque Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Thanks again, what size feeders / drinkers will be ok for the 3 large ladies?. I think i will put the nautural wood chipping down in the run, to keep it cleaner. At the weekend i will make sure the garden in is safe for them, will they escape through small holes? I do intend to give them supervised wonders in the garden, before the bedding plants arrive) even if its just for a few hours at the weekend (i love my garden and want to keep it that way ) Is ther any problem with raised ponds? I'll also get some photo's aswell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I started off with those saucers that one puts under plant pots but they were a little too shallow. I then graduated to ceramic dog dishes, the brown sort, but I found that the rain made a real mess out of their pellets and I kept having to throw stuff away. Now I have a pink grub and a glug on one of those little wire devices that Omlet provide for those of us who don't have or . It has saved on pellets and the wire thingy is so easy to pick up and take in at night. The colour also provides a bit of brightness in my garden when all else is brown in the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Thanks again, what size feeders / drinkers will be ok for the 3 large ladies? I have one of these *feeders* (think mines 3 or 6kg) which can also be hung up and one of these*drinkers* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Our coop is very similar to yours and we have a metal grit pot that clips onto the mesh. We've never had a problem with them knocking it over and it doesnt get get messy. We have galvanised drinker and feeders and they are very sturdy so dont get knocked over. The drinker does end up being filled with straw everyday but I've just got messy girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Well, the Cube came with a grub and superglug....the old sort with nipples. My lot never got to grips with the drinker and a couple of the hens and the cockerel have headgear too big to get into the grub comfortably and I watched them struggle. I have cast the omlet stuff away and now use a round gravity feed drinker suspended from the roof on a hook so that I can take it in on frosty nights. Their feed is in one of those large plastic troughs with wire dividers, but I still had to cut one out for the cockerel (big head) I don't take this out as it is largely empty at night. I did get worried about rats as somebody on the forum said rats could get through the Omlet run wires. So I put our naturecam in the run for a week and the only creatures it captured was the odd mouse helping himself to the remains................NO rats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Lovely chickens exactly like two of mine good pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymarque Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 i give mine a handful every couple of days, with slabs i have put soft woodchips from b&q on them and change it in the winter every couple of months I went to B&Q today, all what they had was large bark chippings, so i brought the playground wood chippings, is ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 They are all lovely but I do like Welsummers, smashing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Me too.......such lovely brown eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 i give mine a handful every couple of days, with slabs i have put soft woodchips from b&q on them and change it in the winter every couple of months I went to B&Q today, all what they had was large bark chippings, so i brought the playground wood chippings, is ok? yes i have heard of other people using this for their chooks they might even last longer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I don't think you're meant to use bark 'cos of fungal spores. Wood chippings is always best, but if you've already put it down, make sure you get wood chippings next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
