Kit Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) Hello All Help I need my hand holding through this:- Currently my 3.5m x 2m WIR is divided into two one side with cube for 3 girls who free range all day and the other houses an eglu with broody hen and 10 eggs. I have read most of the previous post and have concluded the following a) remove roosting bars and fill with aubiose so level with nesting box where hen is b) remove bars, block nest and place a cardboard box in the eglu floor and let hen nest there which is the preferred method when using cube? c) can I leave it to the last minute to swap hen houses? chicks and mum in cube and safeguard the WIR for their sole use and put others in eglu and run extension. WIR has concrete floor so I will disinfect before chicks hatch? What shall I use to disinfect? Many thanks Kit Edited May 25, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 You are wanting to swap the chicks and mum into the Cube? I'd leave them in the Eglu. Unless the Cube is situated directly on the floor, the chicks will never manage to get in and out of it. I'd leave the swap till much later, when they are big enough to negotiate the ladder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Morning Eglutyne Thank you for your quick reply, it is very much appreciated! Yes I should have said, I've taken the wheels off the cube and its sat on the floor. Will the eglu be too small for mum and 10 chicks (presuming all 10 will hatch)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Aah. No, it will be ideal. They will grow rapidly and soon fill it. I'd put a little step, such as a brick, to help them get up into the cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prof Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Hi. My orp has just hatched chicks (2 and 3 days old now) in I borrowed a chick kit (available from omlet) which fits ontop of the roosting bars and brings the floor up to the same level as the nest. Ontop of that i put cut up bath mats so that it wasnt too slippy, and wood shavings ontop of this. I attached plastic facia boards around the run using cable ties which were really cheap from wicks. I place a stone as a ramp so they can climb in and out of the door. If you are going to use the cube as a broody house and you have it on the floor then what have you done for the run? Im asking as i have 2 hens with chicks I dont know about disinfecting. I havent done that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Hi Prof I have a WIR - my plan is to swap the non broody hens into eglu and run extension and close off the WIR so that broody hen and her chicks have sole use of it for the time being. off to search for a bath mat unless of course I won't need it if I fill the cube with aubiose level to nest box. Then again shall I just close off the nest box once all hatched? Kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
