3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[Flossy]

Could anyone give me some advice- I wanted to start a new flock; 2 hybrids from omlet and 2 silkies from a good breeder. The hybrids arrived on Friday (Daphne and Wilma) and settled into the eglu with 3 m run. Unfortunately I couldn't get the silkies unti Monday and when I introduced them all he'll broke loose. I was informed that as the hybrids were not settled and new themselves that things would be ok. So, I checked on the forum and split the run in two but am not confident at building another coop so I had to scoop the new silkies out on Monday night and put them in a converted dog crate which I put indoors. I did read that you can smuggle the newbies into the coop at night - but is this for larger coops than the eglu- I stayed up late to do it but chickened out!

Anyway, today I went out and bought a wooden coop just to keep the peace and placed it next to the eglu( couldn't afford another and needed so ethnic fast)

So - what I'm asking is

1) would they have eventually settled if I persevered or is the eglu space too small for all.

2) with my current set up are there ways to merge ( they free range ok together - our dog chaperones)

3) I'm new to a wooden run and their pitfalls - do I treat the wood- tips for cleaning please!

 

Sorry to post such an essay

[LolaLayla]

I will be interested to hear how you get on. I have 2 hybrids who are 2 years old and in January got 2 large fowl Silkies. Each pair live in an eglu. Although they now free range together during the day(sometimes there is a bit of a bust up), if they are in the run together the Silkies get a battering. A few weeks ago I tried to put a Silkie in overnight with the less aggressive hybrid. They survived the night but coincidentally my hybrid was poorly and I suppose not likely to attack the Silkie. I have not tried again. I would love them to live in the one eglu but it doesn't look as if it will happen soon

[keyhole kate]

I have a mixed big and little bunch of girls that live happily together the key is patience I took intros very very slowly I made sure I had several feed and water stations available so the higher ranking hens couldnt man them all. Supervise FR with a water pistol at the ready if needed I don't interfere unless I think blood will be drawn. When they are FR happily put the newbies in with the main flock at bedtime but be prepared to be up early to let them out and supervise if needed. Sometimes you have to be brave and step back and let them find there place

[LolaLayla]

Although having 2 very separate food and water stations - one set in each eglu. If a silkie gets cornered in the run the other girls will be quite brutal. I have seen Lola stand on one of them and peck at the neck while Layla goes for the rear. I have left them to get on with it and the poor silkie escapes shakes herself (dislodging a flurry of plucked feathers but no blood) and then she runs off to avoid the hybrids. Strangely they all seem happy to sit together in harmony under the ivy on the wall at the back of the summer house. I suppose it is where the food is that trouble breaks out. Last night the silkies would not go into their eglu and I found Layla had already taken up residence in their nest box so I had to shift her but I do wonder if I should just have put then in and hope for the best

[Margaret]

I think the answer is to take it slow.

I have 2 big old girls and I adopted Chubby Chooks Tiny Tiny Frizzle and Black Silkie.

I ended up using bumper bits, which upset me terribly for a few weeks and the girls for about 10 mins.

I did give Violent Violet to a friend as she was horrid to them, but now after just a few weeks they all live happy together, infact Daisy the tiny frizzle who doesent even reach their tummys, she can actually walk under them, is now doing the bullying, a wee terror but so lovely.

Hopefully all will be fine, but so horrid to watch, but saying that I have two more Silkies (Sharon & Tracy)comming from Essex in a few weeks, so will be doing it all again.

[dance in the dark]

As has been said just take it slow, it is odd that they took against them so vehemently, but I guess the silkies looks very odd to a chicken which is used to hybrids (hens that haven't been raised in mixed flocks are more likely to be like this)

 

As for the wooden coop, make sure to use diatomacious earth whenever you clean it out and, depending on it's design, use a good opportunity to give it an airing after you do clean it as they are obviously more prone to mold.

 

Since you bought a pre-made house it should be pre-treated, which will probably last a year, and then it might be an idea to give it a going over with a poultry safe wood treatment, they are available. Mostly wooden houses are fine, just a bit more work to clean, don't be using the pressure washer 9if you have one) or it'll ruin the wood.

 

Tim

[Chortle Chook]

I'd second Dance in the dark's advice about wooden coops . . . always use diatom when you do a full clean out of bedding (once a week would be good) and give the coop regular good airings. Whenever it is not rainy I leave the main door open so my chickens only really use the pop hole on rainy days. I find they are quite happy with this arrangement.

 

(Margaret - great to hear about Daisy the terrier of chickendom)

[cluckingmad]

We're currently doing two loads of intros.. and I question my sanity in voluntarily doing this on a daily basis

We got 4 pekins, then a week later 3 hybrids... the new hens are in two coups next to the existing flocks FR area (with omlet netting separating the runs). Every day for a week we scattered corn at the perimeter of the runs so the girls could see and hear each other and get used to each others presence without actually being in contact directly.. after a week we let the banties out to FR with the established girls , there was some puffing up of chests and face offs, but all calmed down very quickly and the next day all was sorted out and calm

 

The banties and Big Girls are all one flock now, four days after their initial FR excursion, but they still have their own coupes at night - this weekend we're going to move the banties eglu into the WIR so they can all get used to being in closer quarters with each other. Once thats all settled we'll repeat the process with the three hybrid girls...! All in all, expecting the whole intro process to take a month or two from hens being brought home and them all finally living happily together in the WIR We let them decide when they want to all snuggle down together in the WIR/cube, but my OH has been incredible lately and let me pick up a second secondhand eglu on preloved :D:D So.... now we have to put some adaptations to the WIR to accomodate all the coups!

[Margaret]

The thing to remember is...

However upsetting it is, we all seem to do it again, ( a bit like childbirth )

So it cant be that bad. I am on the lookout for some Frizzles to play with Daisy now.

Will we ever learn.

[Chortle Chook]

If you want more Frizzles, Margaret and could stand coming all this way again, then PM or call me as there is a lady who lives near me and breeds Frizzles to show standard. She has supplied a couple of us on here and I think she may have a cuckoo one available who is POL and also a few tinies. She is a very good friend of the lady who gave me Daisy.

[Flossy]

Thanks for all of the advice

Seems like you have a similar problem Lola Layla - they are OK free ranging but if the silkies pass the others in the run they get attacked. Freckle - my cuckoo silkie got the worst and she now seems really timid. Since going in their own coop she has not grown in confidence and wont come near me. I talk calmly and gently when going near but she scitters off. As they also have to go up a ladder to the nest box, I have to physically put them in or they just sit there.

Thanks for the water pistol tip keyhole Kate (my kids fished out the mega soaker at first when I mentioned it!

Margaret you have given me hope - the thing is that when I'm away and friends look after the chickens I;d like them all to be in the eglu. We dont shut the door to the eglu at night otherwise our sitters have to travel up again in the morning to let the chickens out. I trust the eglu run as its so secure and we have it pinned down. I dont feel as safe with the wooden coop as the wire isnt as thick. If they dont gel before we go away the silkies will have to stay in the wooden coop.

Any tips for making a wooden coop more secure - its just a standard 4 hen wooden coop with a ladder up to the nestbox.

Thanks for the info Dance in the Dark and Cubby Chook - is Diatom for red mite and where does it need to go - nestbox?

I'm going to try the food around the perimeter Chickingmad - makes sense if they see each other feeding without the agro

 

I really want a cube and WIR now!!!!

 

Thanks everyone

[Flossy]

More questions i'm afraid!

With regard to the silkies - any tips on getting them tame. The cuckoo silkie is the worst. I'm trying not to handle them yet, just taking and offering food (which they wont come near). I wait until they are very sleepy before lifting them into the coop at night but she really goes for me and I have the bruises on my arm to show for it.

[Chortle Chook]

Diatom needs to be be puffed into all corners you can mange to get it into. Others may correct me but I don't think it is not a cure for red mite but makes it harder for them to live in a wooden coop by stopping all moisture accumulating in the crannies. The nest box should have particular attention but you need to puff it into the corners of the whole house area.

 

I started with a standard 4 chook wooden coop and run and you are right that it could easily be knocked over, but if it is the style I'm thinking of, I don't think the fox could get into the coop bit. Any chooks in the run area would, however, be rather vulnerable.

 

With regard to silkie taming, they are normally very gentle little souls but are not all that bright and don't really like new things. I think they are probably very scared right now what with being mugged rather regularly by the biggies. However I'm sure they'll soon come to you for meal worms but other tit bits might be a bit adventurous for them at this stage. You could just sprinkle a few meal worms around your feet when they are FRanging for a bit so they get used to coming near you. I've found my silkies quickly responded to that when I called out 'Mealy worms' . It probably helps that I have a rather squeaky voice Also I have found that due to their fancy feathering it is rather easy to squeeze them accidentally when you pick them up and they hate this, so it is important to slip a hand under their fronts and put the other over their wings as you do so, rather than picking them up in a 'two hands down under their fronts / thumbs on their backs' grabbing, sort of way. (I was doing this till my chook keeping course showed me how to do it properly).

[Flossy]

Thanks Chubby Chook

Your right - I was scooping them up with two hands - I will try scooping them tonight although it's rather difficult on my knees, head in the coop and pouring rain going down my back! I have successfully got them to take mealworms and tiny pieces of grape today although the cuckoo silkie can't see a thing and misses all the food ( she can't even see a piece of sweetcorn) - I suspect her fluff is in the way as I can't see her eyes and don't want to hold her still to check everything is ok. The other silkie hoovers everything up before she figures out where the food is

[Chortle Chook]

Well done, Flossy, sounds like you are getting there

You could give your little cuckoo silkie a mild hair cut last thing at night when she is sleepy. Just cut back the ends of the feathers that are covering her eyes.

[Flossy]

Thanks Chubby Chook- I'll maybe have a go when I get a but more confident handling her. Do you have any tips on getting them to use the coop. I go out at dusk and find the hybrids have gone to bed in their eglu but the silkies are huddled together in their run. IT's been a week now and each night I have to lift them into the coop.

[balti]

hi - i have 2 hybrids, about 5 or 6 now ( no joke ) and a bantam cock. Introduced 3 silkies about 4/5 weeks ago. I

have 2 eglus for now but building a walk in run for them all.

Its was a nightmare at first... I would take it in turns to let them out. I kept silkies in there run for 3 days so they

knew there home and then they did go back in at night.

After about 2 weeks i let them out together for short periods - always watching. I had 2 water sprays that i would

use when the hybrids went for them - and they really did. Kenny cock was loving it and took to the new

girls quite instantly. -)

One of the silkies was not only picked on by the other 2, but now had the 2 hybrids doing it as well - so was

a little stressful.

Now i guess its a few weeks done the line they all roam together in pretty much harmony. The hybrids will still

go for them if they try to eat with them, If i throw s"Ooops, word censored!"s out i have to throw a bit to the right and left so they

all get some.

Only problem is now - both groups love the cockerel so where ever he goes to bed they all follow. They all end

up in the one eglu. The cock, and 2 hybrids get in first then dont allow the silkies in. When they try the hybrids

peak them until the reverse out so they end up sitting in the run.

I have to open the back and lift the hybrids out and pop them into their eglu so the others can go to bed!

Im not sure if they will ever sleep together. Im hoping that when i get the cube later to attach to WIR, as it will

be new to them all, they might all get in it without a fight,

More time will tell.

[cluckingmad]

oh bless the poor little souls! Have a major soft spot for silkies I have to admit.. our girls, despite having a cube AND eglu classic in the WIR to choose when still prefer to sleep on the shelf in the run itself

[Flossy]

Oh so it's normal for silkies to not go off to bed then? I could do with them using the coop as we are going away soon and don't think our neighbour is too enamoured about picking them up to put them to bed. I'm worried that if they stay out foxy loxy may get them.

[LolaLayla]

Ours go to bed, but not if one of my hybrids had settled in their eglu by mistake. Then you see them starting to go in and then reverse out I don't think they will ever be able to share an eglu

[Chortle Chook]

Oh so it's normal for silkies to not go off to bed then? I could do with them using the coop as we are going away soon and don't think our neighbour is too enamoured about picking them up to put them to bed. I'm worried that if they stay out foxy loxy may get them.

I don't think it is normal, unfortunately, for Silkies not to go to bed. Mine love their coop. It is just that Silkies are very docile, slightly wimpy and will normally be bottom of the pecking order, so they are not 'allowed' to push past a chook that is higher up the order who decides to occupy a position right by the door.