gavclojak Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Hi there I picked up my ex-batts today....bless them, they settled really well, eating and drinking, pottering. Three mad there way into the cube this evening but two had to be put in, I was expecting to have to put them all to bed! My question is should they have access to food all day? I wasn't sure if I should just feed them in the morning and afternoon or them to have access to feed all the time, may sound silly but I really don't know! Thought they wouldn't eat today due to the stress ect but they didn't stop!! Also when I put them to bed in the cube, two of the girls settled in the nesting box, should this be discouraged? Didn't want to turf them out on the first day!) Many thanks in advance for any help or advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Congrats on your new girls. Access to food, water and grit/oystershell all day. You can get special ex batt food and/or they might use a tonic in the water such as lifeguard if they are building strength. I've never had ex batts but in sure someone who is an expert will be along soon! I think you need to be careful with drops so if the cube ladder is too far off the ground perhaps add a log or upturned flowerpot. In terms of sleeping in nest box then I discouraged my girls but I know others don't bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Welcome to the wonderful world of chicken keeping Mine only have access to food and water in the WIR during the day and nothing in the coup ..I can just imagine the greedy lot scrambling to get at it in the night . As for sleeping in the nest box 3 of mine do , all sat on top of one another the 4th one Annie would but there is not room . I reckon if yours girls are ex batts then if they want to sleep in the nest box where they have choice ..Then they should .Just means picking any poo out each morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Food out all day, they won't overeat. It's up to you whether or not you're happy for them to sleep in the nest box. I must admit I am a softie and feel they deserve a comfy bed after a year in a cage. But to be honest... they really won't mind one way or the other! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 Thank you for the reply i think two are sleeping in the nest box, they are so sweet and really quiet at the moment, i have food/water attached to the run and remove it at night. they didnt want to come out this morning, left the coop door open and an hour later they were all just looking out the door but scared to make the first move....i had to go behind them a shoo them out into the big wide world.... at work now worrying mr redcoat might make an appearance but have fox proofed the enclosure as much as humanly possible....6 foot fence toped with 3 foot trellis...steel mesh dug apprond perimiter to a depth of 8 inches then topped with concrete slabs and roof is a mest stapeled all the way around there MASSIVE enclosure in which sits a cube and 1 meter run.... They have logs to play with, half a tyre buried to potter on and a dust bath made from play sand/dirt/dia-eart. Am i missing anything? also, as expected they are producing lots of.....poo....they are on grass/earth at the moment, i dont expect there to be grass for much longer but is it best to clear the poo daily...how whould i do that? wash it away with water? any suggestions would be amazing....also how to stop a dog rolling/eating it.....i am rambling now!!!!! blame hormones as i so emothional everytime i think of what the prro girls have been through, yet they are sooooo sweet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Your enclosure sounds lovely and to be honest they are unlikely to do anything much other than eat/poo for a little while! They will soon discover the joys of dust bathing etc but it tends to take a few days. Re the poo - yes you can clear up daily but I think you'll soon get bored of that! I find it easier to put down a thickish layer of wood chip (not bark) which gets raked over fairly regularly and then dug out and replaced periodically. You can keep it 'clean' with a powder disinfectant such as Stalosan. How to stop a dog rolling/eating poo... I have no idea. Let me know if you find out! Mine loves to eat it and then come in to give me a chicken poo lick, bleurgh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 i have just read the ''What killed my chickens? '' thread and am officially terrified!!!!! OMG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Congratulations on your new ladies - ex-batts are so rewarding. They will need food/water/grit/shell all day but wont need anything at night. The new enriched cages have a perch but some are so bullied they never get the chance to perch so their legs may be too weak so sleeping in the nest box isn't a problem. They also have access to a nest box and scratching area but again with 80 in a cage some will never be allowed to use these. That said they will soon get the hang of nesting and scratching around and having a dust bath. They are so amazing! The cube ladder might be a bit high for them and their legs might be weak so be careful with bruising (arnica gel is great if you do get any problems). In a week or two their legs will be stronger. They will eat a lot for the first few days as some may have only been able to eat when others were not and some farmers also remove food and water a few days before they are collected so this will level off once they know the food isn't being taken away. If you are worried about foxes make sure your run is made from strong weld mesh not chicken wire and has a roof and floor (or skirting). There is lots of advice in the runs section on here. Don't free range unless you are in the garden with them or use electrified chicken netting. and enjoy them - they will be so grateful for the chance you have given them and soon learn to love life! They will love meal worms and corn in the evening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 Thanks for all your wonderful comments, the girls are amazing, all went to bed last night on their own. This morning they popped out like a bullet. One has quite runny poo but not sure which but all seem happy and alert so will keep an eye on that! I have a really strong fruit net roof on the run, stapled along the top of the 6 foot fence and and have neighbours either side, have dug down really deep with wield mesh the slabs on top and the enclosure is completley secure from the front. i let them out in to the enclosure during the day when i am at work,am am i doing wrong? i really don't think we can do anything else to make it more secure other than the roof as its net(but very strong) cant really do much more as i think i may be pushing the luck with my neighbours. If there is anything else i can do please let me know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Your enclosure sounds fine to me. It sounds like you have made it as secure as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 Oh am reassured a tad now, OH is out now buying wood to build a swing for the said girls....and some fortification for the door of the run:)))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Sounds like they are very lucky girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 5, 2013 Author Share Posted June 5, 2013 AH i think i am the lucky one....feel like they chose me.... One of them has loose poo at the minute, they all seem happy so am putting it down to the stress at the minute but the problem is out of the five girls there are a few i cant tell the difference between at the moment. What a wholly!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 There is a great topic on droppings here http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=14546 Have you got some leg rings you can use to tell the difference? They might be drinking more than normal at the moment as may not have had access to water for a few days in the farm. This should level out. Its also been quite hot too so they may be drinking more anyway and more liquid always means runny poo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 5, 2013 Author Share Posted June 5, 2013 That is a great help, thank you. Like i said i am new to all this, all i know is my little dogs love chicken poo....what a nightmare, if they are not trying to eat it they are rolling in it, but bless them, they and the girls seem to co-exist so well!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 All dogs eat chook poop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 Good morning I am starting to worry about the winter already!!!! i work 2 days per week till about6ish, my lovely girls are in a secure enclosure(well i have done what i can please see the first post above My question is, dusk will be earlier in the winter so will the girls just go to bed as soon as the light goes down and am i more likely to get a problem with Mr redcoat then rather than now as the cube pop door will remain open till i get home from work! what do others do when the hen in an enclosure and mum and dad are at work? I might give up work and become the hen lady from south east!(sounds good to me) XX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 I work full time and don't see much of the chooks in daylight during the week in the winter. They tend to get up when i open the door in the morning even if its dark (I think they can hear the birds so know its morning) so I can check they all get up and are looking ok - we have a good security light also. Mr fox is a problem all hours i'm afraid and if he can get to them he will in daylight or dark. You have said that your run is secure so it should be fine. Just shut up the coop when you get home. However if you can give up work i would!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 I think your hens will be just fine in winter, as your enclosure does sound good to me. I know I am in the minority here (perhaps I am very lucky with never having seen a fox) but my girls free range all day. When it gets dark they head up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire then I lock them away when I get home. My garden is surrounded on all 3 sides by neighbouring gardens which I realise doesn't make mine fox proof but hopefully is a deterrent. Others in my village do exactly the same. That said, I am building a WIR this summer, but that's mostly to keep my troublesome hens IN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 Oh thank you both so much for your prompt replies....will think of something else to worry about now....also FYI my ex batts that i got sunday are AMAZING, princess layer comes when i call her and is already eating from my hand....do i sound besotted???? You bet ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Hen lady from the south east sounds good to me Honestly your chickens sound such lucky, lucky girls with a total paradise to live in and every care given to them. As for the dogs, yep, as others have said, to them there is nought so yummy as chicken poop . . . and it makes my terrier make the most awful stinks when we settle to watch TV of an evening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
