vegboi Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Hi All My name is Mark and I live in Port Sunlight village, I have an allotment 19 minute walk from home and have just taken delivery of 6 16 week yr old hens, 6 in total. (1 white bason, 1 beechwood blue, 1 speckledy, 1 Sussex Ranger and 2 commercial browns) I just wonder what I should be doing on a Dailey basis and some advice really. I have a wooden house and up run attached. I brought 3kg water and feeder , feeding girls laying pellets and corn along with veggies and apples from my allotment. Just wondering should I be cutting the s"Ooops, word censored!"s up and if so how big roughly and do I need to do anything with them? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Welcome to the forum . That sounds like an interesting mix - I've never heard of the first two! You don't really need to do much to s"Ooops, word censored!"s, they'll peck off beak-sized bits quite happily. Just be careful not to feed them so many s"Ooops, word censored!"s that they don't fill up on pellets, which are what will help egg production! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegboi Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Great thanks very much for the tip. I'm just worried that I should be doing things for them and so thought I'd join and gain some advice/help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I would only leave pellets out for them. Otherwise they will fish out the corn as they prefer that (if you mix it with the pellets)? I throw the odd apple into the run and they peck at it. It takes them longer to eat it that way Welcome, by the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 To keep them occupied you can hang up veggies and fruit in the (just in/out of reach, so the have to jump). When my ladies have little free ranging time I hang up either broccoli, halved apples or other things from a string or metal wire. Current favorite is a little brussel sprout garland! I half the sprouts and string them on a piece of binding wire. Takes them all day to dismantle that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I've seen those on Pinterest Cattails and am planning on using them for dark winter days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 They are perfect! Very hard veg to demolish and just loose in the run didn't work for me. And good price wise during the winter too. I only hang up 3 to 4 sprouts, in halves and it takes them most of the day. They keep well in the fridge too, so my 500 g bag of €0,69 lasts me ages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegboi Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 > I would only leave pellets out for them. Otherwise they will fish out the corn as > they prefer that (if you mix it with the pellets)? > > I throw the odd apple into the run and they peck at it. It takes them longer to > eat it that way > > Welcome, by the way Hi Christian Thanks very much for the advice I have been feeding them toast for bfast leaving laying pellets and giving them mixed corn at night . Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Welcome to the forum. You will find lots of great advice here. Are they 16 weeks old? If so, are you feeding them layers pellets or growers? If it was me I would give them growers until they start to lay. Enjoy your chooks. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Welcome to the forum. On a daily basis - check food and water, collect eggs (when they start arriving!) - that's really all you need to do. Obviously a quick visual check of your hens is also advisable every day, just to see that "Ooops, word censored!"ody is looking sad or hunched, limping, sneezing etc. Hens are really easy to look after and as long as they have food and water and shelter they'll be fine. It's best to give your hens commercial feed pellets for their main diet. Vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s, toast (not too often) and mixed corn will make a welcome addition as a treat but if you give them too much, as others have said, they will fill up on this and not eat the pellets, and they are the best source of protein, minerals and grit to keep them healthy. I give mine a handful of corn a day, mainly to clear them out of the way so I can get in through the run door without them escaping! I also try to give them greens every day especially in winter when they don't get out to free range much. Green veg are what makes the egg yolks beautifully orangey-yellow. There's some debate about whether you should feed growers pellets until they start laying; 16 weeks is quite young. However, POL (Point of Lay) is not an exact science, so it's possible your hens are actually older than that even if you were told they were 16 weeks. I've always fed my new hens on layers, rather than growers, even though it's sometimes been five or six weeks before they start laying - so if you have bought layers pellets, I would carry on with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegboi Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Welcome to the forum. On a daily basis - check food and water, collect eggs (when they start arriving!) - that's really all you need to do. Obviously a quick visual check of your hens is also advisable every day, just to see that "Ooops, word censored!"ody is looking sad or hunched, limping, sneezing etc. Hens are really easy to look after and as long as they have food and water and shelter they'll be fine. It's best to give your hens commercial feed pellets for their main diet. Vegetable s"Ooops, word censored!"s, toast (not too often) and mixed corn will make a welcome addition as a treat but if you give them too much, as others have said, they will fill up on this and not eat the pellets, and they are the best source of protein, minerals and grit to keep them healthy. I give mine a handful of corn a day, mainly to clear them out of the way so I can get in through the run door without them escaping! I also try to give them greens every day especially in winter when they don't get out to free range much. Green veg are what makes the egg yolks beautifully orangey-yellow. Thanks for the advice solely that's amazing, I have had two eggs but unsure from which hens. I brought layers pellets so I will take your advice and continue with them. Thanks everyone . One other question I purchased 3kg water n feed feeders but the water seems to go down very fast, is this normal? Mark There's some debate about whether you should feed growers pellets until they start laying; 16 weeks is quite young. However, POL (Point of Lay) is not an exact science, so it's possible your hens are actually older than that even if you were told they were 16 weeks. I've always fed my new hens on layers, rather than growers, even though it's sometimes been five or six weeks before they start laying - so if you have bought layers pellets, I would carry on with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Welcome to the forum. I am not getting my girls til next month so I am of no help. Can't wait to see photos of your girls though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Welcome Mark! The best advice I can give you is to regularly read other people's posts on this forum - personally I always skim through the 'Chickens', 'Eggs', ''Health' and 'WIR' discussion boards on most days. I've learnt so much from just reading other people's concerns and then the replies from much more experienced and knowledgeable chicken keepers that, when I've had a similar problem, I already know the answer and so don't even need to post a query. Forearmed is forewarned and saves a lot of worrying about what you're doing right or what's safe etc. Plus reading some people's posts just make me laugh out loud - although some equally bring tears to my eyes. Anyway, it sounds like you're doing OK so far so just enjoy your girls and let your chicken knowledge grow from day to day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 One other question I purchased 3kg water n feed feeders but the water seems to go down very fast, is this normal? I reckon that's normal. They do get through a surprising amount of water, I always think, when you consider how tiny their beaks are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegboi Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Morning All Just a quick question how do you clean the run and the house house? What do you use and how? Thanks Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Hi and welcome I use sawdust and sundown for my coop. Give a big clean once a year with poultry shield use smite if I get red mite as I find that works the best. Otherwise I clean once a week emptying all and replacing it. Poo pick twice a week now they are in coop longer due to dark.in summer just clean out once a fortnight but poo pick more oftern. Hope this helps every one dose it differently.just nice to get a heads up though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I am guessing you have a wood coop, I have both a wood (temp accommodation) and a cube, I poop pick daily and remove all bedding etc weekly and replace with clean auboise. I have sprayed with poultry shield but hope the newbies are in the cube by winter so won't have to worry about washing and letting it dry out. The cube is different but as I'm assuming you have a wood one it's not really relevant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
