sadieatthebridge Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Hi everyone, I'm a new chicken owner and have a few questioned for all you seasoned keepers... We got our 4 girls on Sunday afternoon. Hetty Feather, a Gingernut Ranger; Margot, a Columbine; Dolores, a Copper Black and Adelaide, a Speckledy. They are housed in a GreenFrog large lodge in an L-shaped run covering around 20-25m sq. The run is not covered (yet!). They've settled in well with only a few teething problems: Adelaide, our Speckledy couldn't work out how to get into the house on the first night. She dived at the nest box, flapped onto the roof of the house and then panicked her way into the nearest tree when I tried to gently encourage her back down. She ended up roaming the garden at 22:30, headbutting the wire of the run, eventually making it through the run door. After another failed capture where she was able to scale the 7ft high wire wall of the run (!), she gave up and allowed me to pick her up and put her to bed! None of the chooks have their wings clipped - the hen lady seemed to think that 6ft-7ft high run would be sufficient. However, they do have the house to use as a stepping stone to get into a tree, next to the wall and over to the Scary Outside. So, my first question is : do you think we should get their wings clipped or do it ourselves? Or was it just my inept attempts to get Adelaide to bed that caused the whole sorry saga. Note: last night they had all taken themselves to bed by 10. Phew... There has been a little pecking at poor Margot, our Columbine. This was worst on Sunday and seems to have reduced to a slight peck here and there. At the hen breeder, Margot was housed with other Columbines and a cockerel whereas the other chickens were all in the same area. This mild pecking is nothing to worry about, right? Is she just learning her place at the bottom of the pecking order? How often should a sprinkle diatom around? Should I just put it in the house? We're using Easibed at the moment. Is it just puffed around the house at cleaning time? I did dig out a pit under the house to give them a dry area for a dust bath. I added some old playsand and some diatom. Naturally, they have completely ignored this area, except for during torrential rain yesterday. I did notice Adelaide having a dustbath behind the hen house, but this has since been rained on. So question 3 is: do I need to create them an alternative dustbath or will they just work out their own? Sorry for rambling! One last question: I have some mixed grit for them. Do they need oyster shell as well? If anyone has managed to get to the end, any advice would be appreciated and thanks for reading!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 PS They have laid us 3 eggs so far! That was very exciting. (They're 22 weeks). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Congratulations on your new chickens! I have kept chickens for 9 years and have never had their wings clipped (or clipped them myself) and I don't know any other chicken-keepers who would do this either. They really cannot fly very high. Usually a wing-assisted hop of about 3-4 feet is the maximum. I don't know how one could scale a 7ft fence - maybe move the house so it cannot be used as a stepping stone? My advice would be not to clip. Covering the run should sort the problem. Diatom - I use Stalosan F or similar which I think is antimicrobial as well as just absorbant/drying. I sprinkle it round the run once a week. I don't put it in their coop - I clean this with a pet-safe disinfectant instead (and occasional anti red mite cleaner). Chickens like to find their own dustbath area (usually in your best flower-bed). They also like to make their way into your kitchen before shaking themselves off... I put recycling boxes half full of compost in their run for them to dustbath in too. Mixed grit should already have oystershell in it. Check and if so, you don't need to buy it separately. I put out baked crushed egg-shells from time to time - excellent free source of calcium. Don't worry about mild pecking - that is just how chickens remind everyone where they stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamrhind Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I have kept chickens for 9 years and have never had their wings clipped (or clipped them myself) and I don't know any other chicken-keepers who would do this either. Now you do. I clip my chickens' wings because their run is not covered, my run fence is only 1 m high and they are adept at using various objects (Eglu secure run roof, window sill, tree branches etc.) to get over it. Clipping does them no harm, is easy to do yourself (there are plenty of videos on YouTube on how to do it) and would save you the bother of covering your run. Though I have to admire how one could get over a 7 foot high fence .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Mine aren't clipped BUT only because they are shut in a run all the time, although I would certainly clip them if they had access to outside. Mine can reach the roof of my run with a good flap when they are frightened and would definitely be over next doors fence if they took off. Clipping their wings doesn't hurt them - it's just like doing your nails. If you want them to stay in your garden I would clip them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I also clip mine - once they are laying they'll be a bit slower but I used to have a Speckledy who could easily fly up to four or five feet - with the house as a launch-pad they'll get further. Clipping is easy, if you look on You Tube you'll find videos. Just remember to only clip one wing - the point is to make them unbalanced and if you clip both it defeats the object. If you're planning to leave your hens out in the run at any point then I recommend that you cover it. A fox will have no difficulty in scaling a 7 foot fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 Thanks for the advice everyone. I think we might clip their wings seeing as we have the house to tree option for escaping! The house can't really be moved far enough away from any of the sides. The Speckledy did use a branch which was tucked into the wire as a bit of a springboard for the 7ft escape - floor to branch to top of wire. That has now been removed! Will watch a few YouTube wing clipping videos tonight. The girls are locked away in their house on a night. Surely they are safe from foxes during daylight hours? We are suburban, surrounded by houses, but do have a few fields and woodland over a main road. I haven't seen or heard any foxes but I know that is no guarantee that they aren't about. The run floor is mainly soil and weeds with a few paving slabs. Would the StalosanF be sprinkled on top of that surface? I have been poo picking daily. Does everyone do that or not? Will check the mixed grit for oyster shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 My mum got 4 new hybrids yesterday and we clipped a wing on each of them. Of mine, only one has ever had a wing clipped. When she first grew her main feathers my little Pekin flew straight up onto a 6 foot fence! We clipped one wing and even after she moulted and regrew her flight feathers she's never tried it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I clipped the wings of my tiny Dutch bantams and she is still able to fly up my shoulder, so I really would clip wings! Once they start laying, they are less mobile and it might not be necessary with the next mould. For the clipping: I use nail clippers for a cat/dog. With normal scissors the feathers tend to slide around. Don't clip any further than the smaller cover feathers. For esthetics you can leave the last two or three feathers on the wingtip. Only do one wing Don't worry, it is really easy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmalou Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Well done so far! My chickens aren't that easy to put away to bed atm and I need to put up some temporary fencing in the run so it means they are nearer the chicken house doors. It is still taking 15 mins to get them in at around 9.30, and this is a week afetr their arrival.I put the diatom in the house and in the run, especially in the areas they are using as dust baths. Sounds like for you are doing great.Takes a while to sort out a routine with both the chickens and you but well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 I just wrote a whole lengthy post and the site crashed. All four ladies took themselves off to bed before 10 o'clock last night. So that was a relief! Dolores was spotted in the tree yesterday. Again, she didn't look overly comfortable with the situation. I went out and scattered some corn into the run and she soon flapped her way down to get some grub. So jobs for today are: 1. use wire to secure area around tree 2. clip wings of Dolores and Adelaide, if not all four birds (I have watched many Youtube videos) 3. buy some Oyster shell I haven't seen the girls eating much of their pellets. I've scattered a few around the feeder so they know where they are, but I haven't seen much eating activity at all. That may be because they ignore the feeder when I am in the run because they are too busy hiding (Margot) or following me for corn (Hetty, Adelaide and Dolores). How much corn are they allowed? I don't want to get fat chickens! I did read that corn should be kept as an afternoon treat so they eat their pellets first. What else can I give them? They have a pecking block hanging up. I have tried kale, cucumber, pea pods, strawberries and carrot peelings (blanched) - all have been tried then ignored. I also gave them a few dried mealworms, which they tried but didn't come running for like the corn! Is it just a case of getting used to new tastes? Two more eggs today - and they are starting to talk to me when I am in the garden, which is lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamrhind Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 I've always read that chickens don't overeat, and they use a lot of energy running around and laying - I don't think you should worry about them getting fat. I give mine a commercial feed (they're not keen on the pellets) which contains all they need, including calcium. They do sift through it to find the best bits and leave the rest to the sparrows. I also give them dried oats, which they love, cooked rice, bread and sweet corn. They will eat the seeds from tomatoes and cucumbers but leave the rest, and will peck at lettuce. They also ignore plants which some sources say are treats, such as dandelions and nettles, but will eat young grass. They free range for 10 to 12 hours per day, so even though they have to compete with wild birds and mice for their feed, basically they're spoiled rotten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmalou Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Ours are the same atm. They are not greedy eaters and whilst they like their carrot tops etc they are not constantly sitting at the feeder. They do peck away at the pellets and the mix I leave on the floor and am sure ey are getting flies in the coop too so don't worry. I am just putting dandelions in when I can find them and they do like their mealworms but I am very sparing with them as they are fattening. They have only had one very small amount in a week as a welcome treat but will not be getting any for a while now. Ours are fussy eaters at the moment and are mainly just happy with their chicken mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 hybrids tend to be a bit fussy at first as they've spent the first 18-20 weeks eating only commercial feed and in most cases have been indoors until they get to the point of sale or their new home go easy on the bread as that can be fattening and it could have to much salt and sugar in it mine get a slice or 2 a couple of times a year tops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I don't usually clip wings and was very proud of the fact the other day. I bought a bantam Poland and the young girl who sold her said shall I clip her wing. I said no, I don't do that, my girls free range and it's their first form of defence against mr fox. Well 2 days later that tiny bird flew to the top of the stable roof and stayed there all night. Then hopped on to a tree and stayed there most of the next day, until she was rescued. Today I clipped her wing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I don't usually clip wings and was very proud of the fact the other day. I bought a bantam Poland and the young girl who sold her said shall I clip her wing. I said no, I don't do that, my girls free range and it's their first form of defence against mr fox. Well 2 days later that tiny bird flew to the top of the stable roof and stayed there all night. Then hopped on to a tree and stayed there most of the next day, until she was rescued. Today I clipped her wing Oooops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 The girls are locked away in their house on a night. Surely they are safe from foxes during daylight hours? We are suburban, surrounded by houses, but do have a few fields and woodland over a main road. I haven't seen or heard any foxes but I know that is no guarantee that they aren't about. Sorry to sound the voice of doom and gloom but if you look at the 'Fox Attacks - what happened' thread you'll see that fox attacks can and do happen in the middle of the day. I've disturbed a fox sleeping in my garden in broad daylight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I've disturbed a fox sleeping in my garden in broad daylight. So have I - on the decking beside our patio door where he had an elevated view of the chicken run! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Oh dear, we had such an eventful morning.... I was going to wing clip yesterday but my husband was ill in bed all day, so we didn't get round to it. Bought the staple gun for the extra wire across the tree too. Last night I went to check the chickens at 9:30 - all present and correct. I left DH to check them at bedtime. When I woke this morning, I watched the door open at the correct time (6:30am) - we have an automatic opener. At around 7, I went out to take the chickens their food, only to find Margot pecking around completely alone! As you can imagine I was frantic. Turns out DH's 'checking' had involved him seeing the closed door of the hen house and hearing some clucks from inside - no counting of chickens Thankfully when we opened the garden gate (we have a 8ft wall round the garden, with a wooden gate) there were Hetty, Adelaide and Dolores standing in a row across the road We managed to corral them back into the garden and then into the run. I'm just so pleased it was early in the morning before the roads got busy as I think Dolores especially would've been spooked by the traffic. I really thought they'd be goners after being out all night. Thank goodness we got them back safely, my heart is in my mouth just thinking about it. What a very important lesson learnt! In other (less traumatic) news, I am still concerned that they are ignoring their pellets. I have weighed their feeder and will weigh it again later to check. The pellets are Marriages Organic layers. Should I add water and mash some up? Or will I never get them back on to the pellet shape if I do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Crikey - that's a miraculous escape! Honestly - if they are pecking around and looking healthy and happy, I wouldn't worry about the feed. There's no known case of chickens going on hunger strike! As soon as they start laying, you'll find their food intake increases dramatically- in fact it's when you find the feeder is unexpectedly empty that you'll know they're about to lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Thanks Olly. They are laying already. We've had 8 eggs since we got them on Sunday afternoon. I am feeling reassured about the pellets though. They have gone down a little, just not at the rate I thought. I did get them a small pot of mint yesterday which they devoured. Hurray! I have found something they like (other than corn). They are ignoring the apple and millet I have hung up for them. I have some VermX pellets. Presumably I need to worm them sooner rather than later. If they aren't eating their pellets, how do I ensure that they are eating the VermX? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 The girls are locked away in their house on a night. Surely they are safe from foxes during daylight hours? We are suburban, surrounded by houses, but do have a few fields and woodland over a main road. I haven't seen or heard any foxes but I know that is no guarantee that they aren't about. Sorry to sound the voice of doom and gloom but if you look at the 'Fox Attacks - what happened' thread you'll see that fox attacks can and do happen in the middle of the day. I've disturbed a fox sleeping in my garden in broad daylight. I foiled a fox attack a 4pm on a Friday afternoon back in April more by luck than anything else it was less than 5 foot from at least 4 of my lot at the time I saw it from the upstairs window We used to get more foxes on this part of the estate in the daytime than at night before the mange outbreak in the late 80's early 90's than we do know but I still have my lot back in the run a hour before dusk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Right, we did it! We clipped their wings. It was easier than expected - the most difficult thing was sneaking up on Dolores and Margot. Obviously we do have to rethink the run security re. foxes. Presumably a fox would be able to scale the 7ft garden wall? At the moment they are in an L-shaped run accessible only via our garden wall, or over the garden gates (standard 6ft something size). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadieatthebridge Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Spoke too soon! Just went out to check the girls - 3 safely in the hen house, one large Speckledy in the tree. Gah! DH arrived home just in the nick of time though, and we were able to poke her out of the tree and lift her into bed with minimum fuss. Will definitely be stapling some wire across the tree tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
