Warm boot recommendations please

[Shirl]

As a very newbie chicken keeper I thought I'd let you know the highs and low of my first month.

 

Well having the 3 girls was a slow start. They spent most of the time within 3 ft of their run and as we had put them in the bottom half on the garden it meant we didn't see them. After 3 weeks we moved them onto the grass nearer the house. The girls became more adventurous and we got to know them better.

 

A month after getting the first 3 I bought 2 more chooks. These 2 are about 7/8 months and have laid within a couple of days of arriving. Being much bigger than our youngsters their poos are enourmous and smelly so I've decided I don't want them on the grass afterall

 

My 2 newbie chooks need their wings clipping so I've booked them at the vets to be done but they can't do them for another week. George has spent 2 nights in the trees in our garden and seems to quite like it because she doesn't like going to sleep in the Eglu It does mean I've chatted to my neighbour about our chickens and it turns out that she'd love to keep some but is worried about rats. Her uncle once owned a poultry farm so at least she's not bothered by them.

 

All in all it's been a steep learning curve but on the whole quite enjoyable. I'm already considering getting a cube because I'd like a couple of wyanadottes (sp?).

 

If you've got to the end of my ramblings then thanks

[Egluntyne]

Garlic powder, available from Equine suppliers or Bokashi bran, added to their food really does help to keep the pongs down.

 

Rats: I had a problem last year. I now keep baited stations around the garden and haven't seen a problem at all this year. (Touch wood!)

 

I also took a tip from my neighbour whose father kept chickens, when adding either poo or foodstuff to the compost heap, cover it with a layer of earth.....it will help stop the rats smelling the food in the bin. Last year my 2 bins definitely had rats in them....this year I have not been aware of any.

 

If you convince your neighbour that she needs an Eglu, Omlet will give you a present I believe.

[moochoo]

Sounds like an eventful few weeks. Can I ask why you don't clip your own girls wings? It's very easy and free! There's photos of how to do it on the Omlet site.

Anyway glad they're settled and that your getting eggs already.

[Shirl]

I'm very sqeamish like that. I clip my dogs nails but only the white ones The dogs with black nails go to the grooming parlour to get done. I might attempt it next time but it's only going to cost about £12 total so I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

 

I am going to have to get garlic powder because I've got some really stinky girls

[Guest]

Glad to hear your introductions went well Shirl, you have 5 bantams in an Eglu? You will need a cube soon. You can come and visit mine when it arrives but will still only have 3 chickens in it as I don't plan to get more girls till the spring - I want to see how much damage they do to a waterlogged winter lawn first.

[Shirl]

There's loads of room in it. I think the constraining factor is when they're all laying there might be a queue for the nest.

 

I'm off to see Paul & Helen's cube tomorrow so I can make a decision whether to get one or not. If I decide against getting one we'll just build a large run and maybe put the Eglu on a platform so they can run underneath like the cube. I think I would like a purple cube though.