Nervous Chicken Owner

[Hans Mum]

friday is D day (should that be C day???) i'm picking up 2 POL just to get me going until the next ex-bat rescue in my area, and i wanted a little bit of experience before i get them. anyway reading the threads over the last few days i'm having sleepless nights about keeping them. I've got the house which i've put on paving slaps with a run attached which is on grass. i intend to let them free range around the garden when we're about but when at work or out confine them to the run. Does this sound ok for them? am really anxious about mr or mrs fox but what else should i be aware of? Also do i really need to buy special feeders or will the metal dogs bowls ive got suffice? ive also got a litter tray which i was going to let them use as a 'bath' if i put a mixture of kiddies play sand and earth in it will that be ok? anything else i should be thinking of??? sorry for all the questions but i wasnt as nervous as this when i became a mum to DD

[hooraynana]

It sounds like you are well prepared hans mum !
Proper feeders are good if you are away for a day - but most of the time mine just eat out of bowls or i scatter their feed on the lawn and they have to forage for it.
You might find that the chickens snub the dust bath and create their own one in what was probably your most favourite flowerbed. mine are currently rooting up lily bulbs out of pots
They are very easy to look after for the most part and are very rewarding pets
Good luck with your new hens oh and beware its a very addictive thing keeping chucks!

[Nicos]

It's good to be concerned- it means you want the best for your new babies!

As you know I'm a newby so can't give much advice- but these are my thoughts...

Free ranging when you're there and in the run when not is lovely- much better than confined all day . How secure is the run- could a fox dig under or turn it over?

I have a bowl and a special feeder. The bowl is often plopped in and wastes food. I have the hanging feeder and that's supposed to be difficult for rats to get at and doesn't spill.

I used a litter try as a sandpit/dust bath and it keeps tipping over when they stand on the edges- and they plopped in it!

My water container is one with a rim and upsidedown plastic plantpot reservoir which means they have a constant supply of water, but it's on the floor and the chooks kick shavings into it . I like the idea of those bunny water bottles and may try them when the frost weather is over.

You need to do what suits you best I suppose- but whatever you do is better than stuck in a cage all day and then being killed!

How exciting- you'll love having them!

[lynda66]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ned_23978.html have a look at that too, some good ideas for keeping them entertained whilst in their run .... after having my babies for a couple of weeks now, all i can say is, they kick shavings everywhere, poop in their food, make loads of noise, and fight over the tasty morsels ...... you'll be fine lol

[Hans Mum]

[url] they kick shavings everywhere, poop in their food, make loads of noise, and fight over the tasty morsels ...... you'll be fine lol

sounds like my hubby youve got there linda not chicks cept he doesnt poop IN his food

& thanks veryone for your advice xx

[lynda66]

they don't snore either ...... oh yeah, they poop on each others heads too, when one is on the perch and one is laid underneath, they suddenly wake up and look horrified, then go back to sleep.

[vicky]

It all sounds great!
Re metal bowl for food, it will get knocked over and if food is left in the run overnight it could attract rats/mice.
If you give water in a bowl they'll knock it over too, however a water dish seems easier to break the ice on than a proper drinker, so maybe a really heavy dish/one with a brick in?
Good luck, you must be really excited!!!

[janeyo]

Mine eat play sand! They think it's a real treat lol.
makde sure it's covered if it's wet or they won't be able to bathe in it. They will prob find their own spot somewhere to bathe in.
I was terrified of chickens before we got ours but they are cute, funny and great pets. I still don't like it when they flap at me though, lol

janeyo

[Suechooks]

Proper feeders are much better. The chooks will just scratch the food everywhere and tip over the dish as well as pooping in it! I use drinkers with legs which stop them getting soil etc in. If you turn them upside down and loosen the base at night it's easier to defrost in the morning as it's not all frozen together (I put mine in the straw in the run to insulate it). I hang the feeder on a chain and hook then raise it at night so Ratty can't get it.
If you've buried some netting around the run it should stop foxes.
Don't worry as long as they're dry and fed and watered chooks are resilient little beings! You'll very soon be as addicted as the rest of us and wonder how you survived without them! Good luck!

[MaureenHall]

I've got 2 feeders for my lot, ones that can't be tipped over by them or pooped in! I bring them indoors at night just in case there's any rats about. They have their water from a bucket. I did start off with a proper water thingy, but like others have noticed, it gets dirty really quickly and I had to keep filling it every few hours too, not good when I'm out for the day. The bucket is fine, it's the right height for them, they don't fall in, and the water stays (reasonably) clean

Good luck with your new girls, you'll be fine!!

[Flummery]

If you want to give apple cider vinegar (and it's a good thing to give it - it helps to deter worms and other gut problems) in the water, make sure you use a plastic not a galvanised water container.

[Glutton4...]

I got to the pannick stage a couple of days before collecting my first Chooks too, but I hadn't even put their coop together then!

I splashed out on expensive galvanised water hoppers which I fill with rainwater, and I only have to check them every two weeks. Hopefully they'll last for ever. The plastic water dish at the bottom is easy to clean, and ideal for putting Apple Cider Vinegar and/or crushed garlic cloves in. They're quite easy to unfreeze in the mornings.

As for feed bowls, I have two stainless steel bowls I had in the kitchen, that I never used. Now I've got more Chooks I've nicked one of the dog's big heavy ceramic ones, which is great coz they can't tip it over. I always bring the dishes in at night, just in case, as we regularly get visits from rabbits/deer/foxes, and I can't afford to feed them too.

As the others have said; Beware, it IS addictive. You will end up with double the amount you originally wanted.

Good luck...

[MaureenHall]

As the others have said; Beware, it IS addictive. You will end up with double the amount you originally wanted.

Good luck...

Only double? Last January I was vaguely thinking about 3. Then Jamie and Hugh did their Food Fight programmes and I decided on 4 ex-battery. Booked my 4 and went to collect them - came back with 6. Since then, I've rescued another 4, had 4 as a birthday present (POL's) and 2 more ex-battery as a Christmas present. That makes a total of 16, but sadly 3 of the ex-batts died during the year so I'm "down" to 13 now. Me an addict? Errrrm, yes I think I must be

[terrier]

I use old pans that have passed their sell by date from the kitchen. They're high enough and heavy enough to not be tipped over or be pooped in. I just discovered tonight that chooks like beet. I was feeding the horses and had just mixed up some beet with hot water. I poured a little into one of their pans and they devoured the lot in double quick time. I just hope the chooks don't start neighing

[lizzylemon]

I've had mine about 3 weeks now and starting to feel a little less worried - mine was worms (which I've just tackled) and mites (summer probably) that got me freaking.

Anywho, I got a kitten pack for £1.70 from a very well known supermarket, put the little mouse thing & bowls in the bluecross box and use the litter tray for a dustbath and fill it up with cold ashes from our fire every couple of days or so when they're in their run & use the pooperscooper for scooping....well....poo! They do a LOT of that. But they are real fun to watch and get friendly quite quickly, especially for overripe tomatoes.