[Henlady]

I've just had an email today saying my hens will be available tomorrow.  So excited  thought I was going  to have to wait until Easter.  The house is ready and I am so excited.  Need to go and get food and bedding for them tomorrow morning.   Planning on using hemcorp  in the house and maybe straw in the boxes, depending on what the breeder says.

Any suggestions as to what else I need. I am going to get some purple spray, worm treatment and mite  powder.

[beulah59]

grit?
egg boxes?!

Enjoy!

[Foxy]

How exciting!!!What sort of hens are you getting??

[joyfull]

How great don't forget to take photos of them 

[karlooben]

well done , cant wait to see the piccies  the list of what u need is never ending 

[ali2]

You'll soon be hooked !!!   We've had our chickens since October ...Hubby's project more than mine, to me a chicken was just a chicken but they soon bcome part of the family .and can't imagine life without them now.

Funny though ...hubby's idea ...hubby's chickens ....but guess who does most of the cleaning out ..yep,  moi !   But have to admit I even quite like doing that in a funny sort of way !!

However avoid feeding them from the back door if they are free range as ours now appear from nowhere as soon as the back door opens...we shall fence them off in the summer months at the end of the garden otherwise am sure they will keep coming indoors if we leave the back door open .   Quite a funny site seeing them half run half fly to the back door.

[grumpydad]

use hemcore throughout, not straw, it is easier to keep clean, and great in a nest box.

straw can harbour mould if it gets damp.

[mjd]

Don't forget a frying pan for all the tasty eggs 

[bellagirl]

Hope all went well for you today. I was thinking about you because we had the same adventure.  Have fun and give us an update. I would love to Know.

[Henlady]

We got 4 a light and black sussex, bluebell and speckledy.  Had a 90 minute drive home with them as couldn't get any locally.  Got back just after 5 and put them in the house, just been out to check (1945) and all 4 are on the same perch, can't wait to let them out in the morning.  They are just 15 weeks old so a while before I get any eggs.  We even got a mention on Radio 2 as daughter sent in a text to them on the journey home.

We are finishing off the extended  run tomorrow and I plan to let them free range in the garden when I am here but wondering if it would be stupid to let them out in the day while I'm out.  We are out in the country and I do see hens wandering about so I think foxes are controlled by the farmers.  Does anyone else let theirs out?  I don't have or plan to have electric fencing.

[janet12000]

Congratulations on getting the hens 
Totally up to you, but personally I would only let them free range when you are about to keep an eye on them.
Good luck! 

[ali2]

We had another pen built around the coop so they have an area of 15 x 18 ft to roam around when we want to keep them shut up but they are mostly free ranging the garden..however having the taste of the garden they are not too keen on being cooped up for long in this as after a short while  they start pacing up and down by the gate itching to get out..they are not daft are they chickens... I try to tell them that a lot of chickens would be very happy to live in the pen they've got but they won't listen !!

[Henlady]

woke up to snow this morning, but we finished extending the run.  The hens hadn't come out of the house so I put them in the run and they sat under the house watching us.  They have had a couple of walks a round but none have worked out how to go up the ladder into the house.  Will they work it out before tonight or will I have to crawl under there and get them?  The kids have the camera and video ready in case mum makes a fool of herself later on.

[bellagirl]

SNAP! Henlady, you could have written for me too. Ours did'nt want to come out in the snow and cold even though their runs covered. I have cozy coop bedding and it lived up to its name and they curtainly did look very cosy sitting in looking out at us.. My hubby and I certainly were not! So we had to lift them out into the run after 3hrs. I was so worried because they would'nt eat or drink since they arrived. But once in the run, Polly lead the way and a feeding frenzy began. So, our secret weapon for 2nite is the torch in the coop. As last nite we were on our knees under the coop! Good Luck

[Henlady]

Does the light attract them in?  I did put a bit of food on the ladder, hoping one or more would eat their way up and attract the others.  One did eat the food but from the side.