[lucyeff]

Mornin everyone! I've just had an email to say we have to collect our chickens soon as the people we're getting them from are leaving for the Shetland Islands next week... So seeing as I can't do owt with the coop, I'm trying to get the food and stuff together.

We're on a really tight budget (/overdraft   ) so I've been having a quick look at the GJW Titmuss site as they seem really cheap. I was gonna get their Allen & Page Layers pellets as a 20kg bag is £6.50, which is far cheaper than the other sites.  I know I need grit and oyster shell from reading these pages, how much should this be costing?

Do I need corn too? The Titmuss website says so (I guess they would, lol!) but if it's not essential I won't bother at the mo. If so, how much do you all pay on average?

Then there's the medical kit...should I invest in red mite powder now as a preventative measure do you think? I have pots of sudocream all over the place, and petroleum jelly for the babies, which is a bonus! Is there anything else you'd get just in case?

I was gonna use hemcore and straw for the coop, they'll be on concrete in the run and I'd seen bark/wood chippings recommended, what do you think'd be best?

Sorry if that's lots of questions...I'm panicking a bit as we're not quite ready and we're skinter than skint this month (again!) but I want to make sure we're prepared. I know you all have a wealth of info so I hope you don't mind me picking your brains. I'm googling into oblivion and getting very confused/information overload!!!

Thank you in advance, sorry for typos but left handed typing with baby asleep on right arm, it's gone a bit dead!!

flustered Luce  :?

[WG.]

leaving for the Shetland Islands next week

Not the best time of year to be moving to Shetland!  Dark nights, 10-day gales ...

I hope they've seen it at its best too - 20 hours or more of sunshine per day around midsummer.

[muntjac]

get the layers . sack oestra ( oyster shell ) will last 3 yrs so buy now at £6.
grit depends on what they call grit .its got to be non sea shell grit .small bits quartz etc is grit £4 sack

 ferget the bedding other than a small bale straw .£2.50

 hay for egg boxes ( you can buy a small bag for pennies )

diatom for the mites £7
 total cost £ 19.50

 now about feed containers and water drinkers ?.hot water bottles and vick to rub on thier chests if it gets cold      gotta love a new momma lolo

[lucyeff]

Great stuff. Just phoned a local feed shop and he's reasonable so I'll get along there.

Got the feeder (a plastic trough one) and drinker (one of those pop bottle ones that hang on the run) from Ebay (cheapest from Portugal, oddly!).

Have got Vicks and hot water bottle....what tog rating dya think for the quilt?  

The freecycle people we're getting them from said they're vaccinated as they're from a commercial farmer, dunno what that's against though..I'm guessing salmonella, but wouldn't like to try guess what else.

I'm neurotic with the kids as it is, the last thing my nerves need is the chickens karking it cos I've forgotten something important...my old boss killed his mum's budgie cos he thought that the stuff all over the floor was food so he didn't bother feeding it while she was away for 2 wks (it was sand and grit).    :shock: Then there was my hamster that went into hibernation (or so I thought, til it started to smell... :oops: )

Looks like the prevous owners will be in for some readjusting when they get to the Shetland Islands...I'm sure it'll STILL be nicer than Wakefield on a good day (esp these days)  :roll:  I'd move tomorrow if I had the energy (and money, etc...)  

Thanks again, Munty you're the Poultry King! (My sister once had Chicken Princess at the local Brewsters, not sure if that's a relative, lol!)

Much Less Flustered Luce  

[muntjac]

chicken princess? ... was she young n single?

[Bodger]

Even cheaper still would be to go and get the grit and the shell from off the beach

[muntjac]

Even cheaper still would be to go and get the grit and the shell from off the beach

not here mate ,it would kill the birds with the pollution  we get  :roll:

[Sadgit]

for bedding I would go for hemcore.. a huge bag/bale cost me £7 i have used maybe 1/4 of it in the last 2 months ... it is brilliant stuff and easy to pick the poo off as it soaks up the wetness rather quickly.

It maybe more expensive, but in the long run cheaper.. in my opinion..

[Aunt Sally]

they'll be on concrete in the run and I'd seen bark/wood chippings recommended, what do you think'd be best?

If they are on a concrete run then they will need a deep layer to prevent them hurting their feet.  What you use is your choice.  I use bark which is nice for digging in.  I know people who use hemcore (aubiose) an find it perfect but on concrete I think your need a good 5" deep for them.

[muntjac]

i forget about the concrete floor .id go with any of the suggestions  including straw as i did a deep pile  biggest sheds they had earth floors  and i put 10 small bales in the floor void , lasted for ages  

[lucyeff]

Thanks folks!  

I'm a bit worried about the floor of the run cos if it rains, it would nadge hemcore and maybe straw, and bark chippings would get soggy? Would we have to replace it? Si'll make a cover for the run but I doubt it'd be 100% weatherproof otherwise they'd be boil in the bag (hmmmmm :idea:    ).

We don't have any grass (huge farmers fields behind..but no grass ere!) so we're stuck with the concrete. Am I worrying over nowt? (as usual.........)
 :oops:

[muntjac]

the chippings only need replacing once a month in the run depending on how many birds ya have ,,6 leave it longer, 12 stick to the month

[Aunt Sally]

the chippings only need replacing once a month in the run depending on how many birds ya have ,,6 leave it longer, 12 stick to the month

They make an excellent mulch  

[lucyeff]

Do you mean the kacky ones would make an excellent mulch Aunt Sally? We're waiting to get an allotment with a couple of chaps in our street so that'd go down well,   it'd seem a shame to just chuck em away when we'd cleaned the run out.

They did want me to wait til we got the allotment to get the chickens, but we want to be able to see them when we look out of the window and for the kids to be able to stare at them whe they fancy, I'm pretty sure there will be more for the allotment when it happens (and perhaps a couple of goats...that's my next plan... ).

We're only getting 3 ISA browns to start off with, they've been kept outside in a run (no coop) and brought inside (I daren't ask WHERE inside)  when it's raining or too cold  :shock: The coop is 4ftx4ft so I think there will be room for more if it all goes well.  

Thanks again for your advice. I've phoned a tree surgeon who is oop t'road from me - and keeping ym fingers crossed he'll take pity and let us have the chippings for nowt. Worth a try..

[Aunt Sally]

Do you mean the kacky ones would make an excellent mulch Aunt Sally?

I've phoned a tree surgeon who is oop t'road from me - and keeping ym fingers crossed he'll take pity and let us have the chippings for nowt. Worth a try..

I use bark chipping in my run and always used the old ones as a mulch or put on the compost heap.

Hard wood chippings would not be good for the chooks feet as they are splintery.  Soft wood shavings would be OK