Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: newchickenkeeper on June 20, 2013, 10:32
-
Thought I would add some pictures of my new girls. Got them on Tuesday and they are settling great - I LOVE how nosey that are :). Please ignore allthe weeds in the fower bed lol, obvisouly I am not a very good gardener :)
-
They are lovely.
Dont worry about the weeds, the chickens will soon sort them out, probably take all you plants as well though :D
-
What lovely girls. They will help you with weeding but it would be best to pull up the long grasses as it can cause impacted crop.
I will pop this on Chicken Chat. ;)
-
:ohmy: impacted crop! I never new this - thank you for mentioning - I will go and remove this now. Any grass over say 2 inches do you think?
-
They are lovely - you will find yourself spending ages just watching them. :)
-
:ohmy: impacted crop! I never new this - thank you for mentioning - I will go and remove this now. Any grass over say 2 inches do you think?
They like to nip the tops of newly growing grass so best to have it short and they will maintain it for you. It ends up in a tangled ball and blocks the crop otherwise. ;)
-
My girls have been out all morning "mowing" the lawn for me - they keep it lovely and short and deal with those annoying seed heads that the mower won't cut - plus they "manure" the lawn as they go. Between them and the wild baby rabbit that has taken up residence in the garden, our lawn doesn't need mowing these days... ::)
-
Speaking of 'maintaining' the grass I found a rather large dropping in my kitchen, quite like that they have come into the house although give me a week and it will be a different story lol.
Had a real laugh with them before. They have really come out of themselves now. I was having something to eat outside and one leapt on me, stole the food and ran off :) I do like a bit of cheek
They have been sleeping on the floor so I have lifted them and put them on a perch together. One was making purring sound? I am hoping that was a happy sound but not sure. I went out to check 20 mins later and they are still on there all tucked in so they seem happier up there
-
And Springlands - you are quite right. I have been in and out every 5 minutes just to 'check' on them, even though I can see quite clearlyfrom my window in the home office that they are fine lol
-
Could I ask also - I am having a chicken house built, they have one already but I want a better one. I notice some have windows and some dont. Do they prefer darkness or a window? Thanks
-
The purring sound means that they are contented. I prefer hen houses without Windows - partly because the hens do not wake quite so early during the summer. Enjoy your chicken watching. :)
-
Brilliant thanks Springlands :) They have a window at the moment but seen so many houses you can buy without windows. I personally would prefer to wake up with some natural light so sure they do too :) - windows it is
-
If you have a window and a fox is around it could spook your hens and the same with fireworks. My first coop had a window so I painted over it.
-
Chickenkeeper - I was trying to say that a hen house without windows was much better - the hens do not wake up so early and as ANHBUC said it also makes them feel safer.
-
Arrrrsorry, misunderstood. Thought you meant you liked them noisy :)
Right, will have a rethink. At the moment I have welded mesh with a fake bit of glass over (plastic glass, cna't think what it's called). But can easily have this covered as still in build stage.
I did wonder about getting spooked so will have that covered without a doubt.
That leads to me re-look at the ventilation. How do you have yours ventilated? I am thinking of either small holes at the top on either side or putting a little vent in (one that blows around) but am worried about them getting cold?
-
Oh no - deffo no early starts - we used to have a boy bird who used to crow at 4 in the morning during the summer - and I was working then - I was not amused. :lol:
I would advise you not to use one of those circular vents - they can be noisy and if it was very windy it could spook the hens.
We do not have specific ventilation holes in our hen house - it faces away from the prevailing and there is a slight gap where the door closes - enough for the hens to get plenty of air but not enough that they get draughts. As you say some people have small holes at the top or sides of their runs - you do not need to worry too much about them getting cold their feathers keep them warm - you just need to avoid having too many draughts.
-
BRilliant thanks SPringlands. I will leave as it I think. There is a very slight gap in either door, literally milimeters but enough to provide air and a very slight circulation of air.
There is a boy lives at the back of me on the farm and he is soooo loud haha. Quite a nice sound though and I can't hear him from the bedroom which is handy. He's took an interest in my girls but hasn't attempted the fence or anything. They have showed no interest in him whatsoever :)