Hi everyone,
I have recently got 4 17week chickens and I think they are great.
Should have taken the plunge sooner. I am probably being impatient but am wondering if there is something I should be doing to encourage the chickens out of the coop. The chickens have a coop with an attached run. For the first week I was advised to keep them confined to the coop and run which I did. I have now been leaving the run open for several days so the they can come into the garden but they are still generally staying in the coop most of the time. Should I lock them out of the coop to encourage them into the garden or is this something they will do more of over time.
I could also do with some advice regarding grit. I am currently feeding them on a mix of layers pellets and mixed corn. When should I introduce grit???
Thanks and look forward to keeping in touch. Its true they are addictive (the chickens that is) My wife said yesterday she is now competing with 4 chickens as well as a 2,3 and 4yr old for attention!!
Mike