[retribution]

ok i have ordered my flubenvet and frontline spot on for cats 3 pack ( any idea how much to use on each girl?)

Then from another supplier i have also ordered my beak clips (just incase) poultry shield and diatom and the barrier powder. will get the wall paper scraper from a diy store.


Do i also need the nettex disinfectent solution ( for feeders) or would i be better off getting Viratec-P Disinfectant as this says it does the house too ?

i have the oyster shell do i have to get the grit also to do a mix ? still need to get a grit hopper but not a major worry.

also aloe vera purple spray or net tex anti peck spray

i dont think i have missed anything, feels like i am setting up my own poultry supplys company here

sorry if i have passed on the head ache but after all this searching my head feels like it is going to explode

[joyfull]

oyster shell is for the calcium to make good strong shells, grit is to help them grind their feed up so you need both. Purple spray disguises any redness as chickens will peck anything red. Get some wound powder to help stop any bleeding, but if you are struggling then cornflour will act as a stop gap. For disinfecting and cleaning feeders I use Vanodine V18 and in wet weather for the coop I use a powder disinfectant called Stalosan F.

[PaulineM]

Hi
Its amazing the amount of stuff you end up with when you start out! 
Instead of buying a grit hopper why not try using an old plastic flower pot with drainage holes? I use one and I just put wire through the bottom and attach it to the wire mesh of the run. The holes allow any rain to run through. Good luck 

[Oakdalebirds]

Hello

I also agree its so easy to overspend in the first few months thinking " I need one of those" and "Oh i havnt got that" but as long as your hens are fed good food ,have a safe warm place to sleep and clean water i do believe you will be fine !

If you work out all the initial costs your first egg works out at around £400 poundbut my god its the best egg ever

[ehs284]

All our eggs have cost £400 each.

[New shoot]

Keep calm  A lot of what you are buying will last for ages or are 'just in case' supplies.  Keeping your set up clean will prevent a whole load of problems so starting with a good regime and the products you have mentioned is going to pay off big time.

Once you get into a routine of this and providing the daily water/feed/grit rations you will stop even thinking about it and just enjoy having your birds honest 

I bet when you get your first egg you are posting on here shouting yippee 

[tobert51]

I am the same, have spent a fortune on my ladies, including corrugated plastic to cover roof and sides of chicken coop during the winter months, and all manor of lotions and potions.  When I got my first egg I was so sad that I took a picture of it and texted it to all my friends even though some of them couldn't understand the fuss I made over an egg.  Funny thing was, because I knew who laid it, I couldn't eat it and took me a month to get over that, but have to say they do taste the best and I know that my hens are happy and well looked after.  Even though I worry constantly about them due to my lack of knowledge.  Getting up to let them out at 7am every morning, making them porridge when we had the bad snow and frost to keep them warm and checking their water every hour when I was off work to make sure it hadn't frozen solid and when back at work made my mum do the same.

Have to say though, they give me the best entertainment and are addictive!

[joyfull]

One of the most important things to sort out is a poultry friendly vet. Don't wait until you are desperate.