[nickiit2003]

Hubby and I have just purchased our first coop so will be busy over the winter building the coop and making a run.

We will also be purchasing everything we need over the winter and hopefully going to visit a few places that supply poultry to decide where we will purchase our chooks from.

Now will all the various products out there are is there any particular ones that you swear by, be it feed stuff, vitamins, ACV, red mite treatment, wormers etc?

[walker]

Hi congratulations
Your one step closer to having your chucks you'll never look back.
Our chucks aren't brand savvy when it comes to layer pellets they eat all different suppliers brands.
For worming I use flubenvet wouldn't use anything else,I also put a clove or two of garlic in with their drinking water and poultry spice for winter months. For cleaning the coop / hen house I use jeyes fluid,diatom and Barrier Red Mite Concentrate.
Hope this helps.

[nickiit2003]

Could anybody please advise about what to keep in first aid kit for chooks, ta.

[joyfull]

purple spray (for disguising redness), wound powder (in case the skin is torn and blood has been drawn), flubenvet (for worming), diatom (to use in their coops and in their dust baths), poultry shield for wooden housing (to help the fight against red mites), coxoid (just in-case they suffer with a coccidiosis outbreak), vanodine v18 (for disinfecting), germaloids (in-case a prolapse has occurred) and most importantly the contact number of your vets.

[nickiit2003]

thanks walker and joyfull   

[noshed]

I would recommend John and Cara's book as well - I haven't got any chickens and it's quite scary how much I know now I've read the book!
http://www.allotment-garden.org/book/backgarden-chickens.php

[kegs]

As you put your coop together give it a good coating of slurry to prevent red mite.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=81422.0

I also keep a child's paintbrush with my purple spray as it's much easier to apply that way.

Frontline pupply strength from your vet for lice
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=5250.0

More than one feeder and drinker incase of pecking order problems, and ACV can't go in metal drinkers.

Enjoy yourselves.  :blink:

[nickiit2003]

ok, so now i feel a bit dumb for asking some of my questions as I've just found the FAQ's on here  hope i'm forgiven, lol.

anyways i would like to know about using cross cut shredded paper as i have plenty access to old newspapers and my hubby is in need of a new shredder (might get him one for Christmas, lol). would any size do?