[FCG]

Dont know about 6am tomorrow, supposedly storms are going to hit where i live with 65mph gales and torrential rain.

Even a chicken will want to stay indoors!

[Vember]

We're on for 75mph gusts so if the winds in the right direction you might end up with some of my girls LOL

Congrats on the girls, lovely looking birds.
You'll get nothing else done now, just spending your time watching them, it's great  




Vember

[poultrygeist]

Dont know about 6am tomorrow, supposedly storms are going to hit where i live with 65mph gales and torrential rain.

Even a chicken will want to stay indoors!

You'd be surprised what they go out in for the sake of some grass and worms !

If you build a shelter they'll happily sit on top of it  :roll:

Rob  

[FCG]

I'll build them a shelter to wonder under tomorrow. Unfortunately i have to go to gibsons mill tomorrow for feeders & drinkers. I still haven't popped in the roosting bars. But they had a feed and a drink and now they are asleep.

Weirdly the largest of them (Tarbuck) is the most skittish! Millie and Susie will not separate and literally feed side by side and wander round... side by side.

A side note, they don't seem to be liking their layers pellets. They had a few before i shut them up and a bit of loose bird feed i had as a treat. They where drinking but still wary in my presence. But by god, the grass is vanishing. They don't have a proper grit pile yet (just some sand) should i be worried?

Anyway i'm off to bed. I have to start getting up 4 hours earlier  :shock:

[poultrygeist]

Don't panic overly.

Set your own routine to suit yourself and them equally. We'd all be up at sunrise if they had their way but we can just about manage 6.

Some let them out at 8, some as late as 10, though I think ours would be tunnelling by that time.

Good luck with it. And make it a pleasure, rather than a chore. Remember you need to sustain the commitment 365 days so don't wear yourself out before Autumn !  

Rob  

[Poolfield2]

My girls have to cope with weekdays at 8.00 and weekends at 9.00 but I just take the batteries out of their watches and they are fine  

[Porffor]

my chooks are lazy.... I let them out at 7.30 on weekdays and if i get a lie in at 8am at the weekend.. this depends on whether my human girls wake late or not.. never later than 8am in our house! lol

They are never making noise till i walk up the garden path and then it's general chatting to me so don't think they mind.
I don't let htem out ealier even if i'm up as i'm worried about foxes (fields at the back of us) and the dogs scan the garden before i let them out.. just in case we have a fox waiting!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Congratulations!!! They're beautiful! I'm sure you will have a lovely time with them. I wouldn't worry about them not liking their pellets, they don't like sudden changes in their diet but they will get used to them. Think they will always prefer the grass though
Where is Gibsons mill? I have been looking for a local supplier but tend to shop on line for chook related stuff. Just wondering if there was somewhere local that I had missed.

[Ruby Red]

Hi, ours are let out at 8 oclock, to help them stay asleep we throw a tarpaulin over the coop. This helps a lot.It also helps with keeping the coop dry and warm.  

[Ruby Red]

Hi, ours are let out at 8 oclock, to help them stay asleep we throw a tarpaulin over the coop. This helps a lot.It also helps with keeping the coop dry and warm.  

[FCG]

This is their website kate: Here

Now for the closeups i missed yesterday!


Minnie

Tarbuck & Sue


Sue


There we go done, babs won't kill me now. As you can see, they are now eating the pellets. All the usual garden birds are completely mystified at what these large additions are.
Just a quick question before i go shooting off to Gibsons, what exactly is utterly essential that i should buy right now? And i can get either 1.5kg of grit with oyster shell for £3 or 25kg for £16 which should i choose?

Ps- thanks for that tip ruby, i have a large tarp i think i can use for that purpose.

[poultrygeist]

You're doing a grand job.

If you can store 25kg with ease, the economy is far better. But 3kg is a lot easier to handle and will still last a few weeks/months.

Have you got anything for mites ?

Either red mite powder as a deterrant.
Diatom or similar will kill mites and eggs.

Both in powder form and liberally dusted about.

Would suggest either/or but diatom is better if you can afford it and find it.

We use basic red mite powder and touch wood, haven't been visited yet !  

Rob  

[compostqueen]

Grit is included in the layers pellets so that would save you a few bob not having to buy an extra

They look great by the way. I have one like your ginger un    Get those roosting bars up sharpish  

[Porffor]

oh i hadn't realised layers includes grit! bought 10k for £3 or so.

Your 'tarbuck' looks like my Scarlet Lovely looking chooks and glad they are settling in nicely.

[Vember]

I always leave grit & oyster shell down even though they have layers for breakie