[Feeb]

if i feed them pellets, do i need to feed them chicken grit too?  how can i stop redlice? that seems to be a bigg problem and we have a big wooden shed should i treat it with something before they turn up or will they be fine?

Thanks again guys and yesh i promise to take extra good care of my chickens

[GrannieAnnie]

Don't think too harshly of us Feeb, it's just that we think a lot of our chickens, even though to some of us, they are kept for egg laying , or we eat them, but they all have as good a life as I can give them first!   

Oh, the grit is just to help them grind up their food in their crop.  OUrs spend a lot of time rummaging in their runs, so we don't usually get grit, they soemtimes need some extra calcium in the form of crushed oystershell if their eggs get a bit thin or soft shelled.

You didn't tell me why you wanted a nipple drinker?

Oh and you may not get red mite, but keep an eye on all the cracks and crevasses in your shed!  they are VERY small and only really come out at night unless disturbed!

[Feeb]

well we have tarpulined the bottom of the shed for easy cleaning, we will be putting down some newspaper in there too and also some nice straw in the laying boxes for them

I cant wait to show you guys the pictures of what Liam has been doing, hes been working really hard

I read that nipple feeders are best to stop the birds from defecating in the water, but i am happy to clean the water thingy every day and just use a normal one

i found a great website where i can get a chicken feeder, waterer and gritter for 30quid so we are going with that

Whats the best hens to get for laying? 

[GrannieAnnie]

Did you look at the link I gave you Feb?  www.solwayfeeders.com.  There are not many cheaper than them on the web!  about £18 +P&P for what you'd need for 3-5 chickens

If you want chickens mainly for their eggs, go with a hybrid, Amberlinks, ISA browns, Bovans Goldlines, Babcocks, Black rocks, bluebelles, or so many different types!  But all will lay you around 300+ eggs a year in their first year, gradually getting less as they get older.

They don't live as long as pure breeds, but lay better through the winter for the first couple of years.  amongst my layers are 4 Goldlines.  they are nearly 3years old and still laying nearly every day.

[iwantanallotment]

Can't wait to see your pics Feeb, and I think we *all* like to see a fella hard at work  

If you get a drinker the birds can't mess it up. Mine just have stainless steel bowls, but I do change water daily (AND the crushed garlic, acv & poultry drink   )

We all have our faves for laying, so you'll get many suggestions for that I bet. I have a Columbine (Skyline), White Leghorns, Cuckoo Marans and Welsummers for different coloured eggs, but also remember that we had a fab supply of lovely eggs from ex-batts when I was a kid.

Pure breeds tend to lay later than hybrids and not as plentiful. If you specifically want eggs, go for hybrids. They are bred to lay  

[Feeb]

wow that sounds like ALOT of eggs!  we plan to have 5 chicks, if they lay 5 eggs a week each thats already a whole lot of eggs!  so maybe we will go for some that dont lay quite so often...

there is a place near me that sells chickens so i will go down there are check out prices and what they are like

[iwantanallotment]

You could sell any surplus Feeb, to contribute towards feed costs?

My Mom has already put an order in for a dozen a week, but no way can I charge my Mom.

My eldest works at a farm and they give me free bales of straw....asking every day for eggs.

Neighbours also want eggs. And gotta keep neighbours sweet, of course.

But where are all these eggs coming from?  :blink:  I ain't even got ONE laying yet 

[iwantanallotment]

ps - I have a newspaper story re a pigeon that I passed on to a friend....if my friend still has it I'll send it. It will stop all your worries about "an egg a day" 

[dizzylizzie]

hi Feeb, like grannie says grit is important, but ive never filled my grit feeder up as they free range and seem to get what they need from the ground. its very important they have it in some form or another though as they need it for their crops!
i have plastic waterer's like the ones on the website grannie put up....only i paid more for mine . my girls get bark, mud and god knows what in it, but ive never known them to poo in it....even if they did its so quick to change its no problem. you should be washing the water/food bowls daily and putting fresh in anyway......you wouldnt want to eat/drink stale food, the same applies to them start as you mean to go on...good husbandry goes a long way to keeping healthy chickens!
i, like many chicken keepers put apple cider vinigar in my girls water (cloudy sort...for horses) its a really good natural tonic, there is lots of info on here about it, or you can google, apple cider vinigar and chickens.... im sure ive read somewhere you shouldnt use metal water holders with this as its an acid???...not sure, i could have dreamt it he he he
anyway have a good look around this site, look at the old posts/ and the poultry info. theres some fab information on here, be warned tho...its very addictive!....hurry up with thoes photos! we all love photos

[joyfull]

lizzie you are quite correct it is because it's an acid. The apple cider vinegar helps to alter the pH of the chickens guts and helps to stop it being a breeding ground for cloacitis (thrush, vent gleet) I know this as some of my new ones have had this and have been treated with acv amongst other meds.
My birds free range as well so my driveway is a good source of grit for them 

[dizzylizzie]

thanks joyfull...i knew someone who knew what they were talking about (i.e.not me!) would be along shortly

[Feeb]

Woot!  Just had a chat with a breeder and i can buy each chicken @ £25 each!  How exciting is that, we are going to get mixed breeds probably 2 per breed and the chicken coop is coming along nicely!  i reckon in total its going to cost about 250 to pay for the chickens, the coop the food and the stuff to go with it which i think is really quite reasonable!

The garden will be a farm in no time!

[joyfull]

thanks joyfull...i knew someone who knew what they were talking about (i.e.not me!) would be along shortly

don't put yourself down lizzie you know a lot more now than you did when you joined in June, and you have coped really well with any problems that have come your way  , joyxx

[matilda duck]

£25 each what are they??    That is Way too much to pay for a chicken!!!!      I don't pay that for my ducks!!!

[Feeb]

well i have been online looking for breeders nearby and that is all i could find!!