[Callys Rainbow]

Hi to all! I've just recently joined and already had some great advice off some people..thankyou. I've also just been reading some of the other topics posted and some of them made me laugh with all of your comments back and forth but taught me lots at the same time.....I really do think it's like being back at school as there is so much to learn....scary! 
After years of persuasion my son has convinced me to have chickens!! We now live in an area with plenty of space so I'm happy to go ahead and get some.  I'm now the excited one!!
His favourite have always been Silkies (from about 5!) so we're going to get a few of them to call his own, after that I'm stuck on what to get to keep with them - but I would like to get some ex batts too. Maybe about 6 - 8 chickens, is that too many to start? I don't mind how many eggs we get, I've lots of friends who've put orders in already if I end up with lots if not thats fine too.
We are doing lots of research and Sam has found a localish breeder who he's visited a few times so we're like sponges at the moment taking it all in!! I'm hoping they'll be able to roam about when I'm home and just put them in their run when I'm out?
Oh I keep having panic moments when all of the questions keep popping to my head!!    Really  where's the best place to start???  Thankyou, X

[henrietta5]

Hi there - I'm fairly new to all of this too, but I got hold of some great books (recommended elsewhere on this site) and that was a pretty good help.  We eventually bought a coop as lack of time meant it was unrealistic to build one ourselves.  We then got 11 hens, 4 pure breed and 7 hybrids from 2 different sources but on the same day.  The pecking order squables were hard to watch as I wanted to intervene but that soon settled down.  We only have one hen laying at the moment but the egg does taste wonderful.  Surprised at just how much they trash the ground, and the amount of poo they create ( some book said one hen poos up to 50 times a day !!) - but they are good fun and the children love them.  Still haven't got the hang of how to look after the coop.  With all that poo I usually clean it every day, but most friends with hens don't do it nearly as often.  Realised that if we go out for an evening, we have to think about who/when the hens will be put to bed, so they are restrictive in that way for us.  They don't seem to want to go to bed before they are ready !  In general it's going well though.  Haven't had to deal with red mites yet and havent attempted applying louse powder either . Stilll have loads to learn but there's a lot of helpful people on this site.  Good luck 

[nzdunn]

I had my hens for a few mths now, total newbie to keeping them but i had found this site like you beforehand and asked lots of advice, honestly i doesnt matter how stupid you feel the question is just ask it because everyone on here has loads of advice and can tell you about their own personal experiences which i find brillant, i love reading peoples stories.    I think its like everything that you get new, you find yourself reading everything in a day and by the end of it your eyes are bleeding and your brain is melting, i was exactely like that panicing that i had everything but do you know wot ive found now that the hens pretty much look after themselves, at first i was constantly watching them but they were probably looking at me thinking "gee is this woman ever gonna give us a break", hehehehehehheh, no seriously you will be fine, just keep on top of your husbandry as in the coup, get in things like diatom, poultry shield and some louce and redmite powder for the girls.   I give the coup a good scrub out every 2wks, i pop newspaper under the perch so in the morning i can just throw that away and replace with fresh.    Looking forward to seeing piccys of your girls.   nickyx

[Flowerpower136]

had our 8 ex batts just one month, and now feeling a little more that I might know what I'm doing.......but don't tell anyone, don't want to speak too soon

They have a big coup, and a run approx 20 m2.  Not allowed out because of our pet Velocoraptor, otherwise know as Maddy the dog.

A day in the life our our girls comprises.

-Auto pophole opener lets them out at first light (way before I surface!).
-About 6.30 am they get their feeders hung up in the run (take all food in a night to avoid rats).  Aiming to get them onto layers pellets, but for the timebeing feeding them a mix of layers mash (which is what they had in the battery cages), ex-batt crumbs, and ex-batt pellets.  Also adding poultry spice till they get their feathers back.
-The water (with garlic powder and apple cider vinegar) is there all the time, and refreshed every couple of days.
-I go in about 9 am to collect eggs and do a poo patrol picking poo out of the coop and also from around the run.  Then I sit a while to watch and check they are all OK, no sneezes, rattles, limps etc etc.
-If I'm at home, they get several visits throughout the day - just can't keep away from them to be honest!
-Any time after 3pm (depends where I am) they get a scoop of mixed corn (about 20gms each), plus whatever I might have to hand, eg left over veg, rice, pasta, tomatoes etc, or if nothing left over, then mealworms.  And a final check for eggs.
-As light fades, they all put themselves to bed and the auto pophole thing shuts them in.
-Before our bedtime, when we let the dog out, final check to see noone has been locked out, and check that all quiet in the coup.

-Once a week, everything out of the coop, clean with Jeyes Fluid and spray the inside with poultry shield.  When dry treat with Diatom, then nest boxes back in, with layer of wood shavings and bundle of straw in each, dusted with Diatom and louse power.  In the coop, lay newspaper all over the floor and top with wood shavings, again powder with Diatom.

And that's all there is to it   It's a doddle!
 

[beulah59]

FP136 - that's a really useful check list, thank you!

[Lydia-Maria]

Hi Cally's Rainbow,

I'm in a similar boat to you,I've got my hen house and run,(my bfd put it together last week-end for me) and I'm actually collecting 4 ex-batts this sunday.
I'm sure I've enough room for 6,maybe 8 chickens,so have decided to wait until the spring(I can't decide which breeds I like the most) before I add more hens to my flock.I went on a chicken course at legbars of broadway.Mainly to be sure that I would know beforehand that having chickens as pets would be right for us,and,I would be able to care for them properly.I can't recomend a hands on chicken course enough,there are plenty being run,all seem to last a day,there is probably one you could attend close to you if you wish.
A friend of mine did keep ex-batts and silkies together,with out problems.All of her chickens free ranged in her garden together,her silkies and ex-batts were very tame,coming to be hand fed.
There is also a championship chicken show held in Stafford somewhere in november,so,I'm going to go.It will be a chance to not only see the birds but to chat to their owners and maybe work out properly which breeds would be better suited to us.
I like legbars,burford browns,orpingtons (both sizes),rhode island reds,polands and silkies.
Silkies do seem to be very good with children,but,I suspect a lot of breeds are.Good luck.

[Callys Rainbow]

Hi! Thankyou for replying and giving advice and support!! It really does make a difference knowing that other people felt the same way at some point(in the nicest poss way of course! ) I def think I would be the same and find it hard to intervene but I imagine you've got to let them sort it out themselves......... !! Although I don't think I could cope with 11 just yet!!
I haven't visited a site as regular as this before it's crazy but again I love reading peoples stories and picking up hints and tips and I will keep asking questons!! I think the newspaper under the perch sounds like a good idea but whats diatom?
I'll def make enquiries as to where I can get layers pellets and poultry spice and I have garlic powder and cider vinegar for my horses so I'm sorted there!....Oooh will it be the same kind though and safe?? And I have Beardies so have mealworms!!!!
I'm gonna have a search for a chicken course or maybe persuade the breeder my son found to let me spend some time with him and help out...........but I think I'll have to get the Silkies 1st then my ex batts at a later date, I'm not sure?  It was for my son and I'm taking over!!!!!!! Thankyou to all of you though I have taken everything in - I think - and will keep reading and asking!! I'l post pictures as soon as I get my 1st lot of the extended family!! (well Sam will!) Gayl xx

[joyfull]

Hi CR, the Apple cider vinegar is the same stuff as the horsey type, you may want to also get from a horsey place purple spray just in case any blood is drawn when they try to establish their pecking order - chickens go mad when they see blood and can peck each other to death - the purple sparay disguises the redness. Thats another reason not to sort your chickens out in sandles with red nail varnish on your toes  . If you go on the omlet website they also run short courses (last about half a day) - there is no hard sell trying to get you to buy an eglu or anything but it is a good opportunity to meet likeminded people and ask questions. Joyfullxx

[Callys Rainbow]

Oh that sounds quite scary pecking each other to death!!!! I'll be making a bed for myself with them I think!!  I have purple spray too so at least thats 1 less thing to worry about!! As for the sandals n red nail polish I think I'l just pinch my husbands steel toe caps!!!! Thankyou xx

[Callys Rainbow]

Oh I also meant to ask about the mealworms??? I have Beardies s have live ones but the ones from the ocal garden centre was entioned - they're dried - does it make a difference?  xx

[joyfull]

You'll be fine, that is just an extreme example but when sorting out the pecking order they often draw blood. Silkies are really soft and gentle though  . Do you use hemcore for your horses? If so it's brilliant for chickens as it's so absorbant   I feed mine dried meal worms and they love them 

[Callys Rainbow]

No I don't use Hemcore I'm afraid to say just plain old straw! Although it has been recmnded.......just not sure if it's pricey.......long term though? I'll maybe go with the dried mealworms then, the live 1s really are fast little critters and being soil colour the chickens may need rocket boots and a magnifying glass to find them!!     xx

[joyfull]

Chickens have very beady eyes and will spot anything that wriggles 
My hemcore costs less than £9.00 a bale and lasts me for ages and I have 14 chickens.
It dries up the pooh brilliantly so pooh picking is easy  .

[Flowerpower136]

Diatom is diatomaceous earth and it's a must for the coop to deter red mite and other small visitors.
Have a google of it for more info and suppliers.