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!