novice chicken keeper questions

Hi, We have finally got our chooks.  On Saturday we got 5 orphingtons: 3 buff, 1 lavender and one black. They are 18 weeks old.  They are currently in their run and we will be letting them loose in the garden tomorrow.

They seem fine, a bit perplexed at going from being free range to being in a run, but I think they are ok, except the black one, she does seem like she is the at the bottom of the pecking order, but she is also sleeping in the nest box and pooing in there, is this normal?  All the others are huddled together in the corner of the house.

Also I am feeding them layers pellets in the morning and mixed corn at teatime, with a few scraps here and there (although there is never much leftovers in our house!), do I need to have grit in there too?

And finally, last question, The run floor is earth with wood chip on it, which they seem to be liking, do I need to put a dust tray in there?  They will be semi free range once they have settled in - out in the garden when we are home (which is about 4 days out of 7).

Thankyou from a chicken keeping novice and her very excited chicken keeping children!

Congratulations on your new pullets!  Orpingtons are lovely birds.

Regarding the black pullet, if she is sleeping in the nest box, this is a bad habit and should be broken asap.  At dusk, or just after nightfall when they are sleepy, you can left the pullet out of the nest box and gently place her on the perch.  You can completely block off the nest boxes for now as your orps wont be ready to lay for quite a while (probably not until they are 30 - 36 weeks old).

Pellets should be available on a continual basis all day, and only feed a palmful of mixed grain (for all 5 - not each!) in the evening.

Both grit and crushed oystershel should be available - separately - on a permanent basis - do not mix it with their food.  they will pick at is as and when they need it.

If the floor is earth and wood chip, and alsong as it stays fairly dry they will make a dust bath for themselves (they will look as if they are trying to dig to Austraila!).

Good luck, and welcome to the very addictive hobby of chickeneering!

My bantams used to sleep huddled up together in one of the nest boxes.  Once they all started laying they started to perch at night rather than in the nest boxes.  They did this all by themselves! The bonus is clean nest boxes.

I have two small perches and they seem to get in their way !! they huddle together two in the nestbox area and two either side of the perch, so I dont know whether to take them out or not,

As I let them out very early in the morning I poo pick the whole sleeping and nesting quarters before they have even laid an egg so its always nice and clean for them to lay in.

I wonder if its this that casey might be refering to  in her earlier post


Broody 

My girls love Dried Meal Worms..... I use these as an incentive to go back into their run when I need to let my Jack Russell out.  Unfortunately my dog would rather eat the chickens than be friends.... but my girls now realise when I shake the bag of treats they run like the clappers to their enclosure.... this is fab for putting them away when I need and also lets them be free range all the other time. Also good for getting them in early if Im going out and worried about Mr Fox.
Home Bargains Shops sell them for £1.49 a bag which lasts a good few weeks.