[B_hibbert]

Hello all, I'm new to having chickens I have 5 15 week old brown warren hens had them 1 week now,  :-)

Just thought I'd pop on here and say hello, and see if anyone had any advice?

Main question I have at the minute is do I need to be giving them any vitamins?

I currently feed them a mix of corn and layer pellets, and they have a bowl of oyster shell. Do they need anything else?

Hope to hear back.
Ben

[Chrysalis]

Hi Ben.

Congratulations on your new venture 

Your hens will bring you lots of happy times... The stuff you've got for them is their staple, so a few treats like lettuce or greens will be great.  It's really fun watching them play footie with a cabbage, and even better if you string it up so they "box" with it.

Have fun!

[B_hibbert]

Thank you!

Great thanks. Thing I shall string it up, they give me so much fun at the moment so this sounds exciting. 

Do suggest giving them any vitamins or anything else at this stage?

When should I worm them?

Thanks

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Ben, it is advisable not to mix the corn with the pellets as corn is a treat and filler upper, not proper food.

Give them their layers pellets ad lib, as they will come and go to the feeder through the day.  Corn should be given as a little treat towards the end of the day, a couple of hours before dark.

As corn is hard it takes time to digest, so it digests through the night when they are roosting and helps them keep warm.

As to worming, some people go overboard and do it every month.  We are at the other end of the spectrum and if we don't think there is a problem, we only worm once a year.  But most people do it every 3-6 months to be on the safe side.

If they look off colour at all, several things can help.  Poultry spice is one, I just mix it in with some of their pellets, but crushed garlic or apple cider vinegar in their water (but not in metal drinkers) helps keeps their digestion good and can help stop internal tummy parasites like worms too.

Yes, if you buy them a few things like lettuces, cabbages, sweetcorn etc and hang them just above head height.  They will have great fun jumping up and down, helps gives them exercise too!!!

[B_hibbert]

Great, thanks for the advice!

Girls don't seem to be off colour, just wondering was there nothing I should be giving them as a norm?

Any other useful tips you may have please fill me in, this site had been very useful so far!   

[GrannieAnnie]

Chickens are usually very resilient Ben, don't go shoving stuff in them that they don't need.

The crushed garlic and/or apple cider vinegar is good for them.  Not the apple cider vinegar from the supermarket though, that's too refined.  Some pet and horsey shops sell it. 

Grit and crushed oyster shell should be put in a little pot.  They will know if and when they need it.

And they don't need central heating through the winter, perhaps a little extra shavings in the bottom of the coop, but they sleep on the perches anyway and they have their own duvets!

Don't kill them with kindness!  2 years ago I took back 3 chickens that I'd sold to a family as they were moving.  One of these hens was a hybrid that should have weighed 1.75kgs, she was twice that weight!  Too many treats!!!

[andy46]

Hi b hibbert i got some brown warrens for the first time in july and i agree with grannieAnnie as i took her and other peoples advice and they are thriving and laying eggs every day.

[B_hibbert]

Great! Thank you for the advice guys! The girls are doing well. I'm having so much fun watching them, I rush home from work to see then! :-)

[B_hibbert]

Thank you for the warm welcome and the advice!

Quick question, the girls seem to be sleeping in there nest and not on there perch and pooing in there nest not anywhere else.

Is this right?

Ben

[Sassy]

They often need training to use the perch. You will need to put them on the perch in the evenings and if possible block off the nest box. Usually they get the idea. Some do let them use the nest box but they soil it and then lay eggs there!

[syman]

They often need training to use the perch. You will need to put them on the perch in the evenings and if possible block off the nest box. Usually they get the idea. Some do let them use the nest box but they soil it and then lay eggs there!

Tried the training route and failed. All three of my girls squeeze ito the nestbox for a kip at night.
Just poo pick in the morning, the eggs seem generally cleanish when i get them.

[splash101]

The first chickens i had slept in the nest boxes for the 1st month. All 5 of them squeezed in together. Once they had settled in and realised nothing was going to eat them in the night they eventually moved to the perches.

I know some chickens start off in the next boxes and firmly remain there.