Chicken advice needed.

Jazzotang · 19-08-2009, 10:56 AM

Hi everyone i was wondering if any of you chicken keepers out there, have any advice for a novice. I have three ex battery farm chickens arriving at the weekend and i am a little nervous as they will be the first poultry i have ever kept. I have built the a nice house and run ( well i made my husband build it

), read countless articles, but would welcome any advice from any shelled warrior with chicken experiance espicialy on settling them in when they first arrive. Thankyou

dolittle · 19-08-2009, 02:45 PM

hi ya, iam new to chicken keeping as well, ive had my ex batts for two months now. my main advise is to get some wellies!!! i was told you can never fill an ex batt up and its true they are always hungry

so they try to eat you. when i got mine i let them in their run and coop and they were fine, they needed guiding into the coop the first night but after that they went on their own. i left them in the run for a week before i let them loose in the garden. they are food orientated so it is easy to get them to go where i want. after two months four of mine are fully feathered and the other is still as scrauny as when i got her. they are great and its great to see them running around the garden.x

Zoomer · 19-08-2009, 03:09 PM

Leave them in the coop for the first 12 hrs with food and water.Add poultry tonic to the water, this will help with reducing the stress of moving.
Next day put feed and water in the pen and let them explore in their own time.

Feeding most are raised on a mash form of feed,you would be better weening them on to layers pellets in time less wasted feed.
Due to the condition these birds are kept,they can be quite a state for the new keeper to contend with.
Lot's of TLC and calcium in their die,t will see them recover quicker.

morph · 19-08-2009, 07:30 PM

Hi there

I also keep chickens - have done for 5 years, and have ex-batts also

Due to the small space they are kept in, they can have hip problems, claws too long, no feathers due to pecking and being rubbed off etc.

The are very resliaint though. Start off with layers mash, and keep it available all of the time for them - wean onto pellets over time.

They won't always understand different types of food, but will get there eventually.

They will also have to sort out the pecking order, so be aware of that too....don't be upset, it's natural

On their first day, make sure they have plenty of food and water, and put them in the coop - leave them to venture out at their own pace, or sit quietly in the run if you like.

make sure they have oyster shell, and grit for digestion and calcium - and I also cook their used shells in the oven and grind with a pestle and mortar for extra calcium

Olive oil - maybe mixed with rice or pasta is good for their feathers -to help with growth etc - as is some protein liked cooked egg to help.

To lay an egg is 95% protein, so you can imagine how difficult it can be to grow feathers also.

All in all, you'll be fine - as long as they have food, fresh water and grit, then you're doing much much more than the previous conditions they were kept on.

OOO -and garlic - great for parasitic control - pop a clove into water - helps with worms and internal mites etc

GOOD LUCK - you'll have a great time

Jazzotang · 19-08-2009, 09:43 PM

Thanks everyone for the tips, i cant wait to pick them up on Saturday

. I have been warned that they look a bit scruffy, but then again so do i

so we should get on fine. I must admit i am a complete novice with poultry so i may have to lean on you guys for advice now and then. Im hoping that they will be happy here as i have quite a large garden complete with veg patch for them to destroy. After what they have been through i think they have the right to live out the rest of their day's as chickens rather than egg laying machines

morph · 20-08-2009, 09:17 AM

oh.....they WILL wreck your veg patch

Mine have the nicknames - garden wreckers and land pirhanas lol

Jemma1 · 20-08-2009, 10:40 AM

Be VERY careful when handling them that you do not drop them!
So hold their wings tightly so they dont flap out of your hands.
They will be very weak when you get them, and dropping them will most likely result in them spraining a foot! (ahem yes.. this DID happen to 2 of our ex bats.. which have now made a full recovery!) we had to call them hoppy and hop along for a while!
Our ex bats are called titch, boss, marigold and scaredy pants (we are very immaginative!)
Enjoy them, they will follow you everywhere, and talk to you in parrrrkkk parkkkk language

dolittle · 20-08-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morph

oh.....they WILL wreck your veg patch

Mine have the nicknames - garden wreckers and land pirhanas lol

this is soooooooo true

they demolished my weeds for the torty s that i had been growing for months in about two seconds, and they dig pot holes all over for their dust baths

Jazzotang · 21-08-2009, 01:18 PM

Dolittle they are lovely, looks like they have settled in well, they must think that they are in chook heaven

. The coup is ready, the feeders and water stations are installed. The dogs are going for an extra long walk this afternoon so that they wont miss going out in the garden as much as usual and finaly we have netted the wildlife pond. Operation chicken is GO

!

dolittle · 21-08-2009, 02:21 PM

thank you. good luck today, have fun

19-08-2009, 10:56 AM	#1
Jazzotang Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: near Canterbury Kent Posts: 610	Chicken advice needed. Hi everyone i was wondering if any of you chicken keepers out there, have any advice for a novice. I have three ex battery farm chickens arriving at the weekend and i am a little nervous as they will be the first poultry i have ever kept. I have built the a nice house and run ( well i made my husband build it), read countless articles, but would welcome any advice from any shelled warrior with chicken experiance espicialy on settling them in when they first arrive. Thankyou __________________ Jazz Panzer and Shermans personal assistant!

19-08-2009, 02:45 PM	#2
dolittle Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: portsmouth Posts: 290	hi ya, iam new to chicken keeping as well, ive had my ex batts for two months now. my main advise is to get some wellies!!! i was told you can never fill an ex batt up and its true they are always hungry so they try to eat you. when i got mine i let them in their run and coop and they were fine, they needed guiding into the coop the first night but after that they went on their own. i left them in the run for a week before i let them loose in the garden. they are food orientated so it is easy to get them to go where i want. after two months four of mine are fully feathered and the other is still as scrauny as when i got her. they are great and its great to see them running around the garden.x __________________ 1 springer spanial snoop 1 boxer tae 4 hermann tortoises fish 2 male leopard geckos 1 panther chameleon ca painted wood turtle nicola osborne on facebook RIP my wonderful boxer sasha, will miss you lotsxxxxxxxx 13 04 10

19-08-2009, 03:09 PM	#3
Zoomer Member Incubating Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: North Wales Posts: 210	Leave them in the coop for the first 12 hrs with food and water.Add poultry tonic to the water, this will help with reducing the stress of moving. Next day put feed and water in the pen and let them explore in their own time. Feeding most are raised on a mash form of feed,you would be better weening them on to layers pellets in time less wasted feed. Due to the condition these birds are kept,they can be quite a state for the new keeper to contend with. Lot's of TLC and calcium in their die,t will see them recover quicker. __________________ Life is not a race;set a steady pace

19-08-2009, 09:43 PM	#5
Jazzotang Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: near Canterbury Kent Posts: 610	Thanks everyone for the tips, i cant wait to pick them up on Saturday. I have been warned that they look a bit scruffy, but then again so do i so we should get on fine. I must admit i am a complete novice with poultry so i may have to lean on you guys for advice now and then. Im hoping that they will be happy here as i have quite a large garden complete with veg patch for them to destroy. After what they have been through i think they have the right to live out the rest of their day's as chickens rather than egg laying machines __________________ Jazz Panzer and Shermans personal assistant!

20-08-2009, 10:40 AM	#7
Jemma1 Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: May 2009 Location: Southampton Posts: 1,573	Be VERY careful when handling them that you do not drop them! So hold their wings tightly so they dont flap out of your hands. They will be very weak when you get them, and dropping them will most likely result in them spraining a foot! (ahem yes.. this DID happen to 2 of our ex bats.. which have now made a full recovery!) we had to call them hoppy and hop along for a while! Our ex bats are called titch, boss, marigold and scaredy pants (we are very immaginative!) Enjoy them, they will follow you everywhere, and talk to you in parrrrkkk parkkkk language __________________

19-08-2009, 07:30 PM	#4
morph Junior Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 20	Hi there I also keep chickens - have done for 5 years, and have ex-batts also Due to the small space they are kept in, they can have hip problems, claws too long, no feathers due to pecking and being rubbed off etc. The are very resliaint though. Start off with layers mash, and keep it available all of the time for them - wean onto pellets over time. They won't always understand different types of food, but will get there eventually. They will also have to sort out the pecking order, so be aware of that too....don't be upset, it's natural On their first day, make sure they have plenty of food and water, and put them in the coop - leave them to venture out at their own pace, or sit quietly in the run if you like. make sure they have oyster shell, and grit for digestion and calcium - and I also cook their used shells in the oven and grind with a pestle and mortar for extra calcium Olive oil - maybe mixed with rice or pasta is good for their feathers -to help with growth etc - as is some protein liked cooked egg to help. To lay an egg is 95% protein, so you can imagine how difficult it can be to grow feathers also. All in all, you'll be fine - as long as they have food, fresh water and grit, then you're doing much much more than the previous conditions they were kept on. OOO -and garlic - great for parasitic control - pop a clove into water - helps with worms and internal mites etc GOOD LUCK - you'll have a great time

20-08-2009, 09:17 AM	#6
morph Junior Member Egg Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 20	oh.....they WILL wreck your veg patch Mine have the nicknames - garden wreckers and land pirhanas lol

21-08-2009, 01:18 PM	#9
Jazzotang Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: near Canterbury Kent Posts: 610	Dolittle they are lovely, looks like they have settled in well, they must think that they are in chook heaven. The coup is ready, the feeders and water stations are installed. The dogs are going for an extra long walk this afternoon so that they wont miss going out in the garden as much as usual and finaly we have netted the wildlife pond. Operation chicken is GO! __________________ Jazz Panzer and Shermans personal assistant!

21-08-2009, 02:21 PM	#10
dolittle Member Hatched Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: portsmouth Posts: 290	thank you. good luck today, have fun __________________ 1 springer spanial snoop 1 boxer tae 4 hermann tortoises fish 2 male leopard geckos 1 panther chameleon ca painted wood turtle nicola osborne on facebook RIP my wonderful boxer sasha, will miss you lotsxxxxxxxx 13 04 10

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