Bringing home new POL pullets next week... advice?

[DaytonHillRabbits]

Hi there,

I am new to the forum. We are bringing home 6 POL pullets from our feed store next Tuesday, and I'm just looking for any advice or tips on getting them settled in and on general care and husbandry advice.

The coop we built is 4x4, with a run attached. They will only be locked in the coop at night. It has 3 nest boxes attached on the outside, two roost bars in the roof of the coop.

The pullets will be about 18 weeks old and they are called "Lohhman" according to the feed store employee. How long should I expect to wait for them to lay? Do I need to put fake eggs in the nests to encourage them to go there when they are ready?

Is it a good idea to keep them in the coop for a few days before opening them up to the run, or does it matter where they are not being free ranged at all (neighboring dogs are TERRIBLE).

I have decided to feed Blue Seal feed, the layer pellets. Haven't decided if I was to ferment as I don't have a whole tonne of spare time what with the horses and rabbits as well as my 4 year old son and hubby! LOL.

Any tips would be highly appreciated as it has been a very long time since I've kept chickens, and this is a different setup entirely..

Thank you in advance!

 

[barred2rock]

Welcome to BYC!

Here are some articles that may be helpful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/

Typically chickens start to lay between 16 weeks and 24 weeks. So, they may start laying as soon as they're comfortable in their new home or may be a few weeks. Placing fake eggs in the nest boxes will teach them where to lay and may encourage them not to eat their eggs.

It's suggested to keep them in the coop for about a week to teach them where/how to roost and where to come back "home" to at night.

Fermenting feed only takes a few minutes, it's as simple as adding water to dry feed and leaving it for 24 to 72 hours (depending on temps), stirring occasionally.

 

[Mrs. K]

If your coop and run are attached, (most are) I would let them out in the run in the day. In the summer a locked coop can get way too hot. Shade in the run is also important. Set up a roost in the run too. Birds like to perch in the late afternoon sun.

Ventilation is very important summer and winter, as it keeps birds dry. Do not worry about keeping them warm, worry about keeping them dry and out of the wind. It sounds like you might have a pre fabricated coop, and if so, often times not enough ventilation.

Personally, I like bedding in the run too, I just use old hay, as a rancher, that is what I have.

The fake eggs, either rocks or golf balls do really help.

Mrs K

 

[DaytonHillRabbits]

My coop is attached to the run yes, they can just go down the ramp and they are in the run. They can get underneath the coop itself as part of the run so they will have shade that way and the whole setup is located right beside a very tall hedge/trees lining the road so it's shaded pretty well all day.

The coop isn't a prefab it was built from scratch by my hubby (it's not finished yet either.. he better get his butt in gear!). I had him put in windows at the top of each wall (it's barn themed and shaped like a miniature horse barn) which we screened in with hardware cloth for ventilation, hopefully that is enough. It will have a sliding door to open and close them off from the run when necessary and at night.

I was thinking it would be very stuffy and dark in there if they were locked in for the first week or so.. I wouldn't mind going in and putting them back inside at night if they don't clue in right away either..

Wondering though if I put roosts out in the run will they not go in the coop at night and just roost out there? I don't want them to do that as I bring the dogs in at night and predators would have very easy access to them in the run.

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh good, those prefabs are NOT the way to go, so that is good. Really I would let them out, of course here in SD we are at 105 degrees F. But even so, I have never had trouble with mine not going into the coop. You might have to round them up at dark, but to me that would be better than heat stroke and death. If you put them in two nights on the roost, I bet you a dollar to a donut, they will be there the third night or before.

 

[lazy gardener]

Welcome to BYC, and wishing you the best with your new flock. FYI, the general recommendation for a back yard flock is 4 s.f. in the coop and 10 s.f. in the run per bird. Run your space tighter than that, and you are likely to have behavior or stress induced illness issues.

I also agree that fermented feed is a good thing, and highly recommend deep litter in coop and run.

 

[aart]

Wondering though if I put roosts out in the run will they not go in the coop at night and just roost out there?

They might, especially if it's crowded and stuffy in the coop.
6 birds in a 4x4 coop will be pretty crowded
1' of roost length per bird works pretty good.
Best to keep run roosts lower than coop roosts.

I was thinking it would be very stuffy and dark in there if they were locked in for the first week or so

Then you might need more windows and vents.

What is your climate?(put location in profile?)

 

[DaytonHillRabbits]

There should be enough roost space as there are two separate 4 foot lengths for them. I can add more if I need to as well.

I am in Nova Scotia Canada, cold winters but not terribly hot during the summer.

I hesitate to put any more windows or openings just because of the winter.. we get a lot of Nor'Easters and those can entail serious wind.. I'm not sure how appropriate that would be for the birds in the winter... I suppose they could be boarded up through those tricky months if necessary.

 

[aart]

I use top hinged window panes, propped open all summer and then screwed shut during winter they still provide light.

 

[lazy gardener]

There should be enough roost space as there are two separate 4 foot lengths for them. I can add more if I need to as well.

I am in Nova Scotia Canada, cold winters but not terribly hot during the summer.

I hesitate to put any more windows or openings just because of the winter.. we get a lot of Nor'Easters and those can entail serious wind.. I'm not sure how appropriate that would be for the birds in the winter... I suppose they could be boarded up through those tricky months if necessary.

I am in growing zone 4B. 44th parallel. My coop has 3 windows that are each 18" x 30", top hinged, plus eave vents, as well as soffit vents, and a floor level vent, full sized human door, pop door, and several other doors that can be opened for summer ventilation. One or more windows are cracked open every day in the winter months, unless the day time temp gets down into the single digits (*F). I do cover the floor level vent during the winter. A huge mistake that is made by many folks is to close up the ventilation in the winter. Birds respiration, as well as their poo pumps a lot of moisture into the air. That moisture then freezes on all surfaces, including bird's combs and feet. Frost bite is a huge issue when ventilation is limited.