Help with next steps...

[jcamis]

Ok, so this is my first post. I've learned a lot so far, but still not sure what I should be doing next. We have 7 total (2 keets, 3 Americaunas, 2 barred rock) all about 6-7 weeks old. I've just bought a coop and currently have them in a 10x10 dog run which I'll set the coop to lead into this weekend. The coop is 4x8. The dog run is on grass now. In general they seem to be doing well, though the keets are skittish and the one roo likes to be held the most (is that strange or will that likely change?

Here's a bunch of questions I have as I try to teach my 6 year old. As the grass in the run wears down, what should I put down if anything on the dirt? Using pine shavings and straw is okay for their bedding in coop? Do I cover the floor in it too? When i clean either or both up, can I just till the old stuff into my garden or add into compost? When should I start giving then treats? When I do, should I also start giving grit? We wonder if there is another Roo in the group, as one seems to have a short comb, but ts nowhere near as pronounced as the other one. Should we know by now? If we have two roosters, will that be a problem?

Ok that's a lot for now. Wish there was a forum just for beginners, but thanks in advance for all the help!

 

[Naunnie]

Welcome to BYC! You have come to the right place! Check out all the categories under the forum "pull down". Any and every question you have is there....and just waiting on ya!

 

[sumi]

There are a few things you can do in your run. Your best option depends first of all on your climate, does it rains a lot by you or not? Is the run covered or not? How much time and effort you want to spent keeping it clean and healthy... You can cover the floor of the run with straw or shavings, if you can get hold of lots at a good price or, even better, for free. Or keep that for the coop, and fill your run with layer of sand, a few inches thick. This will help a lot if you live in a wet climate, as few things are as unpleasant as a muddy, poopy chicken run! You can also keep the soil bare. Hydrated lime is sometimes used in bare runs to "sweeten" the soil, deodorise, kill bacteria etc. Once it's spread you will need to turn the soil or till it under and either water it very well or let it sit through a heavy rain fall. You'll need to keep the chickens off it until it's had time to be watered in as it will burn their feet/skin that comes into contact with it raw on the soil.

In the coop you can use straw or shavings, whichever you choose. Shavings will stay drier longer though and absorb the worse liquid from the droppings. When you clean the coop you can dump the whole lot on the compost heap and sprinkle some wood ashes on it to help neutralise the acidity of the manure. Some plants will tolerate chicken manure "straight", but it is very acid and may burn them. I personally prefer letting it age or break down in the compost heap before using it in the garden.

Your chicks are old enough to start getting some treats. Just keep it to no more than around 10% of their daily feed intake though. Fresh greens, cooked rice or pasta, fruit like apples and strawberries, cooked egg and mealworms are great treats for chicks. And "live" treats like crickets will very entertaining for you and them! If you give them treats you will have to make sure they have access to grit as well, to help them break it down.

The rooster question is a difficult one. At this age you should be able to tell, but some roosters are "late" bloomers, I for one got caught out by one that I thought was a hen, until "she" crowed! What you can do is post a few nice clear pics of the chick in question in the What Breed Or Gender is This? section, so the members there can have a look.

We have a section here on the site, the Learning Center, that has wonderful articles with great information for beginners and more experienced chicken keepers. Have a browse through there. And if you have more questions, you are welcome to ask. We were all beginners at some stage. Enjoy the site and your chickens!

 

[jcamis]

Thanks Sumi for all the help. It doesn't rain much here in Kansas, so that's not a big issue really. I don't the run covered at this point, but I figured I should keep them in the coop for a couple of days straight to get them used to it being home before I let them back in the run. I'm wondering what's a good age to let them start roaming outside of the coop for a few hours at a time?

I'm glad I'll be able to add all the shavings and straw to my compost and/or straight to the garden. I guess I'm a little nervous right now because it doesn't seem as hard as I thought it would be, so something in me wonders if I'm not doing something right and it should be more challenging.

The learning center and the threads are great, but as much as I've sifted through, it's somewhat overwhelming the amount of information and opinions that's its easier just to ask and get some feedback.

 

[aggiemae]

You can let chicks roan when they are to big to be snatched up by hawks just make sure that they have hiding places in the yard to protect them from overhead predators real and imagined. They will return to the run at dusk. Do not get into the habit of chasing them and rounding them up because in the end it will just make them wary of you and harder to catch.

I gather leaves in the fall for our run, it draws in bugs and keeps the soil moist so the chickens can scratch and actually find insects and worms. I also have a few stumps in the run to encourage bugs to move in. I move them around every few weeks. At them end of the summer it well composted high nitrogen cover that I I rake it all out and onto the garden beds.

 

[sumi]

I let my chicks go outside from a very young age, depending on the weather. As long as it's warm enough for them and they have shelter from the sun, wind etc, they will be fine and it's good for them to be outside, scratching in the soil and being chickens. Predators are a concern especially with chicks, but as long as you take some precautions they will be safe. Make sure your run is secure with no gaps or weak spots, first of all. A light cover over your run, like bird netting, would deter hawks and if you are around during the day and/or have a dog in your yard to scare of other beasts it would help too.