Just got 3 chickens, now what?!

[josephrose]

Well, after working on a coop and a run for a while, today I got my chickens. 3 Orpingtons (2 Buff, 1 Blue) that should be roughly 16-18 weeks old I think.

I gave them some Purina pellets and a hanging bucket of water with 2 nipples under it. It's been a few hours and I don't think they've had any food or water. When should I be worried?

Also, I tried to "teach" them how to use the nipples, but they're a tad skittish and kind of move away and don't seem to notice what I'm doing at all.

 

[Jeanna Marie]

Did you try scattering some foodon the ground under or around the feeder and waterer?

 

[josephrose]

I did. Hopefully they'll take to it before too long.

 

[redsoxs]

They may just be adjusting to their new environment. Be more worried about the not drinking than the not eating. If by the end of the day they haven't drank, you might have to introduce a pan of water if that is what they are used to. They should come around to the food but they may have been raised on crumbles instead of pellets. Hunger should make them come around. Good luck to you!

 

[Doris145]

Hello, congratulations on the new chickens! I just got 2 new bantams today, to be company for my now lonely brown hen. It took them a few hours to finally eat some pellets and then they drank from a dish of water I left out for them. I think your doing the right thing showing them how to use the nipples!

 

[josephrose]

A few hours later, they found the food and ate a bit and pecked around the run, but still no water. I moved the bucket from inside the coop to out in the run, near the food. They better drink!

 

[josephrose]

Well, it's into the next day now, and they really don't seem to want to come out of the coop. And the water is in the run.

I'm kinda worried.

 

[Jeanna Marie]

Did they drink at all?

 

[josephrose]

If so, very little. I have not witnessed any drinking myself.

 

[Jeanna Marie]

I don't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Were they drinking when the water was in the coop? If so I might put it back for a day or so while the are settling in. I know chickens do not like change. They get really scared and it could take a little while for them to get used to a new place.
But they need to drink...