New to BYC!!

Date sort Score sort
Lisa5464

Lisa5464

Hatching
7 Years
Jul 1, 2012
1
0
7
I have just started trying to raise chickens. I have four hens that I got in February, one of my hens is showing the signs of starting to lay. My question is regarding my nest boxes. My husband built the coop with three boxes going vertically with a separate door for egg collecting, the chickens roost in the top box. Do I need get them some different boxes or will my girls use the lower boxes to lay? I also have some chicks that were in not so good shape when I got them. The are feathering very slowly. So after a period of separation to make sure they were healthy, after introducing every one they did fine together but now one of the chicks is getting pecked and bleeding. I have moved her into my house, any advice?
 
I also only started chicken keeping in Feb. This is a great place to find information :)
With regards to nest boxes - they will be fine. Mine sleep and shelter and lay all in the same box. I only have the one box. Chickens aren't as fussy as people on here would make out! I have various homemade shelters around the garden and they go in them all, some are just two pieces of wood knocked together. They love it.
As for the chick, I used a rabbit hutch for when my chicks were outside and the other chickens could see them through the wire at the front. They stayed in there for a week or two before I let them integrate and they got on fine. Normally, you can't put chicks with adult hens and cockerels as they'll be attacked. Put something antibacterial on the wounds - i used Germoline cream what you use on kids grazes, on my chick when the mother hen attacked it. It did fine. Chickens have very thin skin, and any injury usually causes infection.
 
Last edited:
Hi Lisa! Welcome to BYC!

Do your chickens have a roost other than the nest boxes? Chickens generally like to roost at the highest point they can find, so most folks recommend placing the nest boxes lower than the roosts. This will save you having to repeatedly clean out the nest boxes and help prevent egg breakage. You could block off that upper nest box to encourage to roosting elsewhere. Decoy eggs (golf balls?) can be used to entice a layer to use a box.

How old are the chicks? It is usually best to wait until chickens are close to the same size before combining groups. Good that you removed the injured one. Once one gets bloodied, it will often get picked on even more, possibly to death. Wait until it fully heals before reintroducing. It might be best to put the other youngsters with her, as they will do better as a group (as long as the younger ones aren't picking on her.)

When the time comes for reintroducing, it might help to alter the environment just prior (add an outdoor roost, platforms, anything that will throw the older girls off a bit and give the newbies somewhere to escape from unwanted attention). If you free range, try putting the newbies out first for a while. After they seem comfortable, then let the older hens out. Extra food/water dishes can help reduce stress. Some people even add the new ones to the roosts after dark so they wake up together. In any case, keep monitoring for potential problems.

Good luck!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif
Good luck with your chicks.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom