HI Georgina, Welcome to the forum. What are your long term plans for the birds as they mature? Do you have a coop outside for them yet? What are the temps in your area of the UK at this time of year?
Seeking advice about Sebright chicks...
- Thread starter georgina
- Start date
Hey, Georgina!!!!
WOW! They look GORGEOUS!!!! You've done an OUTSTANDING job with them!
Don't put them out if it's really cold, if they've been in the house all this time they won't be able to adjust to the winter. You might set up something with a heat lamp, or a snug place in a corner of an outbuilding. They'll need ventilation along with that extra heat or they'll come down with respiratory problems. Check out patandchickens big ol' ventilation page -- I think it's on the coop section of the index.
Layer pellets are all right.
They're really beautiful! You should be proud.
Good to hear from you again. Don't wait so long to come back! Happy New Year!
maggie
WOW! They look GORGEOUS!!!! You've done an OUTSTANDING job with them!
Don't put them out if it's really cold, if they've been in the house all this time they won't be able to adjust to the winter. You might set up something with a heat lamp, or a snug place in a corner of an outbuilding. They'll need ventilation along with that extra heat or they'll come down with respiratory problems. Check out patandchickens big ol' ventilation page -- I think it's on the coop section of the index.
Layer pellets are all right.
They're really beautiful! You should be proud.
Good to hear from you again. Don't wait so long to come back! Happy New Year!
maggie
- Thread starter
- #13
Awwhh! Thanks Maggie! I've gone all big headed now!
I think they're really pretty too, although a bit scruffy! I'm quite pleased they've both grown ok and I was able to fix Pearl's wonky legs - especially as I've never had chicks before.
It's a shame her toe didn't straighten back out though. I hope the other chickens won't peck it or anything.
Plans for birds are.... Peeps, the cockeral, is going to live with a friend at the end of january as I already have a pair of d'anvers and I don't want the males fighting. Pearl is going to be introduced to my d'anvers to make a trio. I had been looking all summer for a second d'anver hen but had no luck, so bought these two chicks in the hope that one or both would be hens - I chose sebrights as they were the only bantam of a similar size I could find for sale. I'm hoping the d'anvers will accept Pearl as she's a lot smaller than I imagined she'd be! Prime target for bullying I suspect.
Currently Peeps and Pearl are in a snug rabbit hutch in my shed, shut in the nightime box with a hot water bottle and lots of hay on top of a thick layer of wood shavings. I've checked on them at least ten times in the last few hours, wandering down the garden with the kettle! I think the neighbours are starting to think I'm a little unhinged.
They seem fine, feel warm. I keep checking their feet are warm as I assume their feet would get cold faster than the feathered areas?! The temperature isn't too bad here at the moment. The whole of the UK has been experiencing freezing temps and lots of snow the last few weeks but my little island down south seems to have missed the lot of it! We seem to be having a mild spell this week so I thought I'd take advantage of it. At a rough guess, I'd say it's currently about 4 degrees celsius outside at the moment (at nearly 10pm so it shouldn't get much colder as the night goes on). Not warm but not freezing either. It's a bit warmer in the shed as there are rabbits and lots of avairy birds all sharing body heat about the place.
In the long term.... Peeps has a home waiting with a big chicken coop and seven new girlfriends all to himself. Pearl will be sharing with my d'anvers and they have a shed which they share with my little pigeon flock. The d'anvers seem to like to roost on the high up perch with the pigeons but they have a few nest boxes dotted about too. They are also free to roam the garden all day, although I shut them in a hutch if there's no one home to keep an eye on them, or if I know the neighbours cats are out.
I emailed the lady I bought them from earlier today and asked her for advice and she said they'd be fine out so long as they had a cosy box to sleep in and I'm to bring them back in if they show any signs of shivering, or the temperature drops to 0 or lower. She seems to think the weather down here has been quite mild too which is reassuring as I thought I might just not be feeling the cold myself or something. Does her advice sound about right?
I still have the guinea pig cage in the house as a back up plan, so if they do start looking a bit chilly, I can bring them back in straight away.
Right, I'm going to go off down the garden with the kettle again!
Plans for birds are.... Peeps, the cockeral, is going to live with a friend at the end of january as I already have a pair of d'anvers and I don't want the males fighting. Pearl is going to be introduced to my d'anvers to make a trio. I had been looking all summer for a second d'anver hen but had no luck, so bought these two chicks in the hope that one or both would be hens - I chose sebrights as they were the only bantam of a similar size I could find for sale. I'm hoping the d'anvers will accept Pearl as she's a lot smaller than I imagined she'd be! Prime target for bullying I suspect.
Currently Peeps and Pearl are in a snug rabbit hutch in my shed, shut in the nightime box with a hot water bottle and lots of hay on top of a thick layer of wood shavings. I've checked on them at least ten times in the last few hours, wandering down the garden with the kettle! I think the neighbours are starting to think I'm a little unhinged.
In the long term.... Peeps has a home waiting with a big chicken coop and seven new girlfriends all to himself. Pearl will be sharing with my d'anvers and they have a shed which they share with my little pigeon flock. The d'anvers seem to like to roost on the high up perch with the pigeons but they have a few nest boxes dotted about too. They are also free to roam the garden all day, although I shut them in a hutch if there's no one home to keep an eye on them, or if I know the neighbours cats are out.
I emailed the lady I bought them from earlier today and asked her for advice and she said they'd be fine out so long as they had a cosy box to sleep in and I'm to bring them back in if they show any signs of shivering, or the temperature drops to 0 or lower. She seems to think the weather down here has been quite mild too which is reassuring as I thought I might just not be feeling the cold myself or something. Does her advice sound about right?
I still have the guinea pig cage in the house as a back up plan, so if they do start looking a bit chilly, I can bring them back in straight away.
Right, I'm going to go off down the garden with the kettle again!
What are they going to be in at night?
I have a heat lamp on my chicks that are the same age and they are out doors.
For a short time you could feed the layer pellets, but I would put them back on the grower as soon as you can.
I have a heat lamp on my chicks that are the same age and they are out doors.
For a short time you could feed the layer pellets, but I would put them back on the grower as soon as you can.
I don't have any words of of wisdom, just wanted to say I love the words "teatowels" and "wonky!"
- Thread starter
- #16
P&P are currently in a hutch like this - http://www.petsboutiques.eu/pet-supplies/image/large/400/40706457-pet-supplies.jpg although I've blocked off the ramp so they only have the top half. I have two buns loose in my shed and they are normally free to hop in and out of this hutch, I didn't want to shut them out completely so they have the bottom half and the chicks have the top (It is 5ft x 2ft). This is only temporary whilst they are still maturing.
The sleeping area actually has a built in nest box so P&P were shut in there over night with lots of hay and a hot water bottle, which I last topped up with hot water around midnight, so they would have spent the later hours of this morning with only their own body heat... but they were fine when I opened up the hutch this morning.
I'll get some more growers pellets ASAP! Typically, I have tomorrow off work but as it's new years day, the pet shops are all closed! They shouldn't be on layers pellets for more than a few days though.
My goodness, what "little island" are you living on exactly? Would it be Jersey? I got to visit there in the 70s. What a beautiful place!
I hate you couldn't find any more d'anvers, but sebrights are nothing to sneeze at.
When you introduce Pearl to the d'anvers, the best way would be to bring THEM to HER territory, one at a time, so that she has the chance to meet them on her own ground. It'll give her a little higher rank, so to speak.
Then move them out of their place and put her in there for a few days so she gets used to the place and feels like she's in possession. Then bring them back, again one at a time. If you have one that was friendly to her, put that one in with her first.
I know this sounds involved, but it's meant to give her a little more secure position until she's established with them. She might wind up on the bottom of the pecking order, but she'll accept that and be okay with it.
Then again, she just might wind up at the top!
I hate you couldn't find any more d'anvers, but sebrights are nothing to sneeze at.
When you introduce Pearl to the d'anvers, the best way would be to bring THEM to HER territory, one at a time, so that she has the chance to meet them on her own ground. It'll give her a little higher rank, so to speak.
Then move them out of their place and put her in there for a few days so she gets used to the place and feels like she's in possession. Then bring them back, again one at a time. If you have one that was friendly to her, put that one in with her first.
I know this sounds involved, but it's meant to give her a little more secure position until she's established with them. She might wind up on the bottom of the pecking order, but she'll accept that and be okay with it.
Then again, she just might wind up at the top!
- Thread starter
- #18
Nope, I'm not quite that far south! I live on the Isle of Wight. But I have been to Jersey and I agree, it's a really lovely place! I keep meaning to look into going again as I loved the zoo there!
Thank you for the advice about introducing the birds! I must admit, I have no idea about these chicken-y things! I'm very much learning as I go along. I think I probably would have tried to bond them like I did with my rabbits - I put them in a run with a wire divider down the middle and let them get used to each other for a few weeks. I will definately do as you've suggested though.
The lady I bought P&P from has said she has a spare young bird and if it turns out to be a hen, I can have it for free! I think she feels a bit bad that Peeps turned out to be a cockeral as she knew I was hoping for hens. I think I might take her up on the offer then they'll be two smaller chickens and hopefully they can kind of stick up for each other.
Thank you for the advice about introducing the birds! I must admit, I have no idea about these chicken-y things! I'm very much learning as I go along. I think I probably would have tried to bond them like I did with my rabbits - I put them in a run with a wire divider down the middle and let them get used to each other for a few weeks. I will definately do as you've suggested though.
The lady I bought P&P from has said she has a spare young bird and if it turns out to be a hen, I can have it for free! I think she feels a bit bad that Peeps turned out to be a cockeral as she knew I was hoping for hens. I think I might take her up on the offer then they'll be two smaller chickens and hopefully they can kind of stick up for each other.
- Thread starter
- #19
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