The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[fifelakelooper]

The rascals DO scratch a lot of feed out Renie! I'm going to have to work on my "setup".

 

[justuschickens59]

Renie'sPeeps :

I know this is a little off topic... but my first yr I used a lot of those plastic totes lined with papertowel for the first couple of days... then changed over to the shavings... I STILL have dust in my house from winter before this one. We converted a 2x4 wooden shipping crate into a brooder. I had my husband to make it with a double floor... so I can slide a plastic dog pan layered with newspaper under it to catch the droppings. I move the chick into that brooder when they are a week old. I don't use very much shavings inside my house at all anymore. ALSO... I have discovered those 3 lb plastic hanging little giant feeders... They are FANTASTIC for saving feed. I was using those little round plastic feeders and my chicks were scratching the feed out of them as fast as I could fill them up... Well no more..my Orp chicks feet are too big... hahahaah they can eat out of them just fine without the worry of getting their heads stuck in a hole... but can't get those big feet into the feeder to scratch it out and waste it.. I am one a happy camper

Renie - is the first floor in your brooder wire? I love the idea of having a pan under to catch the droppings.​

 

[HenThymes]

Joy, it is the equine pellets that you use in your brooders? How much on the bottom? I am sick of shavings!!

I think Jeremy said he uses the corn cobs. Which is better?? Time to make some brooder changes.

I use the 3# hanging feeder too for my juvi's but they seem to throw just as much out of them as the others. I come in the barn in the morning and there is more on the ground below the hutch than there is in the feeder.

They need to invent chicken feeders with high lip curved sides on them so they can't flick it all out.

 

[Renie'sPeeps]

Renie - is the first floor in your brooder wire? I love the idea of having a pan under to catch the droppings

I start them out in a tote on paper towel for the first week. Then move them over to the wooden brooder with yes.. a wire floor... but I open a section of newspaper and place that over part of the wire so they can get off the wire if and when they want to... I place the feeder on the papered section. Any and all debri falls through wire floor and onto the paper lined tray below for easy clean up. The paper ontop does get soiled .. just roll it up and toss it. You can remove the paper inside completely after a few days providing your house is draft free

My wooden box is in my dog room and it stays colder in there than the rest of my house... soo I keep a light in on the chicks and use an old bed sheet to keep the temp up and the drafts off of the chicks. It works great!After 4 to 6 weeks.. the chicks are removed from my house and put into the coop nursery which is heavy with pine shavings... Soo they do get on them... just not so much in my house.

 

[Renie'sPeeps]

Fife... we are always working on our setups... lol always room for improvement somewhere... I just got sick of tossing money out the door . These feeders are the ticket for orp babies.. i am telling you..

 

[justuschickens59]

Tricia - I have heard the corn cob bedding and rice husk bedding is wonderful. I tried to find some here about a year ago, but couldn't find them. I'm going to do some looking again. The pine pellet bedding is 100% better than the shavings. Much less dust, they don't get all in the water, and I find they last longer and smell is MUCH better.

I have heard taht some people make feeders out of PVC pipe and the lip is really high curved so they can't scratch it out too much. We use the hanging feeders in the big coops and we have them high enough that they can't scratch it out - they work great. Can't using the hanging ones for my brooder - nothing to hang it from !!

 

[HenThymes]

I think my DH is picking up a bag of the pellets today for us to try. The 'in-laws"

arrive this Saturday and they are probably already going to freak at the laundry room being turned into a brooders room so anything I can do to help will be great.

Using the hanging feeders can be good but for juvi's they are just hopping and bouncing all over the place and knock into it all the time and it just is constantly spilling out.

I think trying to come up with a better feeder will be one of those project I tackle soon.

 

[youngbiddy]

Quote:
My MIL has said a couple of times, "It looks like this is as many chickens as your yard can hold".

You ain't seen nuthin' yet, lady.

 

[justuschickens59]

 

[Renie'sPeeps]

Can't using the hanging ones for my brooder - nothing to hang it from


Joy... yes the 3lbers are hangers.. I just dont hang them. I place it on the extra piece of newspaper over the wire floor to begin with.

The new hatched babies can walk on the feed but the scratching instinct doesnt kickin for my chicks until their feet are too big for the feeder.