UK Member Please Say HI

[BennienFlorrie]

Hi. Nice to see you here. You've definitely not had a good start with your hens. Thats a near vertical learning curve! Hopefully things will start looking up for you now. I guess you will now have your run and coop rat proofed or are you using bait? A friend of mine recently lost 27 hens and ducks to a dog. He was devastated and was going to throw the towel in but he's since put up better fencing and gates. So hopefully they'll be alot more protected now. I don't think you should have too many problems introducing 1 hen to 1 hen. You should maybe keep them separate for a while to see each other but not come into contact and too observe your new hen for illnesses. What chickens are you getting?

I have a Blacktail called Benedicte or Bennie for short and have just bought a Maran Coucou, called Omlette. I haven't done this strictly according to the book, Omlette is from Bennie's original flock and a very reputable farm so I'm not too worried about quarantining for a start. I put Omlette in an enclosure with her own food water and a box to hide/nest in but she seemed quite stressed and wouldn't settle. Bennie was interested but not aggressive.I finally managed to slide Omlette into the coop about10.30, having had to plonk her back her carrying box and shut the lid till she settled! Yesterday I let them into their enclosed run together with food and water each

 

[BennienFlorrie]

I have a Blacktail called Benedicte or Bennie for short and have just bought a Maran Coucou, called Omlette. I haven't done this strictly according to the book, Omlette is from Bennie's original flock and a very reputable farm so I'm not too worried about quarantining for a start. I put Omlette in an enclosure with her own food water and a box to hide/nest in but she seemed quite stressed and wouldn't settle. Bennie was interested but not aggressive.I finally managed to slide Omlette into the coop about10.30, having had to plonk her back her carrying box and shut the lid till she settled! Yesterday I let them into their enclosed run together with food and water each

, then let them out to forage with more food and water, but sharing. Bennie has had an occasional peck but apart from trying to stop Omlette eating anything doesnt seem too worried. Fortunately although she is a very greedy bird she's also very messy and enough food lands on the floor for Omlette to have her fill! As for rat proofing, the coop/run is now on a platform with inset legs so rats can't climb up, so far do good. I dont leave food or water out overnight either. We are going for traps though. I'm not too keen on using poison with the dogs around, and we are trying out a sonic deterrent too. Watch this space!

 

[CCUK]

, then let them out to forage with more food and water, but sharing. Bennie has had an occasional peck but apart from trying to stop Omlette eating anything doesnt seem too worried. Fortunately although she is a very greedy bird she's also very messy and enough food lands on the floor for Omlette to have her fill! As for rat proofing, the coop/run is now on a platform with inset legs so rats can't climb up, so far do good. I dont leave food or water out overnight either. We are going for traps though. I'm not too keen on using poison with the dogs around, and we are trying out a sonic deterrent too. Watch this space!

That's sounds good. I think because it's 1-1 they will be more interested in company than keeping each other away. There will still be a boss battle but it shouldn't come to much hopefully. They will settle. Its good that you trust your breeder. As for the book I'd say more guide than anything. If it works for you then that's great. Some things work, some things don't. It all about heading in the right direction with chickens!
I had an Araucana called omlet! Unfortunately I lost her earlier this year. As for feed, I have feeders that hang and I don't get any mess at all from them. I spill more when I fill them than the hens do! If your coop is on legs could you put some wire mesh underneath aswell to stop rats chewing through the bottom. When I was younger I lost all my quails to rats. They are awful things.

 

[CCUK]

@Nethielka. I do think you are a hatchaholic and are addicted to quails! How many hatches so far? I'm thinking of getting some more now that I have managed to evict the rabbit from the other side of the hutch! I only have four left. I quite like the painted quail. Have all yours hatched now?

 

[BennienFlorrie]

That's sounds good. I think because it's 1-1 they will be more interested in company than keeping each other away. There will still be a boss battle but it shouldn't come to much hopefully. They will settle. Its good that you trust your breeder. As for the book I'd say more guide than anything. If it works for you then that's great. Some things work, some things don't. It all about heading in the right direction with chickens!
I had an Araucana called omlet! Unfortunately I lost her earlier this year. As for feed, I have feeders that hang and I don't get any mess at all from them. I spill more when I fill them than the hens do! If your coop is on legs could you put some wire mesh underneath aswell to stop rats chewing through the bottom. When I was younger I lost all my quails to rats. They are awful things.

The coop base is now 3/4" thick board so hopefully the rats won't chew though it. I've recently switched to D bowls rather than my original hopper type of feeder but Bennie just likes to spray it all over the floor first. The only was

That's sounds good. I think because it's 1-1 they will be more interested in company than keeping each other away. There will still be a boss battle but it shouldn't come to much hopefully. They will settle. Its good that you trust your breeder. As for the book I'd say more guide than anything. If it works for you then that's great. Some things work, some things don't. It all about heading in the right direction with chickens!
I had an Araucana called omlet! Unfortunately I lost her earlier this year. As for feed, I have feeders that hang and I don't get any mess at all from them. I spill more when I fill them than the hens do! If your coop is on legs could you put some wire mesh underneath aswell to stop rats chewing through the bottom. When I was younger I lost all my quails to rats. They are awful things.

 

[BennienFlorrie]

The coop base is now 3/4" thick board so hopefully the rats won't chew though it. I've recently switched to D bowls rather than my original hopper type of feeder but Bennie just likes to spray it all over the floor first. The only was

Sorry, keep hitting post by mistake! I was going to say that mixing the feed with water slows her down and she quite likes it. At the moment she's dashing between food bowls to stuff as much down as she can before Omlette gets any and although she's not attacking she is blocking. Hopefully this will ease off in a day or two, I fed them separately this evening but Omlette wasn't acting like she was starving so I think she probably finds enough to eat

 

[boskelli1571]

Sorry, keep hitting post by mistake! I was going to say that mixing the feed with water slows her down and she quite likes it. At the moment she's dashing between food bowls to stuff as much down as she can before Omlette gets any and although she's not attacking she is blocking. Hopefully this will ease off in a day or two, I fed them separately this evening but Omlette wasn't acting like she was starving so I think she probably finds enough to eat

Check her crop in the evening, it should be full and moderately firm. If it's flat then she's not getting enough grub.

 

[CCUK]

Can anybody help. I'm looking for brahma chicks about 3-4 weeks old to put with my other chicks before they move outside. I would have incubated some eggs with the others but couldn't get eggs in time. But now I cannot find any! Does anybody know of any near Doncaster?

 

[504707]

@Nethielka. I do think you are a hatchaholic and are addicted to quails! How many hatches so far? I'm thinking of getting some more now that I have managed to evict the rabbit from the other side of the hutch! I only have four left. I quite like the painted quail. Have all yours hatched now?

I wouldn't say hatchaholic as I find a pain in my backside to monitor the chicks/incubator. I just like to know where my food comes from so I grow it myself
There are 10/14 chicks right now. I already know two of the eggs are dead so I am waiting for the last two to hatch - they are rocking as I type. Pretty good rate I suppose.
Rabbit hutches are so so so good for quail... I have the two tier one so I have space for 15 adult quail.

 

[JemimaP]

Spider mite???
My 8 week old girls have taken themselves to bed every night since I got them last week but last night they were in and out of the coop several times then finally snuggled up on a high roost in the run. I had to lift them off to put them in the coop and they eventually went in.
I’ve checked under the roost in the coop and no sign of red spider mite. How else would I know if I have them? I’ve cleaned the coop with poultry shield when I got it and again when I cleaned it out after the first week and sprinkled DE everywhere and in their dust bath.
Could they just be starting to want to roost at night (they don’t roost in the coop they huddle in the corner) and maybe looking for the highest place?
The roost in the coop is only a few inches off the ground. The roost in the run is 5 ft.
They snooze all day in the coop so they must like it but spider mite come out at night??