UPDATE.....Help we have novice humans

[macbeth]

Hi everyone

Thanks for replying to my post last night...I have taken more pics of the chicks and would be grateful for any help you can give on sex...As for breed i think they are mutt's though someone posted that 2 look like Marans.

Roast

Popcorn at back, Lucky hiding head

Popcorn

Lucky

Roast (my fave)

Roast

Lucky

Stripe

Stripe

Stripe with Lucky at back

Popcorn

leg view of from left Lucky Stripe, Popcorn.

Stripe

The gang



While I am already taking up all of your time can you tell me where we might be going wrong in their care or anything we are missing..... We have them on straw bedding with a tray of dirt for baths, they are on chick feed with some veg and tibits from the kitchen, they have their water which for this week I have added an apple cider tonic, they are getting out for about an hour each day at moment until their run is finished (the weather in Ireland is terrible and a farmer said they are too young to be out in the rain). They have half a shed with perches put in and logs. We are hiding food around the pen to keep them amused. I have no idea about worming!! When do we do it and what do we use? I read somewhere to use garlic but don't know how much or is this just a system booster like we would take!! I have ordered grit for them though they had some sand in with them for a while which they preferred digging in. I have kelp drying to put in their coop and they have a bowl of crushed boiled egg shells which they only seem to like if mixed with a little boiled rice. I read something about some earth which I can't spell or pronounce what is this used for?

Sorry to be such a pain...We did buy a book (honestly but it concentrated more on breeds and ways in which you can kill your chicks without meaning too)!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Lothiriel]

Stripe is a definite cockerel. And I'd guess Popcorn is as well. Roast and Lucky appear to be pullets. (Stripe and Popcorn could possibly be Black Sexlinks -- the males are barred similar to Barred Rocks.)

Ah.. Diatomaceous earth -- DE for short and easier to say! With poultry it's used to control parasites, like mites, lice, and worms. It's basically fossilized diatoms all crushed up so their edges are sharp, and soft-bodied insects get cut and they are supposed to die. You can dust your birds with it for the external parasites and mix it in their feed for the internal parasites. So the DE helps with the worming aspect as well.

Worming.... Personally I have only wormed my birds once on all the 6 years I've had them, and that was just this past summer. It probably was unnecessary because none of them had any worms.

I don't know what books you can get over there in Ireland -- unless you can order online or something -- but a lot of people recommend Raising Chickens for Dummies by our very own Nifty-Chicken. I don't have it, but I've seen it in my local feed store and it looks great. Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens was another helpful source.

Anyway, I'm sure others will come along and give you more info!

 

[AccentOnHakes]

I didn't look at all the text, but from the pictures, it appears you got a bunch of BSL's. All the barred ones are male, and the other one is female.

 

[macbeth]

Thanks folks