Topic: getting the chicks monday

[manicscousers]

yaaaay, just been e mailed, we can have our ladies on monday instead of 13th september so we can see them settled before we go on holiday  ;D

[ceres]

Great news - pictures please!

[kt.]

Wot ya' gettin?  Wot ya' gettin?  Wot ya' gettin?  Breed?  8) 8) 8)

[manicscousers]

sorry, ktlawson, ex bats, don't think they'll be 'lookers' for a while  ;D
anyone know about layer's mash, is it just pellets, mashed with water ?
that's what I've been told by one person, someone else says buy it separately, really getting contradictory info at the mo,
the hen welfare trust insists they must be fed on this for the first month, with pellets being offered too,  ???
anyway, we're all doing research like mad now, so everyone has ideas  ;D
should be interesting  ;D

[kt.]

anyone know about layer's mash, is it just pellets, mashed with water ?

Because they are ex battery hens their stomachs may not be able to handle pellets just yet.  once you get them fattened up a bit,  then switch to pellets when they become stronger.  It looks like porridge oats.  Just add water and mix it.  (Try to keep it out of the rain)

[manicscousers]

thanks, matey, we're going to the chicken shop on friday, see what we can get  ;D

[grawrc]

Can the hen welfare trust not explain what it is? Delighted to hear you are getting your chicks. Who'll look after them when you're on holiday? Going anywhere nice?

[teresa]

Layers mash is the powder form of the layers  pellets, normaly given dry it just takes a hen longer to eat so less time to get bored.
From the shop get some mixed grit, this is oyster shell and grit mixed good for the digestion and egg shells.
Look out for cloudy Apple Cider Vinigar, very good for all amimals put in the water ( plastic conatiner) .
Get a small bag of mixed corn or wild bird seed to scatter on the ground gets them use to looking around and scratching.
Cabbage leaves to peck at be carefull of lettuce mine love it but it does give them the runs.
but most of all enjoy them.

[manicscousers]

wow, this is brilliant information...Anne, the rest of the plot holders, especially Geoff, who is chicken mad, in the best way, we're off to cornwall for a fortnight, really looking forward to it
anyway, the 'girls' will be well looked after, geoff's mate keeps chucks so advice is available if necessary  ;D
teresa, thanks for the advie, makes it really simple, lots of the books contradict themselves  ;D

[Old bird]

hi Manics

I give mine the layers mash and pellets.  I started with just the mash and then added the pellets into a separate feeding thingy!

They do not like the pellets as much at all and this is now 2 and a half months in now!  They still prefer the mash!  The Trust said that it is like confort food for them (as it is all that they have ever known).

The lady that got hers a couple of weeks ago just gives hers cooked pasta and vegetable bits and pieces and pellets and I have persuaded her to give them layers mash with the cooked food although I visited them this morning before they were on the site and the chooks had a dreary mush in their bowl which they certainly weren't keen on!

Mine are having a terrific diet of slighly past their sell by date of vegetables and fruit, which I collect from the local greengrocers, although there is far too much of it for my lot - I take it and then leave the excess out for the bin men!

They adore melons, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach just about everything really!

I hope yours aren't too "oven ready".  It would be good for you to get photos before and after your holiday.  The difference a couple of weeks makes is incredible!

Have a great holiday!

Old Bird

 ;D

[rykneld38]

Lucky you,,,,,,,,,,and of course,, lucky hens


Andrew

[lolabelle]

how fantastic, how lucky they are to be having a great home. photos please

[manicscousers]

well, we've got them, must admit they're better than we expected, one's up on a perch already, one's perched on the mash trough stopping everyone else getting any, the two biggest are fighting one another  ;D
anyway, camera battery is flat so will get photos tomorrow  ;D

[Old bird]

Brilliant - well done those girls! 

I am so pleased for you!  It doesn't take them long does it!

Now you can go on your holidays happily manics - have a good time!

Old Bird

[manicscousers]

thanks, old bird, my grandson was so disappointed, the lady told him they may lay an egg for him on the way back and they didn't, he's been promised one of the first  ;D

[Flunky]

They are ACE !!!!! we got 4 chickens last Sunday we put them in their pen and "Queenie" (not my choice) laid her first egg  ;D. You could of knocked me down with one of thier feathers LOL. I wanted ex-battery hens but the lady who I phoned about them really put me off and I felt bad because I asked if they lay eggs and she told me off !!!! so we got some from a friends reccomendation. They have a penthouse. 17.5 sq m pen for 4 birds. They seem happy enough.

I hope you enjoy. We spend hours watching them.

[manicscousers]

tomorrow morning will be interesting  ;D

[manicscousers]

can we feed them windfall apples ?

[Old bird]

Mine are offered anything in the fruit and vegetable spectrum.  They LOVE apples - I generally halve them so that they have something to bite on (so to speak) Their teeth aren't very sharp yet!!!!

I get all the sub standard fruit and vegetables from a small veg shop and they are offered allsorts.  They do not like citrus of any sort - root veggies need to be cooked they LOVE melons grapes any and all greens tomatoes (again I break the skin for them) not so keen on mushrooms, strawberries - so basically most things they just love although they take a little while to work out some things like avocados and such like!

Brilliant I bet they are happy birds today!

Best wishes

Old Bird
 ;D

[manicscousers]

here we go, and Callum got the first egg  ;D
perching is henrietta  ;D
Callum insisted we put a pic of where they got to, hence the pooey wall  ;D