kegsy
New member
Hi everyone, just a quick Hello, starting out in the world of chicken keeping - picking up my hens next Monday!
Hi everyone! NEW PICTURES ADDED
- Thread starter kegsy
- Start date
Davidd
Active member
Hello and welcome to the forum 
Lots of nice,very experienced people on here to help you out if need be! enjoy your chickens
regards, David
Lots of nice,very experienced people on here to help you out if need be! enjoy your chickens
regards, David
foxy
Active member
Hello and welcome Kegsy! 99
99Rebelodicus
New member
Hiya kegsy Welcome to my Asylum 07
07kegsy
New member
Hey everyone, thanks for the welcomes!
So, picked up my hens nearly 2 weeks ago and they have settled in well. I got a couple of hybrid point of lays (the two black feathered ones) and two cream legbar pullets.
My coop is a renovated dog kennel which I painted and replaced the roof with corrugated metal sheeting. I set this on a pallet on four posts with a ramp. I also put some wooden broom handles inside for perches. At the minute I'm still trying to find decent nest boxes but currently using a cat litter tray - sometimes there is an egg in it, but sometimes the egg is on the floor of the kennel. We have then built an enclosure around it for when we aren't around and used chicken wire with a pegged down skirt. We also put in some logs and branches for them to perch on during the day.
They immediately roosted only an hour after bringing them home and each day they are more settled. I had my first egg the very next day! Albeit a bit wrinkly (but it tasted great!).
I let them out of the coop early morning for food and water and my other half (a farmer) gives them a second feed and egg check in the afternoon.
They are a bit skittish - especially the cream legbars, but they do hang about when I'm in the enclosure cleaning. The hybrids especially are getting brave coming closer to me each time!
We let them wander outside the enclosure after a few days in the enclosure (there's a scrubby area behind their coop) and they loved all the fresh greenery.... but after twenty minutes they went back to their enclosure. So at least they like their home!
I think there is only one hen laying at the minute, getting an egg every couple of days - a couple were cracked at their top in the beginning but now are perfect. I have also found a few "burst water balloons" in the enclosure which I assume are soft egg shells?! But I have been chucking in loads of mixed grit and oyster shell so hopefully that is doing the trick.
Treatwise, they don't care for pears, celery or cabbage but they LOVE cherry tomatoes!
I should mention their names...... Velma & Roxie ( the two hybrids) Pippa (dark head Cream legbar) and Mabel (light head cream legbar). So far it seems that Velma is the boss (and laying).
Hope the pictures turn out OK!
Top is Velma, then Mabel, Pippa and Roxie
Roxie and Mabel
"San Quentin" chicken enclosure
First egg
From the top, Velma, Mabel and Pippa
Sorry for the mega long post but couldn't stop myself!!
So, picked up my hens nearly 2 weeks ago and they have settled in well. I got a couple of hybrid point of lays (the two black feathered ones) and two cream legbar pullets.
My coop is a renovated dog kennel which I painted and replaced the roof with corrugated metal sheeting. I set this on a pallet on four posts with a ramp. I also put some wooden broom handles inside for perches. At the minute I'm still trying to find decent nest boxes but currently using a cat litter tray - sometimes there is an egg in it, but sometimes the egg is on the floor of the kennel. We have then built an enclosure around it for when we aren't around and used chicken wire with a pegged down skirt. We also put in some logs and branches for them to perch on during the day.
They immediately roosted only an hour after bringing them home and each day they are more settled. I had my first egg the very next day! Albeit a bit wrinkly (but it tasted great!).
I let them out of the coop early morning for food and water and my other half (a farmer) gives them a second feed and egg check in the afternoon.
They are a bit skittish - especially the cream legbars, but they do hang about when I'm in the enclosure cleaning. The hybrids especially are getting brave coming closer to me each time!
We let them wander outside the enclosure after a few days in the enclosure (there's a scrubby area behind their coop) and they loved all the fresh greenery.... but after twenty minutes they went back to their enclosure. So at least they like their home!
I think there is only one hen laying at the minute, getting an egg every couple of days - a couple were cracked at their top in the beginning but now are perfect. I have also found a few "burst water balloons" in the enclosure which I assume are soft egg shells?! But I have been chucking in loads of mixed grit and oyster shell so hopefully that is doing the trick.
Treatwise, they don't care for pears, celery or cabbage but they LOVE cherry tomatoes!
I should mention their names...... Velma & Roxie ( the two hybrids) Pippa (dark head Cream legbar) and Mabel (light head cream legbar). So far it seems that Velma is the boss (and laying).
Hope the pictures turn out OK!
Top is Velma, then Mabel, Pippa and Roxie
Roxie and Mabel "San Quentin" chicken enclosure First egg From the top, Velma, Mabel and PippaSorry for the mega long post but couldn't stop myself!!
Tim
Administrator
Some lovely hens... a little late but welcome from me too ;-)
