NEW TO CHICKEN KEEPING

[last bandit]

Hi everyone. This is my first time of keeping chickens which i will be getting this weekend, very excited . I have never kept chickens before so have been doing a lot of reading up on the up keep of them. I can't wait to be tasting my very first egg from my 4 welsummers that i will be having. I have a smallish garden with a couple of grass areas which i am thinking of using 1 off them to fence off as a run but I'm not entirely sure what to use. I will try and post some pictures of my coop and area that i am intending to fence off. I would love some help on this, what would be the best thing to use, Its needs to be easy to erect and fairly cheap to purchase, Any idea's anyone 19 19 19 . I would be grateful if you could give me some idea of what to use as bedding inside and out. Iv'e read that " AUBIOSE" is an excellent product to use, What do you loverly people think?. I'm so much looking forward to my new venture and taking to you all.

 

[Marigold]

Hi last bandit, and a big welcome to the Forum.
How exciting, to be getting your first chickens. It would, however, be a good idea to hold off for a bit, until you've got a secure run ready for them. Only a few days ago, there was a sad story on here by someone who got his first chickens at Christmas, only to have nearly all of them killed by a fox. You do need to take security seriously, foxes are very common everywhere and urban faxes are a real danger because they're so used to people. Whereabouts do you live?
Making one of your grass areas into a run is a good idea. Chickens need a minimum of 2 sq. metres of floor space each, so at least 8sq. Metres for your four girls. The run needs to be weldmesh as foxes can bite through thinner chicken wire, which keeps hens in, but isn't secure against predators. It needs a roof, preferably a solid one to help keep the run dry and to exclude wild birds, as foxes can climb a 6 ft fence with ease. And it needs to be fixed to the ground so nothing can burrow under it, eg rats or foxes. Yo might like to have a look at Poultrykeeper, see link at the bottom of the page, and read the Beginners Guide to keeping chickens, also try Foxes or Fencing in the Search box.
The floor of my covered run was lined with permeable weedproof membrane some years ago, well pegged down round the edges. This has lasted well with about 4 ins of Aubiose on top. I poo pick it every day, when I clean out the overnight droppings from the coop, and the girls enjoy digging in it. The membrane prevents them from digging earth up into the litter, so it stays cleaner and lasts longer.

 

[last bandit]

Hi marigold. Many thanks for your reply. I live in Balsall common, Warwickshire. The area in which they will be is under a ver large pergola and is slabbed and surrounded by gravel boards and fence all round. I was using the pergola framework to make my fence. It measures about 25ft x 12ft which I think will be perfect for them. Could you point me in the direction of which fence wire to use and where to get hold of it. Do you compost the droppings? Many thanks

 

[rick]

We live in Leaminton. There's a Countrywide Farmers (used to be Midshire I think) in Southam. Pets at Home are not bad for V large wood shaving bales and 20kg bags of layers pellets.
You will have no shortage of chicken poo, whatever you choose to do with it!

 

[Marigold]

That all sounds good. Hills of Devon has been well reviewed by people on here, see
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=hills+of+devon&tag=mh0a9-21&index=outdoor&hvadid=3170775900&ref=pd_sl_8m0zaxrpvg_p
If you Google Aubiose and get to their own web page there will be a list of suppliers, mostly equine establishments, and it will be a lot cheaper if you can collect it yourself. Chicken equipment dealers such as Flytes of Fancy cost the earth for delivery. The place I get mine from gives free delivery over 9 bales. You will need about 4-5 to start with and then some spars for topping up as it gradually gets removed when coating the droppings. Makes lovely compost but very rich - good for heating a heap containing grass clippings in summer. There are other kinds of bedding all perfectly suitable which may be more easily available to you, but hemp stems are much more absorbent than woodshavings and don't go mouldy like woodchippings do.

 

[last bandit]

Thanks for that. What gauge wire is best suited and high should it be. Also how often should they be given grit and oyster shell and garlic in there water

 

[Marigold]

If you are able to make the pergola into a walk- in run with the coop inside, the walls should be 2 metres high, and then a roof over that. Has the pergola got beams across the top? If so you could use them. I've used clear plastic corrugated sheets with a gutter for my run roof, which lets in light but helps to keep it dry. If you don't want a solid roof you should cover the top with the same mesh as the sides because foxes can climb in otherwise.
Opinions differ on what mesh to use - I've been pleased with the 1/2 kind because it excludes small vermin and the small size if the mesh prevents foxes biting into it. It comes in a thinner kind of wire than the 1", but you get just as much wire because there are more little squares making it up. Lots of people use the 1" size, which is fine, but if you go any bigger than that there's the risk that rats, mice or small birds can get in and possibly spread redmite or eat and contaminate food and water.
Just get a big bag of grit and shell and put out some in a heavy little pot, so they can have a nibble when they feel like it. They don't need much, just top it up now and then. Their layers pellets will contain plenty of calcium so the grit is the most important part, to help them grind up their food in their gizzards. Garlic in water is good but optional, like most supplements. Not essential but up to you. However, you should buy a pot of Flubenvet worming powder on the Internet, look around for best price, and treat them all a week of so after they arrive, once they've settled in and are all eating well. I've usually found that new birds go off their food a bit when in a new place as it's stressful for them, and as you add the powder to their pellets you want them to get the full dose. One pot will treat 20 hens, so 5 goes for yours, at 4-6 month intervals. You can buy Marriages pretreated pellets but you're not likely to get exactly as much as you want in a bag, and any left over will go out of date. The powder is easy to mix and has a good shelf life. For 4 hens you could mix 4 kilos to start with, ie 2 scoops of Flubenvet, and then mix another kilo if needed. They have to eat just treated pellets for 7 days, no extras. Have a look on Poultrykeeper for info on worms and worming.

 

[last bandit]

Yes they have beams running over the top. What do you use to fix the mesh, could I use a staple gun.

 

[Marigold]

If you've got one of those lethal-type builders staple guns, yes you could, otherwise just use plenty of ordinary staples. If you put the mesh on the outside, any predator could only press it inwards against the supports, whereas the chickens won't be pushing it off from inside!
We used mesh 1metre wide and put it round in two overlapped horizontal strips, and I 'sewed' then together with soft garden wire along the lengths. A bit tricky but it's worked well. It meant there were no vertical joins at the sides which was more secure I think.