Re: Help with our first Chickens
From: nuele mersch (fowls_at_nuele-online.de)
Date: 10/06/04
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Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 09:54:01 +0200
Ray Drouillard <cosmicpam2@comcast.net> wrote:
> "ex WGS Hamm" <alpha.bitchREMOVETHIS@virgin.net> wrote in message
> news:gBu8d.36$MP5.13@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
> >
> > "Jerrit Tyler" <jerrit@grnet.com> wrote in message
> > news:ae7c35cb.0410042133.640c6b01@posting.google.com...
> > > We can replace the frozen water daily. but we dont know if that is
> > > often enough.
It definitely isn't. Chickens drink quite a lot, especially if they are
laying.
> > > our yard is not fenced and we wonder if the chickens can wander
> around
> > > freely in the yard...will they stay or run off or be killed by
> > > predators?
They'll come back in the afternoon. How far they roam depends on the
character of the breed. I would guess that RIR will not wander very far.
I let mine roam freely, and I have lost three birds to stray dogs over
the years, but I prefer to see them in freedom. If there were loads of
daytime predators I might think different, though.
> > > They are 6-10 months old ad we wonder if/when they will start to lay
> > > eggs.
>
> We got our main flock on May 12, and they just started laying maybe a
> week ago.
If it's already cold and daylight hours are diminishing, they might not
start until spring. It really depends on the strain. Look out for bright
red, large combs - then you'll know that the first egg isn't far away!
> > > We lay their inside area with lots of hay and the outside yard area
> > > has some hay...all dirt floors, they scratch and eat all the ants
> they
> > > can find...
>
> Straw is cheaper than hay. Hay is fed to animals
and chickens eat it if there are no fresh greens available, thus causing
impacted crops especially if no stone grit helps them with digesting it.
>
> > > we feed them chicken feed, nothing else. should we be
> > > feeding them table scraps? bread? anything else? we are not sure if
> > > were doing this right and dont want sick/dead or lost chickens.
>
> Chicken feed is fine. You will probably want to get laying mash,
> crumbles, or pellets. We get laying mash from the local feed store
> (LeRoy, Michigan). You might also want to give them some oyster shells
> because they need calcium to make strong egg shells.
>
> >
> > They need grit.
>
> If they have access to the outside, they ought to be able to get plenty
> of gravel.
if there is gravel in the soil, that is
> We don't give them egg shells, though, because we don't
> want to teach them that eggs taste good.
If you let the shells dry first, and then crush them, there is no danger
of causing egg-eating to start. I fed mine crushed egg shells for years
with no problems.
>
> > I think that the tiny area you have them in is not large
> > enough.
>
> Most books I have read state that the chickens need two to three square
> feet each. A 4X8 coop has 32 square feet. That should be enough even
> for full confinement.
My books and journals all say ten square meters of outside run per bird.
Standard size birds that is. Ideally you have two different runs and
alternate, so that the first patch of lawn can recover while they graze
on the second.
> We never worm ours, and they are all healthy.
They will be for the first few years if the ground was not used by
chickens before. Gradually, the load of worm eggs in the ground will
increase to a point when worming will be necessary in regular intervals.
The smaller the area they can run on, the sooner they will need worming.
You can give a sample to the vet's from time to time to have it checked,
so you can be sure you only give them medication when necessary.
Especially if you notice diarrhoea for longer than one day (that's where
a droppings board is so useful)
Nuele (D)
- Next message: J Smytje: "The CONservation organised culls."
- Previous message: nuele mersch: "Re: Hollandaise/Polish query"
- In reply to: Ray Drouillard: "Re: Help with our first Chickens"
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