The Poultry Keeper

vezzer · Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 4 Location: kent

I am new to the site but have been reading all the posts. We got 3 16 week chickens last weekend to live in our 7 foot run. Dont know what kind of chickens they are but were good for laying ( the main reason for getting them). I am HOOKED. Super hen, tinkerbell and sleeping beauty have settled in well i think. They didnt really know what to do so spent lots of time in house. Are a bit more sociable now as come out when they hear us (me & 4 kids). The plan was to keep them in run and move it around. But have just built a pen around the run about 7m by 4 m. It is not fox proof as only 4 foot high and made with chicken wire but was scared they would run/ fly away. They have not gone over the top yet. I have a few questions for the experts.

We have a really large area (garden and paddock, we live on a farm but a really busy road runs one side and fields the other), should i just let them roam free. I am really worried about fox and them roaming too far around the garden. I would not be able to keep an eye on them and often have to pop out to do school run etc. I dont know what to do as we are already really attached to them.

They have had injections against various things but have read about worming, how what when.

Sorry long winded but wanted to give a full pitcure!
Thanks
V Laughing

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1825 Location: norfolk

Hello vezzer and welcome. Your chickens will be at risk from foxes and from traffic if they get on the road. If you want to let them roam free you need to start letting them out in the evening about 1 hour before they go to bed with a treat of a little hen corn to get them back in the run again when you want. If you only let them out when you are around then they will get the best of both worlds. Protection from predators and a chance to roam sometimes. Your fence won't keep them in for long methinks, so plan a permanent fox-proof pen for them or a moveable one they can't get out of anyway.

Worming: Flubenvet is the chemical way and to be honest, the most efficient. It is a powder that comes in a tub and you only need the titchiest bit added to their food and fed to them every day for a week. Someone on here will give you the proper maths on amounts I am sure.
You can also get Vermex which handily comes in pellet form and is the herbal wormer. Lots of folk on here swear by it but it won't get the most severe worms such as gape worm. (I'm sticking my neck out here as you will probably get lots of disagreement on this!) Twice a year should be ok with just the three chickens but as the numbers (of chickens) increase - and they will! you may need to increase worming frequency.

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3202 Location: Monmouthshire

I think Kated said it all - Flubenvet in March & September. I put a weighed amount of pellets into a 'builders bucket' add a splash of cod liver oil (any edible oil will do), stir it about by hand, add Flubenvet, stir again, and that's all they get for a week. The oil sticks the flubenvet to the pellets, otherwise it sinks to the bottom of the feeder. I mix more as I need it - a bucket full won't do 150 birds for a week!

vezzer · Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 4 Location: kent

Thanks for the helpful replies. I like the idea of roaming free occasionally had not quite thought of that yet. We plan to build a bigger fox proof run. We thought we would start small as was not sure if the chickens and I would get on, but they are lovely, they are nearly letting me touch them. Already we have been offered 2 bantums a cockeral and hen. We would really like them but the owner is not sure how they would get on with our 3 hens. The bantums would be for fun and chicks, but she is concerned about putting them all in together. They are also used to be completely free range. So i dont know how they would take to be penned in most of the time. Chickens are addictive!!! Have 2 ex battery on order as well and dont know if they will mix the girls.
V

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1110 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Hi & welcome Vezzer!

If you take your time and introduce them over a couple of weeks you should be ok. The new hens should be housed seperately for 1-2 weeks but in sight of the others. If there is no major fighting thro the fence, one dark night sneak them into the main coop. They will (hopefully) wake up and not realise there are more than the night before. This method also helps to isolate any with health problems before introducing to the flock and limits the possibility of disease spread.

Hth.
e

LauraMH · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:07 am Post subject:

You could get electric poultry fencing for along the road side. put it about 10 foot in from the road. Should keep foxes away and will extend their area. will also mean you have more room for more chickens. lol