What housing do I need

Floor area should be a minimum of 1 square foot per bird (large fowl) or 8" square for bantams. If you can give them more space then so much the better bearing in mind they will be spending time in the henhouse sheltering from the rain and wind. Perches should allow a minimum of 9" for large fowl and 6" for bantams and be 2" wide.

It is advisable to have your coop slightly raised off the ground to deter vermin from nesting underneath. Cleaning once a week is best to deter red mite which do like to live in the nooks and crannies of the coop, many people advise not using felt roofs but red mite can still occur in the wood joints of the house, basically keep the coop clean.

Make sure there are perches for your hens to roost, nest boxes, usually in the darkest part the coop, for your hens to lay your lovely eggs and straw or shavings for the bedding, hay is not recommend due to mould spores from the hay that will give your hens breathing problems. Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the house, wire mesh 2.5cm square over a small opening at the top of the coop to ensure there are no draughts.

MOST IMPORTANT, make sure your house is fox proof with a strong bolt and coop's pophole is shut everynight, the night you forget to close it,you can guarantee, is the night Mr Fox will pay a visit.

 

Do they Bite

No chickens dont bite they peck, they dont really hurt when they peck, sometimes if you have gold on ie braclet, ring, they will try to peck it thinking it is food.

Poo

Chickens do poo rather alot, sometimes it is runny, sometimes it is yellow, this is all perfectly normal, however if your hen's poo is yellow all the time this is an indication that worming is needed.

Also too much lettuce can give your girls diarrhea.

 

How much food do I give

Chickens dont need their food to be rationed, keep your feeder topped up all the time with layers pellets. hens can only hold around 4oz of food in their crops, which they digest during night, This is the reason why we suggest you only give treats in the afternoon, thus ensuring they have eaten a good quantity of pellets before you fill them up with other treats.

 

Should I leave food and water in the coop

Generally not advisable, once the hens go into the coop and night, they will just settle down and go to sleep, they do not need food and water during this period. Also keeping food in the coop can attract vermin into your hen house, rats will and can chew through wood to get to food.

 

Laying tiny eggs/eggs with soft shell

When you hens start to lay their first eggs, they can be all manner of strange shapes and sizes, some can be the size of a marble while others can be the size of a medium egg. Also they can lay with a very soft shell or even with no yolk in at all.

This is all perfectly normal, and things tends to settle down once they have gotten into the swing of things, and eggs do get larger.

Note, if you hen is older and has suddenly started to lay soft shell eggs then this can be an indication of a calcium deficiency, a bowl of mixed girt with shell is an excellent way of helping them get the extra calcium they need or some limestone flour which is pure calcuim carbonate.

 

How do I introduce new hens to an existing flock

This can be a tricky one, as your hens already now have a pecking order established. every hen knows its place in terms of feeding, roosting perches (yes they all have their own spot) ect. There are a couple of ways this can be done, I would always recommend introducing at least two hens to an existing flock unless you only have one original hen.

• Have temporary pen set up where the new hens are kept apart from your existing hens but they can see each other. Place the food bowls on either side of the pen fence so they are eating together side by side but cannot get to each other. let them get used to each other for a couple of weeks then put them toghether.
• Another way is to put the old hens in the temporary pen and put your new hens the the origanl coop, again where they can see each other. Then after a couple of weeks put them all in together.
• If problems are still happening, mainly with the hen top of the pecking order, just remove her, again keeping her where the others can still see each other for a few days then pop her back in with the others,
• When deciding the time is right to merge the two flocks together, its best done at night, wait a good half hour after your last established flock hen has gone to roost and they all are on their own favourite spots then place the new hens in with them. The next day leave them a little bit longer than normal before you let them out, say around 10am to give them chance to get acquainted in a dim and calm environment.

Another tip I have heard about but not tried myself is to rub each hen with a clove of garlic so they all smell the same, then at dusk after the existing flock hens have roosted, place the new hens (smelling of garlic also) in with them, and then let them all out again next day together. This tip may be handy if you do not have a temporary pen available for your new hens.coops.

 

What does POL Mean

POL is short for Point of lay which is the period of time up to when a pullet lays her first egg. This is usually between 16- 22 weeks. Once a pullet has layed her first egg, she is then called a hen.

 

 

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