Accessories For Sale

Hi Kathryn, this is the second time of replying to your comment! This afternoon I had written a VERY long reply, then when I clicked on submit, this stupid page came up saying something about Hashcash couldn't submit my comment, please contact the administrator!

Couldn't submit my comment? It's MY BLOG!!! lol Anyway, I contact the lovely John, my mentor who sorts out all my problems, and he said hashcash is an antispam thingy, and my reply is now floating around in cyberspace somewhere!!!!

So, I'll start again and try to remember what I wrote, but before I click on submit, I'll save the text!!!!

Right, our chicks normally come out of their brooder shed at 4-5 weeks old, but if yours are happy and have enough room, they will be okay for a while longer!

I haven't got my for sale stuff sorted yet. we bought 2 poultry arks from a friend who builds stables and field shelters. He has started making arks and poultry houses as well, and they are very good quality. We have mentioned that they would be cheaper to courier to people if they can flat pack. I don't think I'd sell he small one for chickens, as we have 2 hens in there at the moment and they have very little walking around room and no room to spread their wings! the larger ark is better, and would do for 3 largish chickens or maybe 4 bantams. Its 55"high, 78" long and 59" wide at the bottom. The top of the ark is the house and has a ramp leading down to the run area. The house has a double nest box and a perch.

Personally I would want a bigger run attached to the side of it, as we like our chickens to have plenty of room.

Don't rush into buying anything, as most chicken houses are not very well made and are expensive.

I don't know whereabouts you live, but around here our biggest garden centre has started to stock chicken houses, but again we are not impressed with the quality or the sizes of them.

Most people we know, including one of our own, is a garden shed adapted for them with a pophole cut in the side, and a door made slightly bigger than the hole which should be about a foot tall and slightly smaller widthways. Make the door so that it slides up and down, rather than opening out, because then if the wind blows, the worse that can happen is the door goes down and shuts, rather than blows open leaving your chooks to the elements and vermin etc.

Our nest boxes are on the outside of the house, with holes cut in the sides of the shed to allow access for the chickens, but I know of people who have boxes inside the house, slightly raised off the floor. They really need to be covered boxes, our external ones have an opening lid so you can get to the eggs easily, and it keeps the nestbox dark the way the chooks like it. the ouse should be at least 1sq ft per bird minimum.

Make your run out of something thicker than chicken wire as I have heard that foxes can chew through the chicken wire. The run should be as large as possible, but 1sq metre per bird is the absolute minimum. Have the wire 5-6ft high if possible as some birds like the Amberlinks can fly quite high, and really the wire should be dug into the ground again to keep out vermin.

Ideally part of the run should be covered over with something to make a dry area that the chooks can play and dustbathe in when it rains.

They will need a drinker and feeder, available from many places online or petshops.

Layers pellets or mash should be fed to them adlib, with a handful of mixed corn late afternoon befor they go to bed. They love greens, like cabbage leaves and most veg, and dandelions are very good for them, as is chickweed. They will eat most weeds and you can give them some of your lawn mowings, but not too much in case it sticks in their crop. Ragwort is a no no as its poisonous to animals.

2 or 3 times a year worm them with something like flubenvet, which you just add to their feed. Verm-X is another one, but you can't eat any eggs for 7 days with that one. I clean our houses out regularly with Jeyes fluid, but don't let them go back in until its properly dry, and I spray the houses with poultryshield against red mite. And dust the birds with red mite powder. You don't want red mite, they are minute little grey things which hide in cracks and come outat night and feed off your chooks blood! Then they turn red!

Right, I think that's all I can think of right now, but do please look at the allotment growing site that one my sites I like bit on the right here. We have a lovely large poultry info and forum bit on there, its where I learned most of what I know now!

I hope your chicks do well for you! Ann

Hi Grannieannie!!!! Sounds like you're talking to yourself doesn't it??? lol Of course you would be welcome to visit and meet our girls (and the odd boy!!!) Give us a call on 01775 820922 so we can arrange something. It only takes us about 45 minutes to Lincoln, so its not too bad a journey for you!

Talk to you soon. Ann

Hi Debbie. I actually have never used verm-x, becuase originally on the allotment forum I belong to someone said you couldn't eat the eggs until after 7 days. Then another time someone said you can't eat the eggs for 7 days if you use Flubenvet, but again, if you look on the packaging, it says no egg withdrawal, so I am as confused as you!!!! lol

I would say go with what the manufacturers say on the packaging, after all, if anyone knows about the product, it SHOULD be them shouldn't it??? lol

Hope your chickens are okay!!! Ann

Hi Phil, well that's okay then isn't it about the Verm-X. Like I said bove, I've never actually used the stuff myself, but then again, if your husbandry is good and especially if you can move the chicken runs around so they get fresh ground, you shouldn't have to use it all the time. We only worm ours twice a year, and so far to my knowledge, none of our girls have ever had worms. We also give them apple cider vinegar which apparently the worms can't live in guts with apple cider vinegar in it as they don't like the acidity.

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, been out most of today, but yes, you are very welcome to come down and see us. We don't have an allotment, only a garden, but we were inspected by DEFRA 2 weeks ago, and the DEFRA vet was happy with us! I'll send this message by email too and give you my phone number. We are around most days, but have to go out next Wednesday as its my friend's birthday, and next weekend, I may even get to go out to lunch on the sunday as its my birthday!!! lol (wishful thinking!!!) Does Jake like dogs? our Penny is a lab x springer, so she is a bit boisterous, but loves children!! So please bring him with you!!! So talk soon then!

Hi Lynn, you'd be very welcome to come and meet the 'family'! Give me a call on 01775 820922 and we can arrange something! I tried to email to you last night, but it came back as undeliverable, so hope you see this!

We are not actually in Bicker, but on the other side of the A52. Just a mile down from the Bicker Bar roundabout and the Texaco garage! I don't know about expert though!

Talk soon, but not tonight! lol I'm off to bed in a mo, but just going to check on the new chicks. some hatched yesterday, some today and a few more to come, so you'll be able to see the babies as well!!!

Take Care Ann

Hi Ann, thanks for the message. I hope your chickens are okay! There could be seveal reasons for the baldness.
One is pecking like you said, but it doesn't seem to be that unless they wait until you are out of sight? lol Another is parasites like lice or mites? Lice live on the birds and are similar in size to human lice so you can usually see them running about on the birds, particularly under the wing up where our 'armpit' is. And the eggs are laid at the base of the feathers. Mites are really tiny and live in the wood. Any little crack, knot hole, screw hole will do, I have also found them living inside the feeders! Get a piece of kitchen towel, and after it gets dark, rub the towel along the bottom of their perch, or in the day time, take the perch out if its movable and look at the ends. Are there tiny little red things squirming about, or when young and not feeding on the chickens blood they can appear almost white, or grey or black???

But yes, of course you can pop round sometime, just give us a call when you want to come round. 01775 820922

Talk soon Ann

Oh and also, some chooks are coming up to moulting time, could just be that! I've got one that I think has been pecked recently, but now she is moulting, she looks almost oven ready!! lol