Yay we have three chickens and I forgot what species they are, doh!
One is Rhode Island Red, another is blue with furry feet, another is a normal brown. They aren't point of lay because we want DD1 to watch them grow up. They are very happy for her to pat them gently etc. We will need to eventually clip their wings so that we can let them roam free in the backyard (more space, more food).
Off to get them some laying food soon, but I have bird seed, can I feed them bird seed? Anything I should NOT feed them?
Chocolate, onions and citrus..NOT to feed.
We bought a book called Backyard Poultry Naturally byf Alanna Moore, it's a great book.
Enjoy..the normal brown is probably and Isa Brown.
Your blue one could be a Pekin..this one does not need wing clipping.
A tip in my book says routine garlic in the birds drinking water is a good preventative for diarrhoea.
Dh went out and got me 2 new chickens (a peace offering seen as we had a fight last night =P) anyway..
They are dark brown with a hint of red, he thought they might be Rhonde Is Reds, but not sure, I'll take a photo next time I'm out there with them. They are in the same cage that Balina was, but he has gone around and reinforced the wire in weak spots. I'm really hoping Shelby doesn't get them..
so, my new girls. not as friendly as Balina, but they will be if i have alot of contact with them right?
We bought 5 today @ the market, I have no idea what they are, just wanted something to start with to make sure no foxes get in, will post some pics tomorrow.
They are named Penelope (mine), Dora (DD1's), Barbie (DD2), Betsy (MIL named it) & Roast (DP) but they all look VERY similar, mine and DD1's looked lighter in color. How do you tell your chickens apart?
Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!
Also ladies now we have our chickens what are things i need to do for them or check them for?
I just read about galic in the water ?????
HotI will hopefully come check them out when she's not so PG and TB has arrived and let me know some more Do's & Don'ts but until then i need a quick run down.
Regarding feed we bought a mix from the guy at the market (will get the type & name) and we will be giving them scraps, they loved the lettuce & chicken we gave them yesterday and i will sneak them a few wormks every now and then from DP's worm farm
I am making a list though to go on the fridge for DP and to show the girls of things chickens LIKE and things NOT TO FEED, i know there are random suggestions throughout the thread but maybe if we can get a list together and make 1 big post to add to the front page or something?
DO NOT FEED - Avocado, Onions, Green Potato Skins, Rhubarb, Chocolate, Citrus Fruits
Pictures HERE of 1 Chicken with Miss A then a pic of a few random shots.... can someone tell me the breed? i can take a better pic today with the proper coloring etc.
I love our chickens or chook chooks as DD calls them
My boys can tell the difference between our two Australorps as one has an up tail and the other has down tail..it's a bit like twins in real life, the more you hang around them the less the differences become
We buy the poultry mix and also some shell grit and mix it up. We have discovered the birds eat more than the chooks out of the feeder we have, so now we just put enough seed on the ground for the chooks to eat.
My next Question is about clipping their wings, when/how do you do it?
We would love to free range them a bit during the day (once we introduce the dogs to them) and then lock them up later in the day or when we go out but i don't want them flying off down the paddock etc?
Ohhhhh HOTI where are you, i need you to write me up a chicken fact sheet
Is it weird all I want to do is go down, let them out and watch them run around the paddock?
Don't trust our dogs though, or the cat. Hmmm have to figure out how to 'introduce' them. Thinking lock 4 chicks away in the back room then let the dogs suss out 1 or just all in a room and 1 dog at a time????
Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!
Probably no need to cut their wings. We have only done it when they start flying over fences. Not all chooks do it, and yours have probably got heaps of space that they will be content in.
The dogs?? That will be trickier. As you know, my dogs never bothered the chooks. Our older dog moved here with us, and we inherited one chook from the previous owners. The dog had one sniff, and we said strongly "no", and she knew they were off limits. The other dog came as a pup after the chooks. She would round them up sometimes, but being quite strict with her as a pup, she knew they were off limits. The dog will chase birds and ducks and whatever else comes in the yard but leaves the chooks alone.
The neighbours had no success with combining chooks and dogs, and have to keep fences between them.
It is best to keep chooks locked up for a couple of weeks so they get to know where home is. At night, go in and put them on the perch so they know where to sleep. If they sleep in the nesting boxes, they will poo in there and then you get poo on your eggs. After a few days, they should go on the perch automatically.
When you start to let them out, do it for just an hour or two before sunset. They should go for a run and then head back to their house when it starts to get dark without you having to move them. If they don't, then keep them locked up for another few days.
It is not always so easy to move chooks back into their house during the day, so easier to let them out at a time when you can let them make their own way back and then just lock them in.
i wouldn't let dogs in the chook house at all. that should be their space- plus you don't want the dogs eating their food or your eggs.
Thanks HotI, I put them all on the perches tonight when we took them some scraps & fresh water.
We will be checking them twice a day but the girls want to spend all arvo in there
Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!
Does anyone know if we can get different colored I'd bands or something for them, the girls can't tell them apart ??? Like the pigeon leg bands or something?
They have liked the scraps and the girls throw some feed
Mix on the floor for them to scratch around every time we go in.
They were alive this morning and don't seem to mind a pat once we catch them (pics in fb, will
Upload later)
The girls are in love!
Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!
You can get bands. Something we have been meaning to do, so we can mark the ones for breeding, the ones for eating and the ones for selling. Will see what I can find out for you about where to get them from.
ETA: Check out eBay. I am going to chat to my local ag store first (well one of many), if they are of no help, then I will just use eBay.
Last edited by Astrid; January 16th, 2012 at 05:49 PM.
Registered User
but they all look VERY similar, mine and DD1's looked lighter in color. How do you tell your chickens apart?
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