gonna get some chooks tomorrow

[gunners71uk]

http://www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/black-rock.htm
hoping to get these tomorrow if not lohmann browns i went to a pet shop and asked for poultry grit and got given pigeon grit is that the same thing ?

[Millymollymandy]

I've just googled it and it seems to be a mix of crushed oyster or other shell and flint grit. Seems that 'grit' in the UK can mean both shell and grit, just to confuse you!!! Well they need both so you'll be OK.

Good luck with them Gunners and if you have any questions fire away!

[gunners71uk]

well they had 24 hrs in coop been let out into run and came within 10 mins one seems a bit shy coming out and back in feed water gritn oyster now in run will be took in at night one they got use to that run then i let them in to free range area, i am a bit aprehensive about getting them back into coop as its their first time will they know what to do i hope so or i not sure what to do ???

[Millymollymandy]

They generally put themselves to bed at dusk or just before, but young hens can be a bit more difficult to start with. Just gently herd them towards the door without startling them too much and they will soon get the hang of the routine and do it themselves.

[Rosendula]

We've had our 3 for just over a week now. The first evening, they didn't know where to go and I didn't know at what stage of the light going they would want to go to bed. I watched and waited, and as the sun went down, one of them started to cluck a lot and peck at the wire all around the edge of the cage, so I guessed she was trying to get out to find her way home to bed. They'd never seen a ladder or a hatchway before and didn't know how to use them, so we picked them up and put them through the hatch into their house.

The next morning, when I opened the hatch, they looked out but didn't seem to know what to do with the ladder again. I tried encouraging them out gently, but it didn't work. Leaning into the house, I tried encouraging the leading lady out of the hatch. She got out so far, then turned and ran back in. So I took her out of the house through the main door and put her in the run. Seeing her down there, the other two came out, very slowly and carefully through the hatch. They never went in again all day, so I wondered if I would have to put them to bed again on the second night, but as soon as the light started to go, off they went up the steps all on their own.

[Millymollymandy]

Ah, that's so sweet. The learn quickly don't they?

[gunners71uk]

ours went to bed themselves i have a leading lady she gives me a light pech she escaped as i had the run open but we got her back in i think shes gonna get called mrs t lol i have not let them out into free range run that be later in week so they know a nit at a time they are funny -dave

[Millymollymandy]

Goodo Dave, glad it's going OK. It's a good idea to keep them in their smaller enclosure for a while until they know where home is and are more settled. Like the hen name.

[Rosendula]

Ours were in the small run that forms part of the coop for about 5 days, then OH built them a run extension and they loved it. On Saturday, when we'd had them a week, I let them out just a little bit onto the path with DD1 and myself blocking escape routes - just a tiny amount of space, but they had fun. Unfortunately, they got the idea that they were coming out every time after that . Yesterday, I was digging the end of the lawn where I need to improve the drainage and I let them come down with me. I was scared stiff they were going to disappear, but it was mid-afternoon, so I figured if they did do a runner, they'd come back at bedtime. All went well though and they had a fantastic time sucking up worms and eating weed seedlings from the borders. With two of us, it wasn't too difficult to herd them back into their run when it started raining and we wanted to go in.

[Gert]

Welcome to the Poultry club Dave but be careful it's extremely addictive