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Feb 5, 2009 9:47:22 GMT 8
Post by Cluck N Waddle on Feb 5, 2009 9:47:22 GMT 8
Thanks Carolyn, I'll have a look next time I'm in Bunnings
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Feb 5, 2009 17:47:39 GMT 8
Post by beck on Feb 5, 2009 17:47:39 GMT 8
hey oddway i agree with fluffy i breed wyandottes and not only are they beautiful but they are very calm and great with kids they are big birds and i keep them with my bantams which are x breeds but very tiny and will fit in my hand .. your pen is coming along great and when you get your chooks a lot less mowing i agree with lazym on the type of tree either a jarrah or native peppermint am leaning towards the peppermint coz the leaves look smaller than a jarrah ..i think you will love the site and we love the piccies everyone posts so thanks heaps for that hope for more and welcome again
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Feb 8, 2009 20:24:12 GMT 8
Post by lakelands on Feb 8, 2009 20:24:12 GMT 8
Hi Odway, Just wondering how you are going with your chooken hunt
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odway
New Member
Posts: 7
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Hello!
Feb 8, 2009 21:35:02 GMT 8
Post by odway on Feb 8, 2009 21:35:02 GMT 8
Thanks for all that info again guys! Much appreciated, I will go and get some of that bird netting then early this week then and hopefully the run will be finished soon! It's coming along nicely, I've since found a hen house (courtesy of the tip - an old cubby house in perfect condition which will just need some minor alterations), a waterer, feeders, feed and grit and some poultry dust for the new arrivals when we get them. Lakelands I'm thinking I wont do a proper chook search until after the coop is finished and good to go, but at the moment I'm leaning towards getting two silkies and 6 layers of either wyandottes or australorps, although I've heard good things about plymouth rocks and welsummers (I love the look of both!) just I'm not sure how well they would get on with bantams or even if you can get them in WA? Either way the 6 layers will be of the same breed.
Regarding the tree thankyou for the suggestions for species, I have a friend who is a botanist so I shall ask her this week. It's certainly not jarrah and does look a lot like a peppermint tree but unfortunately is not one. I will let you know when I find out, and will add some more photos of the coop as it progresses. Two more questions for you before I leave; what do people use in their nest boxes and will straw be alright? Thanks again guys!
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Feb 8, 2009 21:38:11 GMT 8
Post by horses7 on Feb 8, 2009 21:38:11 GMT 8
I use sawdust in my nestboxes . Have tried hay but the girls kept eating it on me so was having to replace it all the time.
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Feb 9, 2009 6:34:11 GMT 8
Post by Cluck N Waddle on Feb 9, 2009 6:34:11 GMT 8
Sounds like its coming along nicely odway I use hay in my nest boxes, only because I've always got it on hand for the horse.
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Feb 9, 2009 7:17:59 GMT 8
Post by fluffychook on Feb 9, 2009 7:17:59 GMT 8
I use a few things for nesting boxes. An old book case turned on its side with a board nailed on to make a box, old large buckets, old milk crates and I put straw in them.
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Hello!
Feb 9, 2009 8:38:06 GMT 8
Post by lakelands on Feb 9, 2009 8:38:06 GMT 8
I use straw as opposed to hay and the chooks eat the hay as it has grain seeds still aattached and I use old lawnmower catchers as well as nest boxes my OH built. I use saw dust in the brooders
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odway
New Member
Posts: 7
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Hello!
Feb 10, 2009 21:15:12 GMT 8
Post by odway on Feb 10, 2009 21:15:12 GMT 8
Thanks guys, I think I will use straw as that is what seems to be recommended most in books. I think I'm slowly getting towards the end of my questions (for now!) thanks for being so patient with me. Two more:
1 - and this one may be really daft - but do you put your feeder and waterer in the hen house, or outside, or both? Are they meant to be hung up?
2 - could some big chicken people please recommend some good laying breeds that would get on with banties?
Thanks!
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Feb 10, 2009 22:29:46 GMT 8
Post by rap on Feb 10, 2009 22:29:46 GMT 8
Nest material , when available i use the waste from my paper shredder and it can go into the compost bin after its been used.
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Feb 11, 2009 6:23:38 GMT 8
Post by Cluck N Waddle on Feb 11, 2009 6:23:38 GMT 8
Q1 - I dont use a feeder, I feed my birds by hand twice a day, others here do use feeders. My waterer is outside in the shade and not hung up. Q2 - As I said before, I dont breed large layers but from what I've read and heard of Wyandottes I think they'd be a good breed for you. The gold laced and silver laced are absolutely stunning to look at as well. Hopefully someone will have some good advice about layers for you
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Hello!
Feb 11, 2009 8:21:33 GMT 8
Post by mikemurphy on Feb 11, 2009 8:21:33 GMT 8
I chose gold laced wyandottes because they are both reasonable layers and good meat birds. They lay 150-200 eggs a year. Australorps lay about 250, Leghorns 280, Light Sussex 120-180, New Hampshire 280, so there's quite a range. I also found the gold laced easy to find. Some of the other big breeds are not so easy. GLWs are very placid and will mix with anything. I have some crossbred bantams that live with them no trouble.
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Hello!
Feb 11, 2009 8:50:40 GMT 8
Post by fluffychook on Feb 11, 2009 8:50:40 GMT 8
No question is ever daft, so ask anything no matter how daft you think it is. If you don't know how will you learn.
I have my chooks on all day feeders with both suspended and in icecream containers all around the pens. All are sheltered, one is an old dog kennel that was on the kerb side pickup. Just perfect for sheltering the feed. It is made of wood panels so I took a couple off the side as well as the original entry. My waterers are old chemical bottles cut in half and a couple of the cone ones you tip upside down. These are placed once again all around the pens with a couple in only one of the coups, this is the small chicks coup with the cone waterers.
I have silkies and only recently was given some light sussex chicks who get on famously with the silkies. The light sussex are a good meat bird as will as a decent layer.
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Feb 11, 2009 16:23:44 GMT 8
Post by plink on Feb 11, 2009 16:23:44 GMT 8
I'm with rap, I use shredded paper for nesting as well, then straight into the compost tumbler. I've only got to shred the local paper as well as the weekend paper and i've got all that i can use, with plenty left over.
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Hello!
Feb 11, 2009 16:38:55 GMT 8
Post by fluffychook on Feb 11, 2009 16:38:55 GMT 8
I like the straw because i put it on the ground in the pen to cushion from the rocks and to create a bit of compost heap. The chooks love scratching around in it as I also wet it down when the weather is hot. Never smelly too which is great.
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