HEN HOUSES
There are many types of hen houses for sale out there, and mostly its your own choice. The style and materials it's made from, the colour, the size.
Most retailers will tell you the amount of birds that its suitable for, please be sure that its states bantam or large birds. Ex laying hens are classed as large fowl.
You need to consider whether you want wooden or another material used for hen houses like Chicubes or Eglu's.
Wooden
Pro's
- Can be painted to the colour you choose
- Original look
- Can adapt sheds into hen houses for larger amounts of birds
Con's
- Rots
- Needs maintenance
- Can be chewed through by vermin
- Mites happily live in it
Other materials
Pro's
- Doesn't need maintenance
- Vermin proof
- Mites/Lice can't survive in it
- Easy to clean
Con's
- Modern look (depends on taste)
- Smaller than wooden houses
RUNS/PENS/ENCLOSURES
Again this is completely your choice. It depends on your set up, other animals, garden and surrounding areas. Hen's are very good at free ranging, they tend not to go far and always come home to their hen houses at dusk (once settled). It is important that they are shut away at that time to protect them from predators mainly foxes.
Even if you decide your hens are to be free range they will need a run or pen to allow them outside whilst keeping them contained and safe especially when you first receive them.
Runs - Hen houses tend to come with runs, these are generally small and need regular moving to save the grass.
Pens - Can be made by you, will need to be dug into the ground to stop fox attempts, slabs or concrete around the outside is also very good at stopping predators digging in.
Enclosures - Fencing in an area of your garden or land with a gate, simply putting your hen house inside it. This keeps your hens in a designated area. Electric poultry nets are very good and you can move them around easily if needed.
FEEDERS AND DRINKERS
This again is a matter of choice, whats easier for you and your hens... There are many on the market to choice from.
LAYERS MASH AND FEED
This is very important with farmed hens, Layer mash/meal is something they have been used to and we ask all who re-home to feed their hens it for at least the first 2 weeks. This will ensure your hens build up their strength, as they may not associate anything else with food. Farmed hens will live happily on it for the rest of their time, but if you wish them on a different feed start to mix it in gradually eventually removing the Layers meal.
GRIT
This is another thing that is quite important. Hen's have a crop, a place where the food goes to first and then moves down to stomach. Hen's can't chew so any food they eat isn't digested very easily. They need extra grit which can be bought from almost any pet shop, farm shop, or agricultural shop. When they eat the grit it goes into crop along with their food, the grit breaks down the food therefore ensuring the food is digested and weight is put on the hen well. Naturally chickens will peak at the ground they get natural grit from small stones and dirt, its not always enough.
Its recommended that they have grit regularly added to or near food.
WORMERS
There are a few different wormers on the market, generally you can buy herbal wormers such as Verm X, which works well as a protector. Please note it is not strong enough to kill Gape worm. Information on this worm under > Once home/medical advice < .
Flu-Vet is a very good poultry wormer available from veterinary surgerys and agricultural shops.
Hen's will need worming roughly a month after you have re-homed, and then every 4-6 months.
PURPLE/VIOLET SPRAY
Purple spray is a anti-septic wound spray with a purple colouring and a fowl taste. Its usually used on horses but works wonderfully with hens. Hen's a known to peck at themselves and each other with any signs of blood. Quite often farmed hens are bald when they arrive and soon will grow back their new feathers. This re-growth can cause a little irritation and the hens often pick at the new feather spikes causing a little blood, this will attract pecking from themselves and other chickens. With a few puffs of purple spray the wound will heal quickly, discourage pecking because of the fowl taste and also stop the attraction of flies.
VITAMIN TONIC
This is a tonic we use when the hens are straight out of the farm. It de-stresses them, gives them extra vitamins and encourages quick feather re-growth. There are many different formulas available.
This tonic can be re-used when your hens moult, helps to get them over it quicker.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Apple Cider Vinegar. A total Natural Organic, anti-bacterial, anti-coccidial anthelmintic and tonic beneficial effects for all livestock and poultry. Increases egg supply, and improves feathering.