© 2011-2012 Ollies Chirpy Chickens
Point of Lay Hen & Accessory Suppliers
Based In The Beautiful
West Midlands / Warwickshire
Countryside
07767 742 227
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LATEST NEWS -
300 new chickens have just arrived and are now
available for sale.
Contact Us Today
To
Reserve Yours
W E A R E D E L I G H T E D T O A N N O U N C E
That we are one of the first
suppliers in the UK to be able to offer you the fantastic new “Hot-
including the all new, shorter 16M fence.
Chickens make fantastic pets for children and adults alike with the additional benefit of fresh free range eggs which have a deep yellow yolk and taste so much better than commercial ones. Chickens are low maintenance, take up little space in your garden and help us do our bit for the environment.
Whilst keeping chickens is a rewarding experience for all and relatively easy once you know the ropes, if like us you loved the idea, but had no clue, the prospect can be daunting!
So here we have put together the basics about what you need to start keeping chickens, advice on feeding and on our health page, we give you some top tips on keeping your chickens happy and healthy! We are happy to give advice at any time so either give us a call, send us an email or come along and have a chat.
To make it even easier, we have our starter packs which come with everything you need in one place at a great price!
So, what do you need to keep chickens?
1) Accommodation & Space. Chickens do not need a lot of space in which to sleep but they roost and need to perch. The accommodation must be dry, well ventilated and should have a “private” area for the birds to lay eggs and we recommend proper nest boxes. During the day chickens naturally need more space (around 4Msq) and a portion of this should be sheltered from the rain. Easy access to all areas within the accommodation is essential for cleaning and sterilisation. You will need to keep your girls safe from Mr Fox, and this is best done with a run, although you can then let them run free in your garden when you are around. Foxes are very cunning, so we will talk you through how to make sure your accommodation is “Fox proof!” Come and talk to us about the small range of coops we have available or take a look at our starter packs
2) A Feeder. This needs to be either kept sheltered or have a cover to prevent the rain converting your pellets to mush! An average bird eats between 130 - 150g per day and we can advise on feeder size and type, depending on the number of birds you purchase and the space you have available.
3) A Drinker. Chickens need fresh water available at all times and won’t drink water contaminated with mud and feed. It therefore needs to be kept above ground level on either legs or a brick!
4) Food. All chickens love to scratch around for worms, grubs and roots, but will eat basically anything! However, POL chickens should have layer pellets available at all times which contain essential nutrients, ensuring good egg development and shell quality. POL chickens should not be fed grower pellets.
5) Bedding. Wood chippings can be used though straw is often preferred as it contains less dust. After recommendations from our customers, we now stock a new specialist bedding, "white horse bedding" which is both highly effective, cuts down on cleaning and is very economical which you may want to consider And later you will also need . . .
6) Grit. Small amounts of poultry grit or crushed oyster shell should be given. Chickens do not have teeth so they must have access to grit which the hen stores in the gizzard (an organ of the body and uses to aid digestion). The grit in the gizzard creates a mechanical method of grinding down the feed in the same way humans use teeth to grind down their food. If access to grit is not provided a "compacted crop" may occur which means the food is not being digested properly and they can get blocked up, in extreme cases birds may not survive. Oyster Shell is a source of calcium which is dissolvable; usually it will already be mixed in with the grit. The calcium is stored in the bones and feathers of the bird and is also used to produce the egg shells. A very common issue with chickens is "soft eggs" especially in younger hens which have just started laying, this is usually easily remedied with oyster shell, it is extremely cheap and readily available from animal feed stores. If you leave some in a bowl and then scatter a little on the ground then this will be sufficient.
7) Treats !! We all love to treat our pets so chickens are no exception. They love either corn scattered on the ground so they have to peck for it, pecking blocks or greens, hung so they don’t get rotten. Mealy worms are a real favourite and some companies even make it into a crumble!!
That’s about all you need to get started but please remember,
if you would like to talk things over before you take the plunge,
the team at Ollies Chirpy Chickens are more than happy to help.
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