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Q. How do I transport my new chickens home?
A. A crisp sized cardboard box will fit 3 chickens, or a cat carrier/dog
crate works well.
Q. How long do chickens live?
A. A chicken can reach 8-10 years old but her egg production drops the
older she gets and becomes more seasonal.
Q. How many chickens can I put in my coop?
A. Six chickens per square metre.
Q. What about perches?
A. Ideally perches should be no more than 60cm high and approx 5cm
wide with rounded smooth edges and easily lifted out for cleaning.
Q. What about nest boxes?
A. Nest boxes should be about perch height and approx 30cm wide
x 30cm deep x 25cm high with small lip to keep nesting material
(and eggs!) from falling out. At a ratio of one nest box per 3 chickens.
Q. What is best straw or shavings for floor and nest boxes?
A. Either is fine - but not hay.
Q. What food should I feed?
A. A good quality layers pellet and access to clean drinking water at all
times.
Q. Can I feed kitchen scraps?
A. Yes but only small amounts of vegetarian, cooked vegetables, fruit,
bread etc
Q What should I do when I first get them home?
A. Shut chickens in the coop (with food and water) for 48 hours before
you let them out into run/garden.
Q. Will they get on with my other chickens?
A. Difficult one to answer! Probably, provided you are introducing
an equal number and they are not a lot smaller in size.
It is advisable to wait until dark before you put the new chickens
into the coop - then they can all wake up in the morning together!