Got my chickens...

[pigsinmud]

what should I be doing?
We picked them up last Saturday. The 4 of them seem quite happy and getting on very well.

Now I have been reading and am mightily confused about worming. Is it like having a dog where you worm 3 monthly or something whether they have worms or not? I got books out of the library, but they contradict each other!

I have an eglu cube. I emptied dropping tray after 3 days and hosed down. Is that ok? Do I have to scrub every time or is a quick hose down and a proper scrub once a week ok?

Friend said I should be picking them up. They are not keen! They eat from our hands and now will let us stroke them (sometimes) but picking them up is tricky. I have done it, but not well enough as they got a wing free...

[timthearab]

Hi we got 4 chickens about 3 month ago, they were ex battery hens, i got some flubenvet from the vets which is a wormer, you have to worm them every day for 7 days give them a week off then worm them again. its in a powder form which i sprinkles onto some pasta that i boiled up or you can mix it in their feed with a little bit of oil to make it stick to their food. We can now pick our ladies up and stroke them it comes with time they learn to trust you and will let you pick them up... Eventually lol good luck

[TunipTheVegemal]

It's a good idea to worm 3 monthly.

You don't need to do the full scrub of the house as often as every week. I don't hose mine down when I empty the droppings tray every few days - I line it with newspaper and just tip it into the bin.

Picking them up gets easier as they get more used to it. Once they come into lay they'll start to crouch when you approach them and that makes it very much easier to pick them up. If you're having trouble do it after they've roosted when they're calmer.

[pigsinmud]

Thanks. They are so lovely! Letting us stroke them now.

So I wait 3 months and then worm them - is that right?