Preparing the Hen house and garden for chickens

[sorky]

I've built the house, and sprayed it inside and out with Poultry Shield.

I've got Diatom too, but I'm unsure how to use it really. Should I put the bedding (Aubiose) in the nest boxes and puff the diatom in?

Will the poultry shield be enough for red mite?

Should I just keep the Diatom to mix with the feed to worm them?

Omlets website says to use in the dustbath, but I haven't got one. If they're in the garden each day will they make their own dustbath?

Questions, questions.....

Hi Sorky ... me again! I've read recently that you should puff the diatom over the walls of the house, under where the perch bars sit, in cracks/crevices etc. I also puff it over the aubiose - both in nesting boxes and on floor of coop. I also puff it along the perch bars. And only last week I did each hen: one puff around vent area, one on neck, and one under each wing - read those directons on Omlet and they worked really well!

Yes, I think P/Shield is enough for redmite.

Re your other post - you won't really need newspaper under the aubiose - honest! My pull out poo tray looks as clean as the day it arrived (2 months+ later) having had a layer of aubiose on it.

Hope someone else comes along to give you some advice cos I'm still really new to this !

Millie1 I heart you.

You are my personal Chickening MN'er

Ok. Will just use the Aubiose (it is nice stuff isn't it) and will puff the chickens with the Diatom when we first handle them

Many thanks

ps Do you have a dustbath?

Dustbath? LOL! I thought about it but rigged our electric fencing up and over a shrub planted bank. It's brilliant for them. Well ... it was until we rotated their fenced area to take in three baby fruit trees ... now they've made even more dustbaths at the base of all the trees [mad]!

They love them so if you can, just make one. Think you can use a basin, tyre, shallow trug. You can fill it with sand (not sharp sand, I think), wood ash (not coal), soil - and a puff of diatom!!

Hope you sleep tonight.

BTW, forgot to say, I really love their names!

THEY'RE HERE!!!

OMG I love them

I got 4, so Dh is going to kill me, as he specifically said "3 & no more"

I got the most beautiful Blue Haze girl, she's like a soft lavender colour. Just exquisite markings..

Next is a White Coral Nick who was first out of the house and seems the friendliest so far.

3rd is a Light Sussex with a pretty black collar

and lastly, the really shy Rhode Rock who I fell in love with strightaway. She has beautiful feathers that are kind of irridescent.

I have fed them some corn and watched them longer than I ought to have today

Thanks for your help Millie1

Brilliant ... don't worry about getting 4 - your DH won't even notice in a day or two .

They sound wonderful - can you post pics. Which has what name? What age are they? Sorry, too many questions!

Really pleased you're enjoying them. You might have to help them to bed tonight!

erm, yes, about that...how on earth do you get them to go into the little house?

I'm knackered, I didn't sleep at all last night, felt like a kid at Xmas

Will post pics once they can roam the garden, probably at the weekend

You chase them, grab them, guide them gently with a broom handle, you do whatever you hve to !!

Bet you and your girls will all sleep like logs tonight!

Hahaha
I went out with the broom ready and when I got there they were all perched in the house asleep!!

I think one of them is sick though

Have posted thread for advice......another one