thecatumbrella
Furiously Foraging
I'm back after a year hiatus from chickens. We decided to go with cochin bantams (and a couple of d'uccles) as we're unable to free range. Our last group of hens were re-homed after turning on each other (see post here, if interested), so fingers crossed that the bantams are more successful with some changes and upgrades to their enclosure.
Questions! I understand it's important to keep their feather feet dry, but how dry are we talking? Bone dry? We have a mulch/woodchip in the covered run that prevents flooding, but it can hold a bit of moisture if the weather's been wet. Should I try and switch to sand? Is this more of a winter problem? I have several perches in the run and a bone-dry sand box, but I want to make sure I'm not going to cause them problems with my ignorance.
Second concern is broodiness. No one's hatching any eggs here, so I'm trying to plan for how much space I should commit to broody breaking. Can it be as simple as separating them from the nest box for a few days? Or do I need to plan a full suite of dog crates to get them isolated and cooled off?
Any other advice or thoughts on these breeds is more than welcome. It's good to be back BYC!
Questions! I understand it's important to keep their feather feet dry, but how dry are we talking? Bone dry? We have a mulch/woodchip in the covered run that prevents flooding, but it can hold a bit of moisture if the weather's been wet. Should I try and switch to sand? Is this more of a winter problem? I have several perches in the run and a bone-dry sand box, but I want to make sure I'm not going to cause them problems with my ignorance.
Second concern is broodiness. No one's hatching any eggs here, so I'm trying to plan for how much space I should commit to broody breaking. Can it be as simple as separating them from the nest box for a few days? Or do I need to plan a full suite of dog crates to get them isolated and cooled off?
Any other advice or thoughts on these breeds is more than welcome. It's good to be back BYC!
