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pekin bantam help
Sun 31-Jan-10
9:37 pm
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emma
plymouth, devon, uk

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Hello.

Today i became the proud owner of 4 gorgouse black pekin bantams
they are utterly beautifull.. i had a coop and run made for me from my daddy..
they are mainly here for the fresh eggs but also as a well a pet i guess for my 2 children altho they are only 20 months and 6 months they are as much theirs as they are mine..

Can anyone offer any advice on keeping them? not had any before..

thank you.. xx

Sun 31-Jan-10
9:58 pm
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Danny
Scarborough, England
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Hi, Emma, and thanks for joining in.

Fiona is the head bantam keeper in our household so I will ask her to give you her tips. I think bantam care is the same as normal chicken care. Our friend, Caroline, raised our latest brood.

Bantams are the best, though!

Never knowingly underfed

Mon 1-Feb-10
4:09 pm
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fn
Newmarket
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Hi Emma

Welcome to the forum.

Pekin hens are lovely. We had two and they lived to six years old before moving to the great chicken house in the sky.

There are a few priorities with keeping hens. That they have shelter and a safe place to roost. They also need a nesting box. If they are in an enclosed run spread a layer of gravel over the run every so often so that they are not tramping about in mud. Always feed them well - layers pellets with corn for treats. Change their water every day and clean out the chicken house once a week dusting the perch and bedding with mite powder. We used to use hay in the nesting box but found that this led to breathing disorders. We now use woodchips - the sort that it used for hamsters etc. We buy a big bale in bulk.

Hope that this helps

Fiona

Mon 1-Feb-10
8:30 pm
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JoannaS
Latvia

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Instead of gravel in the run why not use sawdust and remove it each week and put it on your compost heap? Must admit to using shredded paper sometimes as well but it sure generated plenty of fantastic compostable stuff.

Tue 2-Feb-10
7:35 pm
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emma
plymouth, devon, uk

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Thank u all so much for advice.. have already collected 4 eggs from them.. i must admit they have hay as bedding but its not dusty as its bagged stiuff meant for guinea pigs.. the run is beginning to look muddy so think ill be moving it soon.. oh one question ,, my girls are very tame and easy to stroke and pick up i was wandering if it would be a good idea to wash their feet once a week to get any mud off them.. xx

Wed 3-Feb-10
7:51 am
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garywwess
mid glam south wales

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if your going to wash their feet regularly.. coat their legs with vasaline at the same time.. it gets under the scales & stops/kills  "scaley leg mite".. will probably help reduce the mud sticking as well..

gary

Wed 3-Mar-10
10:19 pm
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Danny
Scarborough, England
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That's a very good idea, Gary. The vaseline blocks air flow and smothers the little buggers.

Never knowingly underfed

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