Chickens!

wilykit

Me and my sister are considering getting some chickens. I have an unused rabbit hutch which is about 4ftx4ft and has an upstairs living and downstairs run. MY sister's boyfriend is going to add a nesting box (he's good at this DIY stuff).

But before we buy any we want to do research to make sure we know what we are doing and if they are right for us.

I was just wondering if anyone on here has chickens and if they could offer us tips and advice etc. I have been reading online but I would also like to have opinions etc from people on here.

Thanks! xx

ljonski

try

lets keep chickens

thread on oldstyle thread

tanith

Make sure they are safe from foxes if you have them around..

spadoosh

Here (its a linky to the 'hey... lets keep chickens' thread) has all the information and advice you might need.

Theres quite a few of us on mse with chooks. And ive yet to hear one bad comment from owners!! Theyre great pets and im sure youve heard, nothing beats a fresh warm egg!! Looking forward to mine after work!!

Any specific advice your after?!

Might i ask what is the height of the rabbit hutch? with the two floors they might struggle with height. Bear in mind youll only be able to keep a 2/3 at most really in that size space so they can be comfortable. And obviously theyll need a perch as well. To give you an idea my coop is about 3.5 ft and is just about right height wise with the coop.

To add theres far more experienced people on here than me, im still a newb too and learning every day!

wilykit

Thanks - I did a thread search but nothing came up?!

I have done some research and I think a Rhode Island Red Bantam is a good one - it is hardy in winter, fairly docile and lays eggs frequently (my mum always goes on about how much better they taste than shop bought eggs!)

I would have to measure the hutch properly when I go to my sister's, but any modifications needed will be done

We only want 2 chickens.

Thanks everyone x

spadoosh

With the hutch again, if painting/treating, be careful what you do it with. You should also give it a good clean out with a chicken friendly disinfectant.

The biggest downside ive noted of having chickens is its a bit more difficult getting a sitter if you need to go away. they need to be let out every morning and put away at night (might not be too bad in your hutch but in winter will be cold!)

I love having chickens, they always put a smileon my face. Noticed your sig aswell (not sure if you have a dog?!?), dogs can be a bit chicken unfriendly (in general) my dog is fine with the chickens but hes been playing with them since he was a pup. I know some other chicken keepers with dogs and theyre ok but from what i here its a bit rare. Not realy a problem with other pets though.

wilykit

I am getting the relevant cleaning stuff at weekend (a friend of mine runs a pet shop and he has the stuff I need).

My sister and her boyfriend don't ever go away and there's always somebody in so looking after them 24/7 isn't a problem at all, plus I'm only 5 mins away if they ever need anything.

As with the dog, he is fine with small animals/cats etc. He lives with a cat and he is fine and he was fine with my rabbit that I had. Obviously he won't be let out when they are out, but he won't bother them when they're in the coop - he's a lovely dog x