Does anyone keep chickens in an EGLU?

Lizbetty

This is fab! I'm in the midst of trying to talk OH into getting a couple of chickens (or three...). We've got a small paved garden and no grass too, there's instructions on the Omlet website how to use log roll edging and bark chips to give them some scratching space, which looks easy enough.

I'm at home with the kids (one 8 months and one 2 and a bit) and I really am hoping that we can get some chickens to give them some fond memories (hopefully!) as well as to give us some eggs! I can imagine they're great fun to watch, and my little girl would eat her eggs no probs if she'd helped look after the chicken whose bum it came out of, lol! She eats everything that she can pick herself, she's obsessed with runner beans at the mo - raw or cooked. And tomatoes. And lemon balm, oddly.

OH is worried as we're SOOOO scarily skint at the mo, as he's just gone self employed, but I think they'll save us money - and give us a use for all that food that gets chucked which the kids leave. I think they'll earn their keep. But the only worrying thing is the vets fees..or dare I ask about what happens is one gets poorly? :eek: OH said he'd assumed you just ate them if they got poorly, but I just couldn't do it..

Do you have to clip their wings or anything if you want to let them run about the garden sometimes? I worry too about them escaping, although it's fields behind us, it's a main road in front.

Just in the process of selling whatever I have spare on ebay to buy a house for them as OH hasn't time or space to build a coop himself. Wish me luck, lol!

Poet_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Hi, can you tell me what the quality of this coop/run is like please? I've been considering buying one but I don't like spending so much money on something I can't physically see/check out myself.

Thanks

when it arrives, I'll let you know

Penelope_Penguin

Lucyeff wrote: »

This is fab! I'm in the midst of trying to talk OH into getting a couple of chickens (or three...). We've got a small paved garden and no grass too, there's instructions on the Omlet website how to use log roll edging and bark chips to give them some scratching space, which looks easy enough.

I'm at home with the kids (one 8 months and one 2 and a bit) and I really am hoping that we can get some chickens to give them some fond memories (hopefully!) as well as to give us some eggs! I can imagine they're great fun to watch, and my little girl would eat her eggs no probs if she'd helped look after the chicken whose bum it came out of, lol! She eats everything that she can pick herself, she's obsessed with runner beans at the mo - raw or cooked. And tomatoes. And lemon balm, oddly.

OH is worried as we're SOOOO scarily skint at the mo, as he's just gone self employed, but I think they'll save us money - and give us a use for all that food that gets chucked which the kids leave. I think they'll earn their keep. But the only worrying thing is the vets fees..or dare I ask about what happens is one gets poorly? :eek: OH said he'd assumed you just ate them if they got poorly, but I just couldn't do it..

Do you have to clip their wings or anything if you want to let them run about the garden sometimes? I worry too about them escaping, although it's fields behind us, it's a main road in front.

Just in the process of selling whatever I have spare on ebay to buy a house for them as OH hasn't time or space to build a coop himself. Wish me luck, lol!

We've kept hens for over 10 years now, and have been hatching our own from eggs (there's a thread with pics, if anyone would like the link).

I'm really not sure that they do save money, but for us that's not the main reason to have them.

We've never used a vet. they tend not to get sick, but those who do, have died pretty quickly. Unless you choose your breed carefully, laying birds aren't usually fit for the table, especially if they're sick :eek:

We only clip the wings of wayward birds (usually those which have lived elsewhere and developed bad habits). It's not difficult, or painful for the bird - just like having toenails clipped.

Best of luck :beer:

Penny. x

Poet_2

Lucyeff wrote: »

OH said he'd assumed you just ate them if they got poorly

are you sure he wasn't winding you up? You should never eat an animal that died of an illness or "natural causes" you never know what horrible disease you might pick up!

Poet_2

To stop it flying, you only need to TRIM the flight feathers and if you've never done it before, get YOUR VET to show you how or you risk causing injury to your bird and/or worse (it might bleed to death).

The below is from a caged bird site but the principal is the same, just be careful.

Clipping Gone Wrong

Do not attempt to cut your bird’s wings unless you are fully confident that you are properly trained. Lack of experience can result in serious health risks for your pet...
Incorrect clipping methods can also result in cutting or injuring blood feathers. Blood feathers are growing feathers, with a blood supply flowing down the quill to help growth. These feathers push old feathers out during molting, or other feather loss. Cutting a blood feather can result in potentially serious bleeding that may require a vet's attention.

http://www.acstiels.com/Articles/BasicCare/wing.html

Poet_2

just had a thought, unless a bird was taught to fly by its mother, no matter what the type of bird it is, it won't know how to fly as an adult I shouldn't think? Do chickens ever fly?

Penelope_Penguin

Poet wrote: »

just had a thought, unless a bird was taught to fly by its mother, no matter what the type of bird it is, it won't know how to fly as an adult I shouldn't think? Do chickens ever fly?

Much animal behaviour is instinct, rather than learnt.

Chickens do, indeed, fly.

Poet_2

are there such things as 'wild chickens'? I've never seen a chicken fly, probably cos they're all domesticated but some might have escaped into the wild? Hubbie and I were talking and he said "blah blah blah....but would they do that in the wild?" made me laugh at the time but now, I wonder???

Penelope_Penguin

Poet wrote: »

are there such things as 'wild chickens'? I've never seen a chicken fly, probably cos they're all domesticated but some might have escaped into the wild? Hubbie and I were talking and he said "blah blah blah....but would they do that in the wild?" made me laugh at the time but now, I wonder???

Take a read of the Little House on the Prarie books. Wild chickens are described there. They're still very common in Asia.

Domestic chickens which haven't been clipped, do fly. Mine do it, and have been known to get over a 2m fence.

Poet_2

I just wondered because you never look up and see a flock of chickens