Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Angelina-M

Think long and hard before jumping into this. I have had chickens/hens for years and tomorrow they are going to their new home because we simply can't cope with them here anymore.

We have had a lot of complaints from neighbours because they have attracted rats. We put poison down in hen free places but its not easy as the hens have full access to the garden. Its got out of control now as the rats are very smart and only eat from the hens dish. We see them there scoffing all the food. We've taken advice but we darent put any traps down as the hens or dogs could get hurt.

Its probably not as bad where you are but we live just off a nature reserve and rats and mice are common.

So my lovely hens are going to a new home tomorrow and we shall fill their old food dish with rat poison and hopefully get things sorted out.

I'm sad but I cant go on like this, I dread the door going as it could be a neighbour complaining again :-(

squeaky

cuffie wrote: »

We would like to keep chickens. Just to get eggs. Not necessarily to breed. Now I am going to ask some really dumb questions here.......
I have looked into getting a "starter" chicken home. Comes with hen-house, 3 chickens, everything you need to set up, plus telephone support.
Please forgive my ignorance, but presumably, hens (chickens?? what's the difference?!), will lay just eggs for me to eat without any intervention. What if hen decides she wants to sit on egg to get a chick? Presumably I need a cockeril if I want to hatch chicks? How does egg get fertilised then? Is the egg I eat for breakfast not fertilised? So, if hen sits on it, I won't get a chick?? If I want to get a cockeril (or Rooster?? whats the difference??), would you be pi**ed off if you were my neighbour??
Sorry for being so dumb here!! Hope someone can help me! x

Hiya,

I've added your post to our main thread on keeping chickens, and it's well worth a read from the beginning.

Other threads (mostly) related to keeping chickens are listed here:-

chickens threads here on MoneySaving Old Style

cuffie

Very interesting reading! Thanks very much.... I am worried about rats now too!!!!!! I'm sure they are about anyway, but I don't want to attract them unnecessarily. Thanks again. x

Alfietinker

What an apt thread popping into my inbox this morning! Daisy, one of out three passed away last night. It's amazing how attached you get to them, even hubby was choking back tears as she died in front of him.

They are worth it though, I'm looking at the other two playing on the patio, having 'escaped' down to this end of the garden. I haven't the heart to turn them back today though.

Enjoy your chooks!

count_rostov

I love my chickens so much. We have 15 Araukana hens and two cockerels, but we will eat the young one this weekend as he's a year old and starting to get uppity with Top C*ck(MSE won't allow me to type his name!). I like having a cockerel as baby chickies are just the sweetest things! We get a new unrelated cockerel every 2-3 years so that they don't get too inbred. Then we eat the young cockerels (usually when they're about 5-6 months, the one destined for this weekend's roast has had a long period of grace) and I'm afraid we also eat the retired hens.
My father is much softer though, he has about 50 hens and a special hen house just for the pensioners so they don't get hassled by the cockerel!
They're really not very smelly if you clean out the hen house regularly but they do cause destruction if they get in the veg patch. We have a cat and a dog. The dog would love to catch himself a nice chicken so is under house arrest. The only problem with the cat is that he sleeps in the nesting boxes!
All in all, I would heartily recommend chicken-keeping to anyone, they're so sweet, the eggs taste amazing, and it means that you never feel bad about throwing out really old left-overs as they get turned into eggs.
xx
PS - echoing what other people say, hens must be securely locked up at night, electric fencing won't keep a fox (badger,stray dog, otter, mink..) out. They should be fed twice a day, an amount that they eat up at once. If they leave corn then you will definitely get rats and also you're wasting grain.

weegie_2

Wonder if anyone can help .....

I'm looking into getting 2-3 chickens - small coop and run - in our back garden. It's fenced in etc so ideal space. The only problem my title deeds say that we are prohibited from keeping poultry, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, bees or other livestock. :eek:


Does anyone know what the worst is that could happen if I ignore this and go ahead? don't think I would have any objections from my neighbours.:huh:

Would appreciate any advice.....

Thanks guys

cuffie

Sorry - I did not know where else to post this question.....

I have just got some chickens. Got them yesterday - a 16 week old, and a 19 week old. They had an hours car journey in a box, but were fine when they got out. Very chatty and scratched a bit and ate some food (didn't drink anything though). They went to their night house to roost and we shut the door as instructed and they have stayed there all day! They have not eaten or drunk a thing all day and have gone between the roosting perches and the bit where they would lay eggs. They seem ok. I'm just worried they haven't eaten or drunk all day. Is this usual? I wondered if it was because they were in a new environment?

Please put my mind at rest??! If I lock them in again tonight, they won't have any food or drink then till the morning (and thats if they venture out!).

Thanks. And sorry again if this is in the wrong place! x

Pink.

Hi cuffie,

There are a lot of people on the Old Style board who keep chickens and may be able to help so I'll move your thread across to see if you can get some replies.

Pink

Yategirl

mine never stayed in their house so it's a new one on me.. I had to put them to bed though at first! Why not go and put them in the run - they probably don't know that they can go through the door and maybe a bit scared to investigate?

bootman

Yes, I agree. let them out in the run. If they are in the house they will think it's night time so won't eat or drink. There is no reason for them to be in if your run is secure. Let them out they will soon perk up! Don't worry, I am sure they will be fine.