Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Gigervamp

We were offered a couple of ducklings a few weeks ago, but after asking about how to look after them, we decided against it due to the mess.

We've just increased our flock size (again!). We went to the Smallholders show at Builth Wells at the weekend and bought 6 Araucana chicks. They're about 8 weeks old and sooo cute! We've now got to make or buy another coop for them.
At the moment, because they're still small, they're sleeping in a cat carrier in the living room at night and we've made a little run for them outside with a small plastic kennel for shelter.

Chirpy, chirpy, cheep cheep chicks video here.

RebekahR

Oh my goodness they are proper cute! Love em!

threemuttleys

Hello...I really must try and read through this thread!

Anyway, Im researching chickens atm (and Quail too) and hoping I can find some answers.

Where is the best place to go for a coop? Im only after 3/4 bantams or small breeds? What breeds are recommended as good layers? whats the general op on Eglu?

mardatha

I just threw my hens into the coop and shut them in because we have really hellish winds. How long can I leave them in there without water ? They were really being batted around the pen and would get hurt.

rachbc

Daft q but can you not put water in the coop for them?

Having spent 2 days refusing to go in it mine have been hiding from the wind in the coop too

Gigervamp

I'd pop the water in the coop with them.

Mojisola

threemuttleys wrote: »

Anyway, Im researching chickens atm (and Quail too) and hoping I can find some answers.

We had one lot of quail - a friend went to a country show and came house with a load of chicks. They were absolutely bonkers! They do a vertical take-off that the RAF would be proud of and then just go in the direction they're facing. They banged into the roof of the run if they were inside - one became brain damaged after doing so - and several disappeared into the wild when they took off.

They're very pretty and cute but we said never again.

Oh, yes, just remembered that the males will fight to the death if they're given a chance to get at each other!

Gigervamp

Threemutleys, I bought my first coop on ebay, the second coop came from an agricultural supplier, third coop came with the girls that I rehomed and it looks like we'll be building our 4th coop!

Eglus are very expensive, but owners of Eglus seem to love them. I guess it depends what your budget is. If you get a coop with a slide out floor, they're easy enough to clean.

I wouldn't recommend the coop that Pet$ @ home sell. I had a look at one yesterday and it was very cheaply made-stapled together thin wood that was split and falling apart.

I don't know which bantam breeds are good layers. My bantam silkie x has never laid an egg!

rachelet

Threemutleys - we have various bantam breeds and the best one I have for laying is my Polish hen, she lays 6 days out of 7 and we get lovely sized white eggs from her. Next on the list would be a Welsummer hen who lays brown eggs that are about the same size as a medium sized egg from the supermarket. I love pekins though and have just hatched a few in the incubator. I have read that pekins are very tame and very good for small gardens. Hope this helps.

Oh and we have never bought a chicken run, we have built all ours from scratch and my husband isn't the best at DIY and only the very first coop that we built has fallen apart. We have built ten runs/houses and are currently building a new big run and house for our main laying flock.

mardatha

I put the water in once before and they upset it and soaked the bedding. I have been letting them out every 2 hours for a bit but its so bad out there they just go back in themselves. Will open the door every 2 hrs until dark. Winds of 100 mph up here they said on BBC Scotland.