Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Chickenopolis

jennyjelly wrote: »

I'd definitely say go for it, it's the best thing we've ever done.

Ditto- I can't imagine not having hens now. We have 9 and they used to free range all day . But a fox got one of them (fox dropped her when he saw me in my p.j's and she ran through my house in to the lounge terrified but o.k ish) on a Bank Holiday morning when it very quiet as everyone was in bed. Now we never let them out when we are not around and have a baby monitor on just in case :rotfl:They have an eglu cube as well as another wooden "sick bay " /newbie pen.

My hens will go for cats, seagulls and occasionally my Mum's dog! They are very territorial ! They will give you more pleasure than problems - good luck !:D

Gigervamp

We started with 3 and now have 27!

I'd suggest getting 3 rather than 2, that way if one dies, you're not left with a lonely chicken.

rowsew

picklepick wrote: »

Hi everyone.
I hope no one minds but DH and I are considering getting chickens in the Spring and we're weighing up the options at the minute. This thread is mighty long and I have a few questions. I relise they're probably covered in the thread but I think it would take me a few hours to trawl through it all.

Firstly, we have cats. 2 in fact. Is this straight away a deal breaker?

Not at all, we had two cats when we got our first chickens six years ago, and they soon worked out they were at the bottom of the pecking order :rotfl:!

How much space do hens need? We live in an urban environment and we have a very small garden.

My old garden was about 45ft long and maybe 12ft wide, and the two girls were in a Mark 1 eglu with run from Omlet (I can highly recommend these, IF you have the money, even 2nd hand are good).

Said garden is surrounded by 6 foot high brick walls, would that be fox proof? Hens would obviously be in a suitable enclosure overnight.

Nothing is really fox proof except for shutting them in at night, but you're going to do that so no worries.

Would letting the hens have free range of our garden in the day be a no-go? Would they destroy the plants or just eat off the floor?

Say goodbye to your lawn, and anything pretty or tasty! They scratch, nest, wriggle and dig anywhere they can; having said that, it is very entertaining having them run round the garden. I let mine out under supervision only having let them trash my last garden and then moving to a new one! I have my chickens housed in a fruit cage, so they have running around space when locked up.

How much would it cost to feed and provide the necessary veterinary treatment? We'd probably only get 2 hens.

I buy food from my local animal food supplier (CC Moore, they seem to be here and there) or Scats, Smallholder pellets are about £9 a sack, organic pellets are about £12, my 5 girls take about 6-ish weeks to get through that. I also buy Mixed Corn in sacks can't remember how much that is, but it's only for treats so keeps for ages, and they get all the trimmings from veg, stale crusts and veggie leftovers as treats/extras. I don't spend any money at the vet, had to have a chicken put down last year which cost me 42 quid (the chicken cost £12 to buy) :eek:. DIY is your friend here!

Can you tell we're really clueless!

Aaah! Go and get some chickens, and have a happy time! Good luck xx

picklepick

Thank you for all the lovely replies, you all sound like you love your chicks. I'm getting quite excited about it now! We don't have a lawn, it's all flower beds with gravel inbetween. I've got an area at the back of the garden which I think I'll fence off for them and they can ruin that to their hearts delight!

As soon as the warmer weather is here and I have the time to get out in the garden and sort out the enclosure, we'll be ready to go!

eeeeeee

we love our chooks pickle each one has a different personality... started with 6 eggs from ebay posted for £3 and a heat light bulb .. 3 hatched ... then bought another 6 eggs from the same person and all 6 hatched ... it was a great experience watching them grow ... sold the first 3 as a trio ... have 5 big healthy cheeky girls .. reguarly getting eggs ... just moved them into the greenhose as th weather has got nasty and 3 of them have started too malt ; they eat ANYTHING ; they love grass clippings but best of all the dogs food

shackalak

We started out with 2 (Sage and Onion - named by our 9 year old daughter!) in August and now we've got 5. I wish we'd kept chickens earlier - we love them to bits.

We did worry about the first 2 because they didn't lay for ages and then a couple of weeks ago, the first started (and yes - we all did the chicken dance round the garden to celebrate!). Last week, the second one started to lay. The other three are a bit younger so no eggs from them as yet.

Had an e-mail from someone from our local community transition team the other day asking if we wanted any more. It seems rules and regs on battery hens are changing at the end of the month and a local battery farm is looking to re-home all the hens in the next few days. I'm am tempted to get some more.

ionahenor2

I second all the replies you have had Picklepick. I really wish I had started keeping chickens sooner. They really cheer me up for the day.

I let them out of their eglu house and they come out of the pen (except in snow) to have their pellet and carrot porridge drive. They then follow me up the drive, while I go for the paper, they stop to inspect everything. I usually meet them on my way back. They run towards me to see if I have any treats (it was blackberries and elderberries for a few weeks now its the oat pot I take to feed the robins at the gate. Then they go back in their pen until later when they get a chance to FR under supervision. ( I had 2 girls taken by a fox during the day)

They were joined by 3 pheasants today and the neighbours cat often likes to watch them from the safety of the fence.

Then at dusk they have a treat of spaghetti/mashed pots/rice or grapes plus left overs of their pellet porridge . They soon let you know what they like and don't like. Daisy my oldest girl won't touch any red fruit (black grapes an exception) They had some cold cooked porridge yesterday which they flicked over each other as they shook it off their beaks. They also love yoghurt which they flick everywhere....usually over me.

They really are a delight to have. I WANT MORE.....

RacyRed

Wow! My girls stopped laying for a few days when the snow first started, but are now right back to work again!

I want them to stop for the winter, I don't want them to lay themselves out too soon. I love my chooks for more than their eggs!

picklepick

Can anyone recommend a breeder in the Manchester area? We can travel into Cheshire, Lancashire and surrounding areas, etc.

We figure that we'll get in touch with one now so we can be top of their list when they have chucks ready to go!

ionahenor2

picklepick wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a breeder in the Manchester area? We can travel into Cheshire, Lancashire and surrounding areas, etc.

We figure that we'll get in touch with one now so we can be top of their list when they have chucks ready to go!

I live over the top from you in West Yorkshire.

My first three (Black rock, Bluebelle and a Daisybelle) came from Storrs Poultry. I only have Daisy left thanks to a fox.

http://www.storrspoultry.co.uk/index.php

My replacement two (Black rock and speckled rock) came from Hinchliffes in Huddersfield

http://www.hinchliffes.com/breeds.php

I would highly recomend Jody at Raw Green Cottages. She breeds her own as well as getting some of the hybrids from Hinchliffes. She was very good with my little Blackrock when she was ill. I rang her to ask if she knew of a vet close by and she offered to look at Digger for me even though I hadn't bought her there. I will buy from her next time. She has some lovely girls and boys :rotfl:

http://www.rawgreencottages.co.uk/index.html

I can't think of any more but I have a feeling that the Omlet website might have a few listed in Cheshire or someone on the forum may be able to help.

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/


Have you decided which breed you are going to have?