owning chickens or bantams.

picklekin

I really want a couple of chickies but I have a couple of questions!

Do you HAVE to be let out of the run daily/weekly etc, I work 9-5 and while in the summer can imagine popping out and letting them out for a bit before bed in this wet/dark/cold don't really want to be venturing out!

I understand chickens have to fed daily, and if I go on holiday I can put them into boarding, however, can you go away for a long weekend and just give them plenty of food? We love to camp and go away for several 3-4 weekends a year. I read things about timed feeders etc...

Mojisola

picklekin wrote: »

I really want a couple of chickies but I have a couple of questions!

Do you HAVE to be let out of the run daily/weekly etc, I work 9-5 and while in the summer can imagine popping out and letting them out for a bit before bed in this wet/dark/cold don't really want to be venturing out!

I understand chickens have to fed daily, and if I go on holiday I can put them into boarding, however, can you go away for a long weekend and just give them plenty of food? We love to camp and go away for several 3-4 weekends a year. I read things about timed feeders etc...

If they have a decent run, they don't have to be let out into the garden all the time. If the run is too small, they will get bored and you'll start to get problems - egg eating, feather pecking, mental distress, etc.

If you go away frequently, see if any of your neighbours would come and check them a couple of times a day for you. It's not just about having availability of food and water, someone needs to make sure they are safe and well.

picklekin

Thanks, I was thinking about getting an Eglu with a maybe 3 hens and a run extension, would this be enough? I've been reading up on chicken entertainments in their runs

I don't really know any of my neighbors to speak to, but I could try and bribe them with eggs maybe!

Mojisola

I've no experience of the Eglu stuff but there's a forum on that site - it would be worth seeing how people feel they work in action.

Gigervamp

Those Eglu runs don't look particularly big. Also, I'm not sure if you could fit an automatic pop-hole opener on an Eglu.

You will need somebody to come in twice a day to let the girls out in the morning, and lock them up at night. The eggs will need collecting each day too.

If you're going to keep chickens in a run, they need a decent amount of room.

If you're only getting 2 or 3 chickens. get 3. That way, if one dies, you're not left with a lonely girl.

flea72

picklekin wrote: »

I really want a couple of chickies but I have a couple of questions!

Do you HAVE to be let out of the run daily/weekly etc, I work 9-5 and while in the summer can imagine popping out and letting them out for a bit before bed in this wet/dark/cold don't really want to be venturing out!

I understand chickens have to fed daily, and if I go on holiday I can put them into boarding, however, can you go away for a long weekend and just give them plenty of food? We love to camp and go away for several 3-4 weekends a year. I read things about timed feeders etc...

Our run is totally enclosed, so shutting them up at night and letting out in the morning isnt an issue. Our run is big though, so if im not around to let them roam free, they still have access to lots of space.

I can put enough food out to last a weekend, but having access to enough water is an issue. You will really need to have someone come in once a day to top up water, collect eggs and in the worst case, any dead hens. Most people know someone who is prepared to do this in return for keeping any eggs as its a 5min job

flea72

picklekin wrote: »

Thanks, I was thinking about getting an Eglu with a maybe 3 hens and a run extension, would this be enough? I've been reading up on chicken entertainments in their runs

I don't really know any of my neighbors to speak to, but I could try and bribe them with eggs maybe!

I personally dont like eglus, because they are really for hens that are free to roam. But in reality most people dont want their gardens scrapped and eaten, nor poo everywhere, so keep them enclosed in the run. In reality spacewise, this is not far removed from intensive farmed hens.

If you want to give your hens reasonable space, then at a minimum they need at least 1ft of coop and 3ft run, per bird. Coopwise the eglu is fine (if you stick to their suggested capacity) but the run is too small.