Where can we get hens from?

fuzzgun19

We are setting up a space on our allotment for some hens.

Could anyone suggest where we can buy some hens from?

pboae

Would you consider rehoming some rescued ex-battery hens?
http://www.thehenshouse.co.uk/index.html

Big_Bird_4

Suppliers often advertise in the back of Gardening magazines like Grow Your Own. Take a notebook to your local WH Smith.
Rescuing ex-battery hens is a very nice thing to do. But be aware that they'd only give you about half as many eggs per bird as you could expect from decent pullets from a breeder. You'd need to keep/feed twice as many for the same number of eggs.

fuzzgun19

Thanks, I will look into battery hens.

We are looking into getting about 6, so maybe I could get 3 battery and 3 from a breeder..

Big_Bird_4

Your allotment is going to love all that chicken poo. It's rocket fuel for the compost heap.

paddy's_mum

You might want to google for 'chicken tractor' to find the Gallery by Katy. It has some great pictures of pens that would be ideal for keeping hens on an allotment.

There are several advantages to having a moveable hen ark not least is that you avoid build up of disease on any particular spot of ground. You can simply move the pen to the next area of ground to be manured, scratched over and generally weed seeded and de-bugged by the hens.

I would recommend though that you fit a layer of large mesh to the bottom of the ark to prevent rats and foxes having too easy an access to your poultry. It won't deter the hens from scratching about but may well save their lives one day. Good luck and enjoy all those lovely organic fresh eggs.

moonrakerz

fuzzgun19 wrote: »

Thanks, I will look into battery hens.

We are looking into getting about 6, so maybe I could get 3 battery and 3 from a breeder..

The trouble is with ex-battery hens is that they are coming to the end of their 'laying' life.

SUESMITH_2

have you looked at river cottage forums? there is lots of good advice on there. http://www.rivercottage.net/ http://forum.rivercottage.net/index.php

katskorner

It seems obvious but just double check with your council that it is OK to keep livestock on your allotment. I know that ours don't allow it.

Good luck.

Alison_Cross

I'd LOVE to keep a couple of hens, but my hubby has been listening to some farming friends who draw their eyebrows down and frown into their beer whenever I suggest getting just a tiny pair of hens. They said that where there are hens, there's rats...... Anyone got anything that I could say to hubby to persuade him to let me keep a teeny, tiny pair of chooks?! Anyone got chooks and not got the accompanying rodents?!

steady__eddie

I used to keep bantams years ago and I never had any probs with rodents (except at election times when they came round canvassing). I kept a droppings board under the perch in the roost which I cleaned out every morning and I dug the run over every weekend. I kept the corn in a recycled 5 litre plastic paint bucket which had a snap on lid so nothing could get at it. The same as every other pet, an acceptable standard of hygiene is req'd.