Home grown chickens to eat? (Merged Discussion)

dND

There's lots on this thread
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=679695

I love my chooks but you do have to realise that they are a tie.

arthur_dent_2

You do have to look after them of course, but we already have 2 cats to be looked after when we go away so chickens isn't much more. As long as you have friendly and willing neighbours or relatives you should be just fine.

wen2202

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I know what you mean! I've kept chickens before (only layers) so I know all about how curious they can get, and also how they can destroy a veggie/flower bed within a matter of hours, hence wanting something very secure to keep them in :rotfl:

I do have quite a large garden but I'm sure they'd still find the neighbours gardens more interesting given half a chance :rolleyes:

I'd like to raise some for meat too this time, but my dilemma at the moment is whether or not young cockerels would be noisy enough to disturb the neighbourhood before it's time to dispatch them (3-4mths) as I'd like to raise them from eggs/young chicks and keep the hens to lay and eat the boys

My neighbour has 15 chickens, lovely things stink the place out but nothing that jeyes fluid on my side of the fence doesn't mask but

and it is a big but, he has 2 cockerels, no joke, i hate them with a passion, think very carefully of your neighbours mental health before you get cockerels, being woke up at 3.15 (twice this week) is no joke, filling in council noise diaries is no joke......
3.15 am !!!!-a-doodle do
3.15 + 5 seconds !!!!-a-doodle do
etc, etc, etc

Be good neighbours, buy a farm or don't get cockerels.

rog2

wen2202 wrote: »

Be good neighbours, buy a farm or don't get cockerels.

I wouldn't do that, wen. When we last kept chickens, about 20 years ago, we had a bantam cockerel (Henry) who behaved just as you described. We also had a very 'difficult' neighbour, who threatened, on several occasions, that he would 'ring its neck' if it woke him up again. Anyway - to cut a long story short - one day we found 'henry' neatly placed on our doorstep, with his neck cleanly broken.
Whilst the 'meat fell off of the bone' I have 'learnt my lesson.

~Chameleon~

wen2202 wrote: »

My neighbour has 15 chickens, lovely things stink the place out but nothing that jeyes fluid on my side of the fence doesn't mask but

and it is a big but, he has 2 cockerels, no joke, i hate them with a passion, think very carefully of your neighbours mental health before you get cockerels, being woke up at 3.15 (twice this week) is no joke, filling in council noise diaries is no joke......
3.15 am !!!!-a-doodle do
3.15 + 5 seconds !!!!-a-doodle do
etc, etc, etc

Be good neighbours, buy a farm or don't get cockerels.

Oh I fully agree and wouldn't dream of inflicting such a nightmare on my neighbours, or me for that matter as I truly hate being woken up suddenly with loud noises so would end up ringing their darn necks myself

What no one has yet managed to tell me though is whether the younger male birds make the same amount of noise and would be a nuisance to all concerned before being routinely killed off for the table (3-4mths old)

rsooty

I have being wanting to get chickens since I was a boy but the family never approved.
I have just bought a new house which I am due to move into in March when I leave the Army but I am unsure if the garden would be big enough for chickens - could someone please help?
The garden is approx 8x8m and approx half is lawned. The problem is that I would be wanting to share the garden between 2 children, a few chickens and a small vegetable patch, this would probably only leave me with a 2x2m patch. Would this be large enough for 2 or 3 chickens?
Also, does anybody know where I could get chickens and supplies in West Yorkshire?
Many thanks
Sooty

rog2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

What no one has yet managed to tell me though is whether the younger male birds make the same amount of noise and would be a nuisance to all concerned before being routinely killed off for the table (3-4mths old)

Our 'henry' started to ascert himself at about six weeks old - I think he was in competition with the older cockerel that we had - he was four months old when he 'met his fate'. So - yes I think the younger ones can certainly make their fair share of noise, but ours definitely had competition and was around the hens - that might make a difference.

veggie4life

I have made a pen for my chickens which did have (for about a week) grass. With the weather its now turned to mud mixed with chicken poo so they now temporarily have the run of the garden. This is by no means practical and I wondered if anyone had advice on a suitable pen ?

Lotus-eater

rog2 wrote: »

Our 'henry' started to ascert himself at about six weeks old - I think he was in competition with the older cockerel that we had - he was four months old when he 'met his fate'. So - yes I think the younger ones can certainly make their fair share of noise, but ours definitely had competition and was around the hens - that might make a difference.

I'm suprised no one else has answered this question yet, I've not had that much experience with cockerels, when I had loads of boys together, they all went mad in the morning, I think as rog2 says, if they have other males around they will try harder.
I once had a pekin bantam cockerel, lovely little chap, but made a noise like a chap ten times his size (and crossed with a badly tuned dustbin) so he had to go, that can't have been more than 3 months old.
You just can't keep them quiet, believe me I have tried everything, I desperately wanted to keep one, but it just wasn't fair on the neighbours. Fair play to them, they stuck it out while I tried to make it work. But in the end being woken up at 3.30 am wasn't much fun.

rog2

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I've not had that much experience with cockerels, when I had loads of boys together, they all went mad in the morning, I think as rog2 says, if they have other males around they will try harder.

They are literally establishing the 'Pecking Order' - it's only natural.