Home grown chickens to eat? (Merged Discussion)

debbie26pet

im thinking about getting 3-4 but still ummin and arring hubby says they smell? i have 4 kids as well will i have the time? i am a sahm so no problems during day etc, no one near us has chickens/hens we checked deeds cant find it on there to say we cant have, so would i need to check council? as we own our house, but we on council estate.
a silly question i know but what do u do if the bird dies what u do with its body? do they cost alot to feed keep etc it sounds lot of complicated things are needed is it easy to learn as u go along?

V_Chic_Chick

Feed
Corn is about £4-£5 a sack complement this with all you kitchen waste.
reduced bread from supermarkets and veg waste from market stalls and supermarkets.

For goodness sake don't do this. It's incredibly unbalanced (leading to less eggs and ill hens), not to mention illegal (you aren't allowed to give them kitchen scraps anymore, not since FMD). They need layers pellets, which are about £6.40 for 20kg, and can be fed ad-lib. They contain everything which they need to survive in the correct proportions. Corn should only be fed as a treat - it is very fattening and heating.

but these despatchers, as far as I can see, just cut off the head?. Doesn't sound good to me.

They basically crush the vertebrae - not a good way to go. I know there was something in Practical Poultry about how bad they can be if they are not used properly, and they are all supplied without instructions.

Does anyone know of the pros and cons?? I was thinking about getting 3-4 chickens - hopefully they will supply us with enought eggs for us (family of 4)
Are they noisy? are you allowed to keep chickens in your garden? are they friendly?

The general rule for keeping a family in eggs is one per member of the family + 1 extra - so 5 in your case. Unless bylaws (check with environmental health) or your house deeds (nobody is going to care about them tho) forbid it then yes you are allowed to keep them. As for them being friendly, then yes they will be friendly if they are handled etc. but some breeds are more friendly than others - for instance ISA browns are friendly, whereas Leghorns are reknowned for their flightyness.

~Chameleon~ - it generally depends on the individual but they can start to crow from 8 weeks onwards, although more commonly around 12 weeks old. If you want to raise them solely for meat then go for something like a Ross Cobb - they grow so fast they have heart attacks from obesity before they get a chance to crow. They are the type that the meat industry use. Whilst I don't eat meat, and so have no real experience of this, I believe that they are more tender than fattened up cockerels.

I strongly suggest that people do not rush out and get a couple of chickens until they have spent at least 6 months researching the subject.

Definately - I spent about a year researching them before I got them (had to gain parental approval, build coop etc.) and I have found that I now know more than the vet, and more than some people who've kept them for decades. For example, I took a chicken to the vet (we had to go 25 miles to find one who would treat her) with suspected egg peritonitis. He insisted on knocking her out and having a poke around. He came to the same conclusion as I had, and sent me off with antibiotics :rolleyes:

I would love to bring a bit of countryside life to the inner city. Am i being naive?

Not at all. I was walking through the poshest suburb of Bristol a few weeks ago and as I glanced left, what should I see but three chickens behind someone's garden gate If you have a city farm near where you live (there are 4 in Bristol) then that could be a good 'field trip'. You will often find a knowledgable person or two happy to advise you



If anyone else has any questions then feel free to PM me

Lotus-eater

V_Chic_Chick wrote: »

For goodness sake don't do this. It's incredibly unbalanced (leading to less eggs and ill hens), not to mention illegal (you aren't allowed to give them kitchen scraps anymore, not since FMD). They need layers pellets, which are about £6.40 for 20kg, and can be fed ad-lib. They contain everything which they need to survive in the correct proportions. Corn should only be fed as a treat - it is very fattening and heating.

Hi

You're not allowed to give your chickens scraps, but I've never seen it as a problem and don't see a small amount being trouble.
I agree about the layers pellets being needed, but chickens did evolve on grains as far as I know and I have fed mine on wheat for a year with no problems at all.
I don't now, mostly layers pellets (tried the mash and its a rat magnet) with some wheat in the afternoon, with the odd older bit of bread/leftover greens/lettuces and brassicas from the garden.
Not mixed corn at all anymore.

Good link to info
http://www.countrysmallholding.com/Editorial.aspx?brand=CSHOnline&category=CSHFeaturesPoultry&page=3129&story=SPED27+Sep+2007+11%3A46%3A43%3A897

rog2

We are lucky enough to have a 'Farmers Shop' near us, and they sell both Layer's Mash and Layer's Pellets, for around £4.00. Would pellets (slightly more expensive) be any better?
Other websites have reccomended supplementing their diet with corn - is this a problem?

V_Chic_Chick

rog2 wrote: »

We are lucky enough to have a 'Farmers Shop' near us, and they sell both Layer's Mash and Layer's Pellets, for around £4.00. Would pellets (slightly more expensive) be any better?
Other websites have reccomended supplementing their diet with corn - is this a problem?

That's incredibly cheap! I pay about £6.50 for 20kg of Farmgate layers pellets, which is the going rate round here.

Firstly, pellets and mash have exactly the same content, they are just in different shapes. Whilst mash is slightly cheaper, there does tend to be more wastage - food scattered across the floor, which must be cleared up. Most people prefer pellets because of the relative convenience, and given the minimal price difference, and the wastage issue, I would recommend pellets. However, mash is just as good nutritionally, so pick which you think is best.

ViksB

Whilst looking for some Point of Lay POL chickens I stumbled across this site. The lady seems nice and I should be picking them up over the weekend.
The chickens seem really cheap for POL only £5.50. So ideal for anyone in the east of England.
http://grannieannie.allotment.org.uk/

The site has nothing to do with me and since I haven't picked them up yet, I can't vouch for the quality. I will let you know after the weekend if anyone is interested?

Viks

V_Chic_Chick

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Hi

You're not allowed to give your chickens scraps, but I've never seen it as a problem and don't see a small amount being trouble.
I agree about the layers pellets being needed, but chickens did evolve on grains as far as I know and I have fed mine on wheat for a year with no problems at all.
I don't now, mostly layers pellets (tried the mash and its a rat magnet) with some wheat in the afternoon, with the odd older bit of bread/leftover greens/lettuces and brassicas from the garden.
Not mixed corn at all anymore.

Good link to info
http://www.countrysmallholding.com/Editorial.aspx?brand=CSHOnline&category=CSHFeaturesPoultry&page=3129&story=SPED27+Sep+2007+11%3A46%3A43%3A897

That's fine - grain etc. should be given to them as you would give smarties to a child - i.e. as a treat. Just as long as you aren't overdoing the treats, then they'll be fine. I'm just concerned that 'breadline' is feeding them all "smarties" and no "meat and two veg".

I will also just add here that it is possible to mix your own feed using different grains (wheat, milo etc.) but you need to know exactly what you are doing. It is also time consuming and requires grains to be bought in bulk. In short, this is only useful for someone with hundreds of birds and too much time on their hands!

lindseykim13

I found a realy good site a few weeks ago that listed all the breads with pics with info on the best egg layers etc now i can't find it and have forgotten the name of the chicks i'm interested in, i know its a brown hen that has a good laying rate. Has anyone got a good site with the info or know which breed of hen i'm talking about? thanks

V_Chic_Chick

lindseykim13 wrote: »

I found a realy good site a few weeks ago that listed all the breads with pics with info on the best egg layers etc now i can't find it and have forgotten the name of the chicks i'm interested in, i know its a brown hen that has a good laying rate. Has anyone got a good site with the info or know which breed of hen i'm talking about? thanks

Sounds like what can be generically referred to as a 'brown hybrid'. These come under various different names such as ISA Brown and Meadowsweet Ranger, depending on the supplier (stupid, I know). One supplier is http://www.meadowsweetpoultry.co.uk/poultry.html

If it was a pure breed then it sounds like it might have been a Rhode Island Red or similar. Can you remember any other details about this breed?

arthur_dent_2

Hello

I have 6 beautiful chickens but yesterday when feeding them one of them got under my feet and I think that I have broken its foot. She is still eating and does not appear to be distressed but she is not using that leg. I am absolutly distraught with worry and guilt. I know it is only a chicken but they re my ladies and I am so upset can anyone give me any guidance or put my fears to rest that with time it will heal.

I am NOT going to kill her.

Thanks