Home grown chickens to eat? (Merged Discussion)

~Chameleon~

I know there are quite a few people on this site that keep laying hens, but I'm wondering if anyone actually rears their own chickens specifically for meat?

I think it's something I'd like to do, especially in light of all the recent publicity, but will obviously need to do some thorough research into it first. Does anyone have any advice they can offer, or point me in the right direction of some good information please? :A

Off to start googling to see what I can find out

geordie_joe

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I know there are quite a few people on this site that keep laying hens, but I'm wondering if anyone actually rears their own chickens specifically for meat?

I think it's something I'd like to do, especially in light of all the recent publicity, but will obviously need to do some thorough research into it first. Does anyone have any advice they can offer, or point me in the right direction of some good information please? :A

Off to start googling to see what I can find out

30-40 years ago, when I was growing up, my dad had an allotment just for keeping chickens. Mostly for eggs but we used to eat them too. I don't think we ate chicken more than once per month in those days.

Back in those days the chickens were kept in what would be called free range conditions these days. Back then it was just the way we kept them. They ate what they could find plus a large helping of corn from the local pigeon feed merchant. Even so, a chicken for dinner was a treat and not the norm like it is these days.

he used to laugh at The Good Life, claiming you cannot grow enough veg/chickens in such a small space to make you self sufficient in food. You just can't grow enough chickens to eat one per week in such a small space.

I know, I remember the arguments he used to have with my mother because there never was enough chickens. Every week she'd ask for a chicken for Sunday lunch and 3 times out of 4 she would not get one.

I don't know if it was just our chickens, or if all chickens are the same, but ours would not sit on the eggs, they just laid them and walked way. We used to put clay eggs in the nest to try and encourage them to sit their eggs, but most wouldn't. We got a lot of eggs but very few were hatched into chickens. Most of the eggs that did hatch were the ones brought home and kept in a box by the fire.

Anyway, when he said you can't grow enough chickens in such a small space he was wrong, the trick is to cram as many chickens into as small a space as possible. Make sure they can do nothing but eat and they grow quicker and bigger.

I'm just glad he is not he to see it, he would think it was barbaric.

Hapless_2

Look for a book called Backyard Poultry, can't remember the author but it's a very good book.
Also be prepared to register with DEFRA for bird flu alerts, check with your landlord/house deeds/local by-laws, you may not be allowed to keep them. Make sure there is somewhere you can shut them in for long periods if there is a bird flu outbreak.
Learn the signs of Newcastle Disease and be aware of diseases that need reporting to the authorities.
Warn your neighbours, check they have no objections to keeping them.

Daz1

destiny_star2006 wrote: »

Hi i want to buy a few chickens ovbiously get coop etc but just wondering wouldi need to inform council is there any special rules etc around keeping them and does anyone else on here have them and if so how are they finding it!
I want to keep my own after watching jamie olivers prog last night also would be looking at rescuing ex batry hens any help greatly appreciated

Trawled the internet prior to getting my birds but the only thing I could find was if you want to keep them as a business eg selling eggs or slaughter or if you want to keep more than 50 birds then you would need to notify a govt agency (can't remember who). In the absence of any readily available info to the contrary, one would therefore be safe to assume that keeping a few birds in your back yard is not against the law, unless any covenants etc prohibit it. Of course, be considerate of your neighbours, try to place them at the furtherest boundary if possible. They hardly make any noise and don't smell unless you neglect to clean their coop for weeks. Also, store their feed securley so no rodents are attracted to it. Don't get a rooster! Complaints are guaranteed if you do

tracyk

I bought 2 Brahma bantams yesterday & a coop along with everything I need for them. The chickens cost £15 each. I'm having a couple more too.

I live on the edge of an estate (tho' it is on the outskirts of town so practically in the countryside with a farm next door) & a few people have mentioned that it states in the deeds that you can't keep chickens (I'm assuming it doesn't actually say chickens - probably says livestock) but it also says you can't have perimeter fences above a certain height & everyone does so I figure as long as I'm not hurting anyone I'll be OK with my little chooks....

jordylass

I wanted to keep some, but mentioned to my neighbour who said 'her husband' wouldn't be happy and would report me. I'm pretty sure our deeds say no livestock, so I'm stuck unless we move

Daz1

jordylass wrote: »

I wanted to keep some, but mentioned to my neighbour who said 'her husband' wouldn't be happy and would report me. I'm pretty sure our deeds say no livestock, so I'm stuck unless we move

Report you simply for the sake of reporting you? Some people really are funny when it comes to animals. Noisy, smelly animals, OK, I would think twice but unless the person has allergies or phobias, chickens should be OK.....being a grumpy ol git is no excuse

~Chameleon~

Are you all allowing your chickens to free range in the garden, or have you built special pens for them?

My garden isn't terribly secure so I wouldn't want them wandering off, plus we occasionally get the odd cat wandering by, and one is a big burly tom cat so I want to make sure my chickens would be secure if I'm not out with them.

Been looking at this protection pen so they can have plenty of room outside yet remain safe and secure. What do you guys think? You can also fit polycarb roof panels to it which would also satisfy DEFRA rules for keeping poultry safe from Avian Flu.

Daz1

They have an enclosed area which they scratch around in during the day but when I'm in the garden, I let them out so they can roam around. They don't really wander that far afield, tending to be limited by small shrubs and fences around the garden. They often get looked at by the neighbourhood cats but, because they are a large breed, they can more than stand their ground, even against my dog who, being curious, has ended up with a few pecks on the nose and now keeps her distance

~Chameleon~

I've been looking at these pens which also allow you to put a covering roof over to protect food and water sources from wild birds' droppings etc. I did read something about registering with DEFRA but I was under the impression that was only necessary if you keep 50+ birds. I would only want to keep 3-4 layers and half a dozen or so meat birds at any one time.

We did keep chickens when I was younger so it's not an alien concept to me but obviously we didn't have the threat of avian flu back then and all these rules and regulations. They just ran around the field free ranging and were fed on corn and scraps! They slept in an old stable and laid their eggs wherever they felt like it lol That was our job as kids to go hunting the eggs