Complete novices! Come tell me what i need to start........

[whitechocchip]

Hi am thinking of getting some chickens, could you please give me some info on everything?

How do you start?
What do they live in?
Where do you get the chickens?

Thanks in advance

[twoGsinBuggerOff]

um, i started with an eglu cube as they are a piece of piss to look after and come with chooks etc.

but it might be worth buying a book on the subject and looking into it from there as eglu are 'spensive and about 4 months down the line i am trying to sell my cube, scale up, buy a bigger house (and realising how much i couldve gotten in the first place for the price of my cube) and diversify as i just love all the different looks and breeds.

i bought a book today and really ought to have done it before getting into it [too impatient]

[overthemill]

buy a poultry mag and look in the ads. you could go on a day long course. wish i had done so to start with but 10 years on its all ok

go online and look for local hen supplier. bantams/pure breeds are fun and will get you hooked but hybrids are cheap and reliable layers. you dont need a cockerel unless you want chicks and even then you can get hatching eggs

buy the biggest henhouse you can afford - eglus are expensive - you can adapt all sorts of sheds/wendy houses. look on freecycle and in small ads.
enjoy the eggs - give surplus to neighbours to hook them too so they will hen sit when you are away!

[overthemill]

oh yes, buy an egg cookery book!