Raising chickens

[chickpea5]

Does anyone have advice on raising chicks in a London-sized garden? Do they need to be inside initially? Do you have to have a certain number, mix of rooster and hen? Would welcome pointers and trusted websites. Thank you!

No roosters in a residential area!! 🤣🤣

Go to the Chicken Keepers section on Mumsnet for starters. And don’t forget about Avian Flu right now.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/chicken_keepers

Get a book on keeping chickens and Google chicken keeping websites. Chickens are living, breathing, feeling creatures that need fox and rat proof accommodation, space to dust bathe and scratch, a weatherproof coop and someone to give them daily care. Day old up to pullet need heat 24/7.

Do just the teeniest tiniest bit of research op

You dont need roosters and I certainly wouldnt advise them in a built up area!

You need to keep them inside at the moment (by inside I mean under cover but that can still be outside) because of bird flu and you may find less available for sale etc due to restriction

Bird flu restrictions are happening pretty much every winter now so you need to have a set up that can cope with that

If you don't have a massive garden then 3 is a good number of hens, you have to have more than 1 because they are a flock animal so need company.

I would absolutely not raise chickens in a residential area with a small garden. And do not have a cockerel unless you want all your neighbours to hate you.

We have chickens but live on a farm. They will trash your garden and shit everywhere. To give them a good quality of life, you need a good bit of space. We have 10 in a run that is probably 10x10 metres. We have one cockerel. We have no near neighbours and he’s far from the house so doesn’t bother us, but you can hear him all times of the day or night and it’s very loud, probably can hear about 1/2 mile away.

If you absolutely must get them, I would buy them at point of lay (about 16 weeks). Hatching and raising chicks artificially is smelly messy business. I’d personally never do it again.

Chickens in a small garden can be done but it is a tremendous amount of work to keep them clean and make they have a decent quality of life. The other trouble with properly urban areas is foxes - I personally wouldn’t have chickens that were never going to be allowed to free range.

You can do an online course and get everything you need from the British hen welfare trust,but yes you need a lot of space they have to be kept in due to bird flu and there is a phenomenal amount of poop and rats will come.they are super lovely pets but they are extremely expensive way if getting eggs.

Thanks all. You have all confirmed what my husband has been saying - our set-up isn't ideal at the moment. I'm disappointed but we must do what's best for the chicks.

there are many online websites who are offering chicks, pullets and breeders. but my suggestion before buying chicks or pullet, you must visit there parents. Because most of the online stores are selling not pure breed chicks.

If you actually think having a rooster is reasonable in your current situation, you absolutely should not keep chickens.

zombie thread

We had a 10x10 pen (chain link with a door in it) for night with a mesh roof over and a coop inside for egg laying. Ours were free to roam all day and spent time under the trees and bushes eating bugs and grass. We never kept more than 13 at time No Rooster as they are too loud and annoy the neighbours and they used to annoy me too.