Preg with 3rd child but want hens- will I manage?

[twogirlsandamessyhouse]

I've had it in my head for awhile now that I'd like a few hens- we live in a suburban estate, have space for 2 or 3 in a run, and an enclosed garden for occasional free-range time. But- I also have a 6 yo, a 4 yo, a dog, a cat, and am expecting no. 3 in October.

I've been reading everything I can about keeping hens, and would love to get everything set up before summer is out, but is it crazy to think about this now with a baby on the way?

My thinking was that I'll have a nice long mat leave to get used to having the hens, but it has been 4 years since there's been a baby in the house! So maybe I'm kidding myself? But surely they can't be that much more work than I already have with existing pets and kids?

Any thoughts and advice appreciated, thanks! x

Of course, they don't need much looking after - feed / water topping up every couple of days. Handful of corn thrown their way late afternoon and eggs collecting on a daily basis. Cleaning out every week or two with a more through clean every now and now.
They even put themselves to bed - apart from the stupid ones that think bed is on top of the henhouse!

Have you seen the omlet website?

If your garden is small, you will smell them......

I like that they put themselves to bed. I'll have plenty of other creatures to put to bed myself. ; ) Good to hear that they don't take much effort. I'm eyeing up an Eglu on eBay atm, been on all sorts of sites trying to get info.

How small is small? Our garden is medium-sized, though the coop will have to go in the border about 15 feet from the house, which currently has nothing it it but wood chip.

I only have 3 hens but on balance I think they are easier to look after than pet rabbits.

it isn't the difficulty looking after them it is being able to move the coop to different grass/area regularly and being able to clean up every day. 3 chickens produce a heck of a lot of poo and they will smell. left out food will also attract rats. you know your neighbours best. will they be happy with this. tbh I would wait until no 3 arrives and is settled then do it. when you do make sure you get them from somewhere reputable and realise that they wont keep laying all their lives. you will have years when they no longer lay and they don't lay in the winter either. good luck with dc 3.

Depends what you get surely. My hybrids laid all winter, through snow and everything, they didn't miss a day. I realise they won't lay forever and then I will be left with some slightly stupid pets but that's because I'm soft . I find daily poo-picking and occasional application of ground sanitiser powder stops any pongs, even though my run can't be moved.

I have the eglu cube and 7 hens, if i empty the droppings tray's every week it isn't even half full so hardly a huge amount of poo. The grass in the run will get trashed but hens are fine on wood chippings.

Personally i have a decent area fenced off by electric netting where they roam during the day.

Never personally had a problem with rats either.

Hybrid hens do not live for years after they stop laying either, some pure breeds might but not in my own experience.

Hybrid hens do not live for years after they stop laying either

Well that's a bit sad and a bit good news iyswim . I had ducks who lived for 15 years so I was having visions of chooks with little zimmer frames, probably to match the one I'll have by then!