What breed do you recommend for regular laying?

[MrsExtraOrdinary]

We are moving house soon and I will have a very large garden finally. I have told dh we will be having chickens. I've wanted them for ages. We have a large family and eat a lot of eggs, so freshly laid eggs seem like a dream come true. I'm a complete beginner. Read through some of the threads but can't find anyone recommending a breed for frequency of laying. I do accept they won't lay forever and that's fine. But didn't know whether there was a difference in breed and laying?

Is 3 chickens about the right number to keep each other company?

[CMOTDibbler]

We have the Stratford, and its really only the right size for the two Welsummers who are only in there overnight. It is well made though

[outtolunchagain]

I am lucky because mine free range in the top third of our garden which has trees etc . I was thinking of using the Stratford for three or four pekins but am also keeping a close eye on the eglus on eBay

[bochead]

when I asked experienced keepers I was told that stratford house is only really big enough for 3 bantams.

If you have kids do you think you'll end up building a wire run with a roof on to stop your lawn getting wrecked & turning into a mudpit, especially in the winter? The eglu runs don't look large enough to keep chickens restrained all the time and they can wreck a garden in days if allowed free range.

I want a veggie patch so have decided to build a run on concrete with a roof. (I'll use woodchips so they have something to scratch in).

That in turn means you can go for a cheaper chicken coop as it'll be protected from the elements a bit chicken coops direct have some decent sized ones for £99 at the moment if you don't mind wood. Or you could adapt a plastic garden store like this if your heart is set on plastic www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/coop-shed.asp for well under £100.

If you feel like splashing out then these seem to get very, very good reviews from experienced keepers on the poultry forums www.greenfrogdesigns.co.uk/ If I had the budget for a new omlet product I think I'd actually prefer one of these.

I'm not totally convinced by the hype around omlet eglus, but have one as a starter coop thanks to keeping a beady eye on ebay and waiting for a bargain. Part of my reasoning is that I don't think the run sizes are generous enough for long term use, and that most people want at least some garden poop free if they have kids.
If I hadn't seen our Go going cheap on ebay I'd have plumped for one of the Solway coops.

[Pixel]

Still worth more than my car. Maybe I'd be better off housing the chickens in it than driving it?

[MyICDiscalledsparky]

I have an eglu classic mark 2 and love it. I bought it off ebay for £120 and it is in great condition. You can completely disinfect and power wash them so I was not worried about getting a second hand one. I had an old mark 1 before that and sold that on ebay for more than I paid for my newer version.

I have three silkie bantam sized hens in mine and it works really well but they are quite small hens.

[outtolunchagain]

I was tryng to find out the price of the Solway with the run , might have to call them .

Have also found one on amazon which is made of plastic but looks like a wooden one which looks interesting

www.amazon.co.uk/STRATFORD-Plastic-Chicken-Rabbits-Warrenty/dp/B008I33M60/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lp_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YYER33SGMYTC4G0PQ3V&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Takver]

Yes, the Solway house is £190 inc VAT. The roof does come off for cleaning, I just take it off, take the cover off the nesting box, then turn the whole thing upside down over the wheelbarrow to empty.

[MrsExtraOrdinary]

I think the one suggested was 190 pounds. Which seems quite competitive compared to wooden houses.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

We have a wooden one and are troubled with mite.

However we used an old shed my dh had converted as a chook house for years and had no trouble.

If you build a run, include some covered areas so they can make dust baths which are good for mite control.Make it bigger than you think -if they are confined in too small a space with no stimulation, you could end up with problems like feather pecking.

Yes, chooks will cause trouble in the flower beds, but I prefer wilder looking beds and watching my chooks happily mooch about!

[Pixel]

Takver that coop looks good but I can't see a price anywhere and does the roof come off for easy cleaning?

I've got a wooden coop which I got because it was cheap inexpensive and had the option of adding nest boxes if I wanted. I do like the look of the wood and feel it is somehow cosier but we did have red mite last year so I'm a bit torn. Atm the price of plastic ones is rather out of my range ie it seems silly to house three chooks in something that is probably worth more than my car .

[MrsExtraOrdinary]

Thankyou takver, that's a brilliant suggestion. I agree the eglu did seem very expensive. Was having a look on eBay at second hand but then slightly concerned about cleanliness and would ideally like to start a new flock of chicks in since clean environment, free from any type of disease. I do think the plastic is going to be easier to clean. I don't care about it bring funky, just as fox safe as possible and easy to get at for cleaning.

[Takver]

IMO the Eglu houses are very expensive for what they are. We've got this coop from Solway recycling and I'm very pleased with it. They do various sizes, ours is the mini & fits 3 full sized chickens fine but I'd go up a size for 4 or more.

It doesn't look funky like the Eglu, but we've had it a good few years now, and although I was worried that it felt a little 'floppy' when I first got it, it has lasted beautifully. Much, much easier to clean than our old wooden ark, as well.

[outtolunchagain]

We have wooden with no felt but have had real problems with red mite ,I have always hated the plastic ones but am seriously considering one on the basis that you can pressure wash all the parts .

[beakerandburette]

I have 3 wooden houses (one is an old kiddies playhouse) and we've never had any problems with mites. I'm not a fan of those plastic monsters although I understand they are much easier to clean .

[FunkyBarnYardBroom]

You must have some diatomaceous earth for fighting worms and mites!

I keep quail at the moment. Once I've built my 144 sq ft enclosure I will be adding a couple of chooks and ducks :)

[Owllady]

We have a wooden one with no felt and it still gets mite infested come the summer :(
I would like an eglu cube tbh. As per my other thread

[MrsExtraOrdinary]

Oh no I firmly believe a chicken is for life. I think as a beginner 3 would be wise and then add when I know exactly what I'm doing. To say 5.

I really appreciate the recommendations and have been reading up on all the breeds. Thankyou. I work from home so I'm always around and I look out over the garden as I work. I had thought letting them be free range in the garden, but perhaps a good run would be best.

Now I've got to decide on the hem house. Plastic verses wooden?! Those egloo ones just don't seem big enough to me. What do you all use?

[beakerandburette]

I echo the above recommendations, hybrids.

They are bred to be good layers and you will get around 300 eggs per year if you get feeding right and put a light in the hen house over the darker winter months. Bluebells, Isla Browns and Black Rocks are great layers and perfect for the novice poultry keeper.

I would also suggest a very secure run; hens make a right mess if they are left to roam free and many new owners get quickly fed up of having their lovely flower beds destroyed and lots birds end up in the care of the rspca :(

Good luck with your girls and let us know how the eggs are! :D

[ThatBloodyWoman]

My chickeds don't actually chase the cat.They live alongside each other very harmoniously.
But he does sometimes take fright if they all move suddenly.

Mrs enjoy them.I never regretted having them as they're so easy to keep.

If you would consider rescue hens, you would also be doing such a good thing.
Just look into it and give it a thought.....

[MrsExtraOrdinary]

Thankyou ladies, I've spent all morning reading up on your recommendations. It's very exciting, I can't wait!

[Owllady]

www.omlet.ie/breeds/chickens/gingernut+ranger/

I like them because they are particularly docile too and easy to handle

[Owllady]

We have always had rangers and they lay every single day without fail

[outtolunchagain]

Our best layer is a Speckledy , best flavour eggs definitely from the Welsummer.If you are new to chickens I would get hybrids , bear in mind that roughly the more they lay the more they eat.

[MrsExtraOrdinary]

We've got a cat,she's pregnant at the moment, but the kittens will materialise before we move. And chickens only when we have moved. I had read that the chickens are more likely to chase the cats. We've got a massive pond, I was wondering about ducks?! Hmmmm

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Our chooks free range the garden, but they also have a big run for if they need shutting in (eg visiting kids).
The cat was in the run today ratting.Very useful till you find a half eaten rat under the picnic table in the middle of dinner.