Help I'd like some chickens

[Cherryblossom200]

Hello,

It's been a dream of mine to have some chickens for about 20 years!

Recently I've been made redundant, I can afford not to work until the middle of next year. And tbh my mental health is a bit of a mess from chronic stress.

So I'm wondering if this is the time to get some chickens. I have two cats and a 9 year old DD. I have a lovely garden 😬

I've read that certain chickens are more garden friendly. I have room for a chicken coop, but what do you do in really cold weather conditions?

I'd want about 2-3 chickens ideally, as pets for eggs and just to enjoy the funny little creatures wondering about. I think they would be good for my health.

Oh wow! That looks messy 😬 I'm re-thinking this! 🤣

@Chasingsquirrels - I love your set up and your photographs. Do have a slight quibble with this, though:

Mine have 2 x 8mx6m greenhouses

If those are 8 metres by 6 metres, your hens are the size of Godzilla 😂

8 foot by 6 foot, perhaps?

We started keeping chickens for the first time about 3 years ago. We started with 4 bantams. We are lucky enough to have an enclosed garden that is very near but separate from our house - this is where the chicken runs are. We have had all varieties, all sizes, all colours. We have incubated and hatched eggs, which led to very tame birds. We are lucky to have very reasonable neighbours. We do have cockerels which have been a mixed blessing - I wouldn’t do that again.

Hahaha.
Yes, foot!!

Oh I have chicken envy ❤️❤️ I’d love to have chickens. Maybe one day!

I'm a crofter, and have kept poultry for about 30 years. I don't have many hens now, because I have too many turkeys, ducks and geese, but I do love them.

I have some feelings about the (very popular) Eglu houses and wouldn't personally use them for anything bigger than quail, but they do meet the minimum standards required. Ideally, the perches in any henhouse (and you must have perches) should be about 18" from the floor, to allow good ventilation and because the birds prefer it. Even my Seramas, which are about the size of a pigeon, perch at that height.

I move my houses every couple of months so there is fresh grass for the chickens to destroy, and to prevent a build-up of parasites. It would concern me if they were on the same ground all the time, but people seem to manage with things like chipped bark or straw to help with drainage. They produce a lot of muck though, which stinks! Ours goes into our compost heaps and is used on the garden eventually.

We grow chard and cabbages especially for hanging up in the runs, it prevents boredom and leafy greens are a good source of calcium. We've never had a problem with mites, but worming at regular intervals is essential. We use Flubenvet, which comes in a stupidly large tub but lasts ages.

I'm rambling on a bit, but one last thing- has anyone mentioned the rats yet? You are very likely to attract them if you have chickens and you will need to make sure you have adequate protection in place.

Is have two cat so rats won't be an issue 😊

2 cats won't help with rats. Metal food drums, that's what helped. Removing an easily accessible food source.

Rescue hens are the best animals in the world. The joy they give is immeasurable. We don't eat the eggs but give them to neighbours, who in turn throw a few scraps over the fence. The whole street know their names and chat to them as they pass.