Chicken questions!

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I'm getting closer to getting chickens now.

I have decided on a huge run with help from you lovely lot.

But instead of different threads I thought it would be better to put all on one!

My first question! I have looked at different breeds. Leghorns. Appeal to me as they are longer layer seasons. But what are their temperaments like? Are they good with kids or are the aggressive? One of my daughters (8 years old) is desperate to be a chicken helper.

https://nestera.co.uk/products/chicken-coop?variant=42287659909376
These coops. Are they any G
Good? If I had a few inside the big enclosure.

We have a small field they will be in so can free range when supervised also.

And I think my last main question for now is... chicken grit! I want chickens laying but not to get broody too frequently. Do I need to buy layer feed with grit inside? Or is it better to have separate containers one for grit and one for feed?

Thank you!

Leghorns aren't really known as a friendly breed. They're quite active birds and can be a bit flighty. I have had Silkies, Pekins, Langshans, Aracunas, Orpingtons as they were pets rather than egg layers. They're all quite nice but individual personality seems to be what determines how friendly they are. My favourites have been the Pekin, Aracuna and my langshan who I've had a while and she is a active curious chook. They're not phenomenal layers but I still have more eggs then we can eat, the langshan was quite good but she is menopausal now. With hindsight I would have chosen a few hybrid layers to start with as they're cheap, lay well, don't get broody and pretty hardy while you are learning the ropes.

I've just used layer pellets and the chickens free range and pick up pebbles and sand. When they are laying I give them shells for a calcium boost. So yes they need grit of some sort but if free ranging they will help themselves.

Enjoy, chickens are lovely!

One point about coops, whichever you get - you say you’d buy a few, but it’s better to have one big one with several perches. Chickens roost communally and squash up together at night.
How many chickens are you getting?

Thank you. We are starting with about 7. See how we get on. With the view for about 20 when we know what we are doing. We have a cafe and want to produce our own eggs. We live on an old farm estate. So space isn't an issue.

Go on FB and join fresh start for hens, I've had pure breeds and rescues over the years.

Nothing quite beats the feeling of giving a group of commercial hens a new life, seeing them on the grass for the first time. They are really lovely, friendly girls.

I have an eglu coop and walk in run, initially expensive but well worth it. Never had an issue with mite etc.

I mix grit into their food.

I'd see if you can get some ex-battery hens too. So in need of a good home. They normally continue to lay after re-homing.

Sussex are a lovely friendly bird. My favourites were Red and Speckled. I used to breed them. The Reds were very gentle. They are a large fowl though. Faverolles are also a gentle bird, although probably not for the beginner.

To start with, a commercial hybrid is probably easiest. I used to feed grit separately. You need to think about pest proofing, especially the coop and feed store. Also, in the summer, fly control is important. What are you doing for fox protection?

Also, bio security, you should clean and disinfect coop etc regularly and clean and disinfect footwear. Are you in an area prone to avian flu? You need to have a plan for that and ideally a method for keeping wild birds away from your hens. I kept my feeders and drinkers in a wired, covered run that had a pop-hole to close it off after feeding, with a separate drinker in the hen paddock. Hens will be quite happy eating grass and bugs, so don't need access to pellets all day. The covered run could be used when AF restrictions were in force.

If you are using them in your café, are there any hygiene regulations for egg production/storage you need to be aware of?

Can highly recommend hen keeping, it's great fun and they are lovely with funny personalities. See also pigs!! There's a bit more paperwork with those, but also highly recommended.

Thank you @unsync good point re hygiene! I shall look into it!

I am going to have a large wired chicken enclosure with a built in rain cover over the whole thing. Then smaller coops Inside. Luckily it's not an avian flu hot spot!

They honestly prefer one or two big coops to lots of small ones. They're flock birds and like to roost together. You might find that if you buy multiple small coops they all squash into one - this happened to someone I knew and he swapped 2 small coops for 1 big one.

My first coop was a wooden one, I removed the dividers when I kept finding 6 gens piled up in one best box on a morning. They like being together

Make sure you get the galvanised steel wire, not chicken wire. It's not fox proof.