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Chicken keepers

Meet others keeping chickens on our Mumsnet Chicken forum.

Original poster

I need chickens.

58 replies

electricbarbarella · 25/05/2008 17:36

My mum took us round to a friends of hers house to meet their chickens this afternoon, the girls loved them, I was amazed how little space they actually need, they gave us some eggs which the girls got from the coop and we have just had them for tea, they were the nicest thing I have ever eaten. I am currently looking at the eglu thingy, what are the alternatives, I don't like the look of the run with no height to them.

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tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2008 11:34

I think bantams are as friendly as chickens tbh - have a read of the Omlet forum and the Practical Poultry forum for info and experiences with bantams.

I would get one with a run tbh, because urban foxes are VERY brazen, and you would probably need to be in the garden with them ALL the time, or be prepared to have them killed every so often. And yes, they would wreck the garden!

The only downers of bantams I can think of are that they tend to fly more easily than chickens, and lay smaller eggs.

THat is a lovely house - I think the extra run would be kind to the hens - the more space you give them the better really, and the fewer problems you have with bullying.

Where are you in the country? (Roughly!) - again the forums can give you some guides on breeders, but I know of a few that people have had good (and bad) experiences with. Hth!

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 11:43

I,m in sheffield, I love the look of that house and have measured up and it would fit with the run no probalm. There is another one on that site that is really nice as well flytesofancy.co.uk/acatalog/Haven_Henhouses.html, can't believe after all the time I have been on mumsnet chickens have finally inspired me to bother to do links.
I think I would be happier with them in a run tbh as we have cats and so do next door neighbours, am slightly worried what neighbours reaction would be but I am sure a few lovely fresh eggs would soon convince her. I had the last egg that we picked yesterday poached for my breakfast this morning and it was like eating heaven. I can't believe how excited I am by this idea, so you buy hens at POL, is that at a particulare time of year, please don't tell me I will have to wait till next spring or I amy cry.

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Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 11:48

BTW am loving reading your blog.

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tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2008 11:49

Now is a good time to buy them actually, so they have some nice weather to settle in! POL is to do with the age of the hens, which is all dependent on when they hatch! So not 'date' dependent!

tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2008 11:53

Storrs Poultry are quite near you - don't know anything about it though, so might be worth doing some searches on the Practical Poultry forum to see if there's anything on there about them.

tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2008 11:57

Just did a bit of fishing around, and I think that Storrs would be your best bet - speak to someone called Graham I think (judging from the posts on PP and Omlet, he seems to be very highly regarded).

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 12:04

Storrs are meant to be good - not used them myself but I know people who have and been happy.

I sometimes let my chickens out in the garden - not that often as they do have a huge corner of the garden that they're in all the time so loads of space. I haven't found that they've wrecked the garden but then the garden is 100ftx30ft and only 3 chickens so I guess if it was a smaller garden they probably would do more damage.

One reason I don't let them out more though is because the amount of poo they produce is unbelivable. Even if they're out for one day there is poo all over the lawn and as I have a 7yo running about then its not great. Guess you could always shovel it up though. I do also have a veg plot so no way could I let them out at this time of year as they would eat all the seedlings.

The run that they have is now just bare soil and they're happy scratching about in this. Every now and then I dig it over so its fresher soil for them.

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 12:19

That looks fab and I think it is actually about 2mins away from us. Yay.
I think hybrids sound like the safest bet to start with, espcially since now the dirls are asking for eggs every meal. threy asre very cheap aren't they is that usual?

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Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 12:20

Don't think I fancy chasing them round shovelling poo tbh, I have a 4 and a 2yo so wouldn't really be ideal.

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 13:06

Price sounds about right for a hybrid - I paid £10 each for my black rock and speckledy so Storrs is a bit cheaper. Warrens are normally cheaper still.

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 13:55

Have just sunded the neighbour out and she seemed quite impressed. yay, I keep measuring what houses would take up in the garden and they all seem tiny. Am I right in thinking the eglu is only 1m long.
I love the look of the flightsofancy ones but would be worried that they may not be able to get it down the passage.

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 14:11

They will deliver the hen houses flat packed if you prefer - how good is your dh at diy

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 14:25

Absolutly useless, but I am not too bad, I am just ioff to storrs now, they have houses there as well so I can have a look, they sound nice so I will report back later.

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 16:11

Let me know what you think to Storrs, am thinking of getting chickens from there next time I need some.

BigBadMouse · 26/05/2008 16:11

Oohhhh I am sooooooo jealous! .

We have our chicken house all ready but DH is far more interested in building his racing car than our chook enclosure right now. We built our own coop btw, it was far cheaper and better made than a lot of those I have seen for sale. I WANT MY CHOOKS NOW.

Stripeyknickers - your garden sounds like mine - ours main garden is 120' x 40' and 1/3 of that is put down to veggies and fruit - so it is very helpful to hear how yours copes with your chooks. I'm planning on having them in a large enclosure and letting them out when I am up there to keep an eye on them....can you get chicken nappies btw?????

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 16:38

It was lovely, they do coops as well, deliver to me free and put them up. looking at a 5 x 5 one with a really high roof and raised up house so the run goes under it as well IYSWIM. showed me some chooks, they were lovely, we had to drive down a rather bumpy dirt track and I was more than a little nervous.
Says can get me house in 10 days then i can get chooks as soon as it is set up.
My garden is actually not very big at all but I am very happy to give a corner of it to some lovely eggs.
I never thought I would be getting all giddy about chickens.

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 16:49

BBM - I reckon a size 5 Pampers would do the job

You will need to fence off your veg plot!

I built our chook enclosure by myself in elss than 10mins. I got a huge roll of 4ft high chicken wire and about 8 electric fence posts. The posts just push in the ground and I then used garden twist ties to attach the fence and tent pegs to pin it down at the bottom. It works fine although not very pretty. I have now built a proper wooden gate and again managed to do it by myself which I was very proud of. Do that without telling your dh - he might hate the sight of it so much that he will spring into action.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 16:50

ElectricBarbarella - glad Storrs was good. Have you decided which chickens you're getting yet?

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 17:00

Not decided they had loads, said better to see what they have on the day you want them although apparently they have about 6 different hybrids rather than just the ones listed on the website.
Not sure what dh is going to think of me taking the girls to visit chicken farm but that'll teach him to leave me alone for 3 days, can't expect me not to do something weird.
The housing is pretty expensive, I think the one I fancy is £395 so i think it would be a good few years before the chooks paid for themselves with eggs, but it is not about the money really is it, it is about going out and getting lovely fresh food to feed our family, and teaching the dc to look after animals and family enjoyment.

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BigBadMouse · 26/05/2008 17:01

stripeyknickers believe me, I have thought of doing it myself but it has to be very fox-proof and needs a roof (we are surrounded by a large bank so foxy could just jump in otherwise).

DH is fanatastic at DIY which is great. I'm being induced for DC3 on Wednesday and thinking if he is a very grouchy baby then DH might be inclined to go out and build an enclosure to escape (although I strongly suspect we will all be cowering in it while DC3 takes over the house .

tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2008 17:01

THat sounds really exciting! WHat are the options of breeds?

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 17:03

Oo and I also thought that if I get 4 i would get 4 different breads but probably all of the hybrids as they seem to be the best option for eggs. I want those lovely eggs . yum yum yum.
What do you honestly think of arc housing because it does seem an awful lot cheaper than anything else, it just looks really cramped and low and no space to flap about.

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/05/2008 17:10

I know what you mean about the eggs not paying for themselves - to be honest I'm not sure they ever do.

My first hen house/run was £220, the next was about £380 as I decided I wanted a bigger one. I reckon by the time I've had enough eggs for those 2 they will have rotted and I'll need another one anyway!

And thats not even thinking about the layers pellets, grain, red mite powder, grit, apple cider vinegar, bedding, etc.

DH grumbles about this but as I said to him I enjoy my chickens so don't care if its more expensive.

I've just hatched out 3 chicks thinking that might be cheaper - but £12 for 6 eggs (only 3 hatched), £7 for chick crumbs, I'll need to buy some growers soon, £3 for a chick drinker and feeder. So thats getting on for £30 for 3 chickens and knowing my luc kthey'll turn out to be cockerals

tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2008 17:15

Arks are fine as long as you over cater in size! And don't touch one with sloping sides, as it is a waste of space!

What was the housing you looked at at Storrs like?

What hybrids did they have?

Original poster
electricbarbarella · 26/05/2008 17:34

speckedly, black rock and warren are listed on the web site but they said they had about 6 at any one time ready to go. I am not sure about the housing, there is one that I like but I can't find it on the internet to link, it is a bit like the haven one that I looked at but slightly cheaper and they deliver it free and build it, can't really add runs to it later or anything to make it bigger though, said it was ok for 6 hens. and it did look nice and big.
dh is home now and seems really impressed with my knowledge on the subject considering I have never had any interest in chickens before yesterday, i am now in love.
The house i looked at also has a proper roof which is better I think because of bird flu stuff or is that absolute crap.

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