Chickens, eglus, rats and more...

[misspollysdolly]

DH and I are fairly agreed that we would like to get some chickens at home - Yay!

So, what do I really need to know?!

Thinking of getting a package option - are Eglus any good?

Are rats a big problems if you keep chickens? We recently found we had a rogue rat in our house - have had it dealt with but can foresee the hems attracting more rats/mice. Is this the case? How do you deal with the problem if so?

Opinions on the pros and cons welcomed...thanks!

Eglus are an expensive option, but very popular. I personally think the runs are a little on the small side - the cubes are better but eye-wateringly expensive. Also, the chickens that come with them aren't the most interesting - so if you want interesting chickens you might want to do that separately.

The plus points of the eglu are the ease of cleaning - it all comes to pieces and you can hose it all down.

Wooden coops are more traditional, they CAN have a problem with red mite, but a good spray with Poultry Shield seems to sort that out.

We've not had any problems at all with rats - we keep the feed in metal dustbins and that seems to be enough to keep the rats at bay.

You will need to be secure against foxes though - they are probably the most significant problem to deal with.

I have a cube, it cost the earth, I also have an extension as I didn't think it was big enough for the six chooks I wanted. It is wonderful, so easy to clean, looks fantastic and having no experience of chickens at all I am very happy that it is fox proof.
I love it, my chooks are not laying yet and i think they wioll have to lay about a million eggs to pay for the cube, I am planning to sell some so they can eventually pay for themselves.
I would agree that the chooks you get from omlet are not the most interesting, you could source your own, If you say where you live i am sure people on here will know where to get them . I bought my own and have lots of interesting breeds.
I don't think rats are a problem if you keep everything in metal bins and keep it clean.
they don't smell but the amount of poo they produce is amazing.
I think there is mixed opinion on coops on here, eglus' and cube are fantastic but very expensive, there are alternatives that are just as good but you have to remember they will nedd treating, tortioseshells are fantastic but I think you would have to borrow her dh to get them .
The only other thing I would say is do it, chooks are the best.
Also cubes have a really long waiting list at the moment so if like me you are not very patient it may drive you bonkers.

Disagree - chickens do attract rats. Even if you are careful with the feed, a little bit gets spilt and scattered by the chickens...for instance, when they are eating from their feeders they will probably dislodge some onto the floor.

However rats need not present a problem if you keep the chicken house at some distance from the house....doesn't follow that rats will make a beeline for your hearth and home.

Anyway, most people have rats in their gardens - they just don't realise

I would stay clear of the eglu. There has been reports of it having condensation problems which is the last thing you want with chooks. I understand that people like the look of them and they are mite proof, but as with any animal if you have good housekeeping problems will be kept at bay. I also feel that the runs are far too small.

My best advice to you is to go on a chicken keepers course BEFORE you get any chooks. You will get expert advice on housing/handling/ breeds and general care. This will ensure that you make the right decision and give the chooks a good start.

Also check that you have someone that can help with covering holidays if you go away and don't forget you need to ensure that you shut them up at dusk every day.

With regard to the rats, keep all food stuff in galvanised bins, sweep up any mess and empty the feeder each night so you're not tempting rodents. Good luck! Chooks are great pets.

I've owned my cube for a month now and think it is great. It cost - to me - a small fortune but I'm very pleased with it. Easy to clean and my hens, which I bought elsewhere, seem very happy. Mine freerange in the garden for most of the day so I have not bothered with an extension but if yours will be in the run most of the time I would say get one. Since we have a burn running through the garden we do see rats from time to time and they moved into our outbuildings during the really hard winter. They were dealt with at the time and have never been in the house. To be honest I think there are probably plenty around but we rarely see them. I keep our food in a metal bin in the shed,bring in the feeder at night and change the poo tray every couple of days. Hopefully this should help avoid a problem. As others will tell you hens are fab. My children adore them and we have become really attached to them so quickly. Go for it!

We have a wooden henhouse - chickens f/r at bottom of large garden, so some distance from our house. I follow all the advice I was given here - food in at night, keep the run & henhouse really clean, all food stored in bin (ours is a tough plastic not metal) - so far no rats. However, they're around - we live on a farm with our neighbour's farm buildings just over the wall - of course, he must have rats, it's inevitable. I hope to goodness one never pops up to say hello to me - I loathe them . Go for the chickens, follow advice & enjoy your chooks - they're great!

Adore my eglu and cube. Never had a condensation prob and after a jet wash can wipe dry with a towel or sun dry. Mine has a 4m run and mezzanine. My ladies generally fr though. Spoilt!

We had some visiting rats a while back, they weren't living in our garden but they did burrow under into the chicken run to get at the food. They also went after the birdseed in a garden a few doors down and the dog leftovers in another nearby garden so the chickens were no more an attraction than many other things (rats all gone for now).
Put the chooks as far away from the house as possible....they do smell (no matter how often you clean them out) I had to have mine positioned directly outside my kitchen window where I used to live and in the summer I regretted it lol. If they are a good distance away from the house you won't notice it though (the more they free range the better with regards to smell aswell as the masses of poo is spread out lol