a new 'keeping chickens' thread - feeding them apples, moving them around

[burek]

We've already built the base for the hen house and will be building upwards this weekend hopefully. Since we have a whole acre to play with (no, we're not loaded, we live abroad where land is cheaper! ), we're thinking of enclosing quite a large area for them around the hen house to wander in. Got a few questions ... do they like apples to eat? We have loads of apple trees and there are still lots left on thr ground even now. Would be great if that was free food for them in the future. Also, has anyone made or used something to carry/move chickens in? We thought we'd vary their grazing areas and move them from their enclosure to another bigger enclosed area down the garden. Do you think it would be difficult to get them in to it? Or can we just shoo them down the garden. We don't want to have to enclose the veg patch, which they would have to walk past to get to the other grazing area (does that make sense?)

Chickens do like apples but would only peck at a small amount. You'd still have to feed them properly. They don't need too much enclosing if you clip their wings - a couple of feet was tall enough to stop ours. Personally I'd be tempted to enclose the veg garden and give them free run of everywhere else. That is what we used to do. You don't need to move their grazing area if it is large enough i.e. if they don't scrat it into mud

To get chickens to follow you is very very easy. When ever you feed them shake their food container and call them. Within a week they'll follow you everywhere.

Ours got kitchen scraps. When scraps were low they got 'laying pellets'. Laying pellets do exactly as they sound - encourage lots of eggs to be laid! They must have grit in their diet (crushed up egg shells is fine) otherwise they lay eggs with soft shells. Easiest thing to do is a scoop of pellets twice a day suplemented with scraps.

I feed my chickens, geese and ducks a mixture of corn and layers pellets, about 2 scoops to 1. You can get separate bags at pet food/agricultural shops. The chickens go nuts for corn, the geese and ducks will eat anything.

I've often wondered about keeping chickens, but the dilemna of who would look after them if we go away always stumps me. Quite alot to expect of a neighbour. We live in London.

Mine are easily shooed around the garden, you will be able to shoo them straight past the veg plot if you're close behind them. Or pick them up and carry them past - I am now an expert at diving at my chickens and catching them when needed. You do pick this up quickly.

Mine have layers pellets available all the time, a bit of grain most days, and scraps as and when.