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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

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Original poster

does anyone have chickens??

38 replies

dither · 20/03/2007 14:43

for laying... how easy are they to take care of?
what is entailed?
if i live in the country and i know there are foxes about is it still possible to have chickens, or pointless?
ummmmmwhat kind are nicest/easiest/best?
where do you get them?
what do you house them in?

and on and on....

any tips advice for a dunce beginner (grew up in concrete jungle, so clueless, me) MUCH appreciated.

OP posts:

MrsDoolittle · 22/03/2007 11:17

I have 12 hens. I started with 3 this time last year and the rest is history...
I have 3 Buff Sussex hens, 2 Welsummers, 2 Cream Legbars, 2 hybrids and 3 pekin bantams.

My ambition last year was to produce boxes of mixed eggs. Well now I have blue, buff, off white, dark brown and dark brown and spotty. They are all laying gangbusters at the moment, I'm getting about 9 a day.

They started of in their pen but once I started letting them out, it's hard to keep them in they do love scratching about outside. They are a bit over familiar with the neighbours though - one of my hens got into her car as she was emptying out the shopping and started pecking at her bags.
It is true that the wreck your garden, so I have to protect a small area. And they do hang around the back door and poo on the door mat.
But they are soooo therapeutic I couldn't be without them now.

I would definitely buy layers pellets or mash and supplement it with other things, you get the best eggs that way.

chocolatebirdy · 22/03/2007 11:19

Only in the fridge! (sorry!)

MegaLegs · 23/03/2007 10:55

Bella and dither if you have a Rooster all the eggs laid will be fertile, that is they have the potential to become chicks if they are incubated. If you have a broody she will sit for 21 days (or is it 28?) and hatch chicks.

If you collect the eggs everyday this will discourage any broodiness.

MegaLegs · 23/03/2007 10:57

Like Mrs Doolittle says it's worth giving them layers pellets or mash (you can get organic feed) as it is well balanced and provides them with all the goodies they need. Ours eat lots of kitchen scraps too and bugs etc which they scratch up.

Original poster

dither · 23/03/2007 18:15

ah, thanks megalegs... so would be quite unlikely to accidentally cook a chick then?

erm... cant remember if i asked, but those who lock em in at night but let them free in the day... how do you gather them up? i can be bothered chasing them about, but if they just sort of go 'home' with little fuss, id love to let them roam free all day...

OP posts:

moopymoo · 23/03/2007 18:19

oh no want more hens now after reading this...dh said i wasnt allowed after fox induced carnage last year...bt its spring

Original poster

dither · 23/03/2007 18:21

i mean i cant be bothered...

OP posts:

Original poster

dither · 23/03/2007 18:23

carnage? was there lots of bits of chicken and blood n stuff? or did they just disappear...?

OP posts:

Ripeberry · 23/03/2007 19:46

Hi, i have 3 chickens and one is a Marran and the other a Rhode island red.
The third is a cross between the Rhode island red and a white silkie bantam.
Still don't know how the cockerel got to her as he is tiny and the Rhode island red towers above him.
I've kept chickens at the bottom of the garden for 5yrs now.
They have a coop with two nestboxes and a small covered shelter (when it rains).
They are kept in an enclosed run 10ftX7ft and it is just mud!
The only thing with chickens is that they can attract rats to the garden if any food at all is left out.
My cat used to think it was fun chasing them until he got pecked on the nose when they ganged up on him.
Chickens are also very funny especially when one gets a tasty morsel and the others chase her round and round.
AB

Original poster

dither · 24/03/2007 08:22

hmmm... rats? blood n guts? chasing them about to lock them in at night to save them from the foxes... this free ramge malarky is sounding quite a hassle.

IF i had space and inclination to install a big spacious cage type enclosure, with a converted shed or coop at one end... and the cage had a floor which was buried... would i then have chickens safe from foxes, unreachable by rats (shudder), with all the poo and dust/mud contained in one easy to clean-up spot? would they be happy? i dont want unhappy chickens...

OP posts:

Original poster

dither · 24/03/2007 10:13

ok, for other novices like myself, i have found a hugely useful/informative website... \linkwww.henhouses.co.uk/choices.html\here} which has loads of tips on appropriate housing and seem like reliable and concientious suppliers...

personally, i now want a medium house, walk-in secure covered run and then panels to create a large roaming area for the daytime. and about 4-5 medium sized chickens or bantams, of course.

OP posts:

Original poster

dither · 24/03/2007 10:14

oops, screwed up the link. try again here

OP posts:

moopymoo · 24/03/2007 12:17

oh there was lots of blood and guts. Foxes dont always eat them just leave them half dean and munched. total feather mess all over the place. ok jhave gone off idea again. and the rats is right too. but they are there anyway i guess. hens are so funny though and run like little old women with a pinny on.

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