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Original poster

Does anyone keep chickens?

157 replies

KatieMac · 14/01/2005 20:49

Is it easy?

Can anyone do it?

What will I need?

What do I need to know?

OP posts:
geekgrrl · 18/01/2005 06:59

oh, the other thing to bear in mind is that the chicken wire on the front of the rabbit hutch could do with being replaced with something a lot finer so that no stoat or mink can squeeze through.

Original poster
KatieMac · 18/01/2005 07:38

Luckily the wire is that small rectangular mesh rather than chicken wire.

THNAKS to everyone who has helped me...... I'll keep you updated

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princesspeahead · 18/01/2005 14:58

I introduced Coddy to my chickens this morning - her ds was most taken by them - I predict a fine career as a farmer for him...!

lowcalCOD · 18/01/2005 19:16

they are splendid, ds3 was intrigued

SoupDragon · 18/01/2005 19:19

Are you going to get chickens then, Coddy?

lowcalCOD · 18/01/2005 19:21

no no room here -t hey woudl impede goal access

alibubbles · 19/01/2005 11:50

I'd love to keep chickens and I am sure my minded children would love it too. They would learn so much from them as so many families don't seem to have pets these days, or at least my 5 minded families don't.

I have the leaflet from Omlet, just need to do a very big convincing job on DH. I wonder if I could put them down as a tax deductible expense through my childminding books?!

In thought I'd call the Louis and Vuitton! - Well the cats are Bollinger, Moet and Cliquot, Tattinger got stolen.

princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 12:07

omelets are VERY expensive for what they are, and you can only keep 2 chickens in (which won't be enough to keep you away from the supemarket). For the same price I'd get an ark from forsham cottage arks (or from another cheaper supplier like Jim Vyse) and put 4 full sized hens in it. The hens will be happier in a bigger group as well. Hybrid pullets cost about £5 each or less. They will keep you in eggs for most of the year, you'll only need to top up in Nov/Dec/Jan.

Unless you just really really like the look of the Omelet!

Original poster
KatieMac · 19/01/2005 12:37

Alibubbles - That's what I was thinking - It's such a learning opportunity for the C/Mees.

If we get on with our 2 we might buy a bigger henhouse

OP posts:
redsky · 19/01/2005 17:34

I wish now I had seen Forsham Cottage Arks before we bought Omlet. However it was all dh's project - he loved the look of omlet - and is very happy with his 'chickens hobby'. Babs, the grey French one has definitely stopped laying so he may get omlet to replace her. Omlet's brochure says they will replace them - but what will they do to Babs? Rehome her? Or....you know what??? We don't really need the eggs so we'll probably just keep her anyway.

Levanna · 19/01/2005 17:57

redsky, maybe she'll pick up again when the weather warms up? A lot of chickens stop producing eggs during winter (well, according to the website linked further down!). But, there are tricks to encourage them (creating false daylight in the mornings, before the sun is due to rise.)

redsky · 19/01/2005 19:10

thanks levanna - will pass that on to dh. Any other tips?

princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 19:38

chickens lay according to how much light they get, so they will lay much less in winter (esp now when the days are soooo short) and more in the summer. that is why battery farms keep the lights on for 20 hrs per day!
keep her, she'll be back to her usual perky self in spring.
or eat her and get another one

redsky · 19/01/2005 19:46

Nooooooo not e.........!!!! You ARE joking .......right??? But I AM a carnivore - hypocritic or what??

bensmum3 · 19/01/2005 19:57

Hi, Our chickens are still laying an egg a day each, and we live in the hebrides ( not known for long hours of daylight in the winter) I think the fact they keep sneaking into the barn and stealing the corn meant for the pigs might be helping them to keep laying. I found one yesterday, pinned to the windowsill by the wind, trying to get to the cat basket in the porch to lay her egg.I let her in, she layed her egg, and then waited by the door to be let out again. They are such fun ! Have you got any yet KatieMac ?

Original poster
KatieMac · 19/01/2005 20:03

No - but I've been promised 2....I just have to organise a perch in the rabbit hutch and make sure all the mesh in the (4x4ft) run is all intact - I think it is .....but Foxes (is that the correct plural?) are clever

OP posts:
handlemecarefully · 27/04/2005 12:12

This is a brilliant thread - Iota has just pointed me in the right direction to it as I am thinking of getting chickens.

Did you get yours in the end KatieMac?

iota · 27/04/2005 12:15

HMC - can you imagine if you searched the archives for chicken - how many threads would you have to trawl through - good thing I searched on egglu.

I am a genius

handlemecarefully · 27/04/2005 13:15

Indeed you are

redsky · 27/04/2005 13:36

Can I tell you my latest 'chicken story'? I found Ginger one morning lying down and thought she was dead . She struggled to stand up but was clearly very ill. Babs had a bald patch on her neck and there was a pile of feathers in the run. If a fox had attacked they wouldn't be alive. So what had happened??? Anyway took them to a vet who spent ages examining Ginger and found she had a very lame leg (couldn't put any weight at all on it). So we came home with antiinflammatory pills and antibiotics to give her twice a day. Had to separate them as Babs kept attacking Ginger very viciously. It has taken about 8 weeks for Ginger to recover from her injury and Babs no longer attacks Ginger. Oh yes on a second visit to the vet, the vet was about to make a splint for her leg when she found that the whole of Gingers stomach was very badly bruised! We still don't know what caused Ginger's injury (rat attack? Babs? cat? vet thinks perhaps she got a leg stuck in undergrowth and wrenched it badly) but thankfully she is now fully recovered. Strangely she kept laying everyday despite her illness! And we now know that if one shows any sign of weakness or illness the healthy one will attack it.

handlemecarefully · 27/04/2005 14:35

So how did you quarantine Babs from the other chicken (for her own safety). Where did you keep her if she couldn't share the chicken run?

redsky · 27/04/2005 19:17

Not too difficult to separate them. Ginger had the enclosed run, and Babs had the rest of the garden during the day. At night Ginger went into the 'bed area' at the end of the run and we improvised a 'bed area' ie a cardboard box for Babs in the run. Babs had to manage without roosting bars for about a week - it didn't seem to bother her unduly and she continued to lay her eggs in the shrubbery during the day.

tigerfairy · 27/04/2005 19:55

KatieMac, have you got your chickens yet? I am thinking of getting some too as have always loved the idea of having a mini farmyard and collecting eggs! (if my sister see's this she'll think i'm mad) and saw the omlet website the other day. It looks brilliant, although expensive. We get loads of foxes though so think the eglu would be the safest idea.

Redsky, glad your chickens ok now. Would you still say they are worth having, ie are they easy to look after or are they had work, and hope you dont mind me asking but are the vet bills expensive? Just want to weigh up the pros and cons.

PinkFluffPudding · 27/04/2005 20:06

PrincessPeaHead: RE these Forsham Arks you recommend, how effective are they in keeping out the foxes? Trying to weigh up getting an Eglu or a cheaper alternative. Eglus are meant to be good at keeping the foxes at bay and we have fox problem like tigerfairy.

Original poster
KatieMac · 27/04/2005 21:34

No - the lady giving them to me changed her mind ....but I'm still looking for some

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