Questions about keeping chickens

[MrsPuddleduck]

I am considering tyring to talk DH into letting me have some chickens. My CM has two and my DS loves them.

Before I start looking into the technicalities of it could one of you chicken experts (of which I have seen there are many) answer my daft questions:-

I have a reasonably small garden which is at present beautifully landscaped (by previous owner) with a small patch of lawn pretty much taken over by a climbing frame.

1. If I put a chicken house and run in a border (after taking out some plants obviously) would this be OK? I would presumably have to put slabs down and use bark chippings. Does it need to be in the sun?

1. If I let my chickens out are they going to run away at the first opportunity (obviously garden is well fenced off due to children but you never know).

1. Do you let them out every day - if so would they absolutley wreck the rest of the garden and poo all over the lawn and slide etc?

1. Is it going to be a small nightmare for someone to look after them for mewhen I go on my fortnights holiday every year? (I presume they would be OK left for a weekend?)

1. Are they going to peck me? Or are they going to be quite sociable?

1. Do they smell or are they noisy (thinking of the neighbours).

Thanks

They don't smell!!

We have Cockerels and they are super noisy. The Hens are noisy when they lay an egg - again pretty noisy and clucky but not as bad as Cocks.

They do crap every where so unless you don't mind the plant trashing and poo you need to give them their own little patch to free range over. Ideally this would be moveable.

Cocks can be vicious and hens come in varying degrees of friendliness but generally they don't ty and attack you! They can peck your legs if they think you are a moving corn feeder

Mine have been laying all winter too - they are 7 months old (ish). We get an egg from each hen every day and one hen is currently broody so she keeps nicking them!

DoNB - no, the Waitrose eggs did not hatch but we had a really bad summer, none of our own eggs hatched 4 batches under 3 broodies. We need to replace our rooster.

I am currently looking for table birds as we are extending into chicken for the freezer as well as egggs. I have been madly clearing a space in the orchardy bit at end of garden and have asked on freecycle for a decent shed. Very excited about it.

Ahhh Megalegs you are braver than I...haven't managed to dispatch a chicken yet. So far in 5 yrs I've had to take 3 to the vets to be put to sleep!!!! pathetic I know...

Good luck with the table birds megalegs. We have a mixed flock so will eat the boys and some of the girls but keep some for laying. That is supposing I don't have a duff cockerel as well!

I might sneak a couple of cotswold legbar eggs in to see what happens!

I have two buff orphington hens and they have been eating my dogs food it is lamb and rice is this okay for them?

My chickens used to jump onto a 4 foot wall.

THEY WON'T BE CONTAINED
GOODBYE POSH GARDEN.