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Prompted by the imminent,(according to stp et al),breakdown of society it's time to prepare for the coming holocaust.
I'm going to use an old 5 foot x 7 foot shed to keep chickens in. They'll also have constant access to a 30 foot by 8 foot pen during the day, and be left to roam the rest of the garden when we're at home.
Probably looking at half a dozen birds initially. I'm concerned the shed might be a bit too large to keep the birds warm over the winter, so would I need to partition off a smaller area to retain the birds body heat? Also how high off the deck would they prefer the roosting bar?
Any tips welcome.
I'm going to use an old 5 foot x 7 foot shed to keep chickens in. They'll also have constant access to a 30 foot by 8 foot pen during the day, and be left to roam the rest of the garden when we're at home.
Probably looking at half a dozen birds initially. I'm concerned the shed might be a bit too large to keep the birds warm over the winter, so would I need to partition off a smaller area to retain the birds body heat? Also how high off the deck would they prefer the roosting bar?
Any tips welcome.
In reply to Ridge:
I used to keep chickens. It's a doddle. There's a book called Storey's Guide to Keeping Chickens which I found very useful.
My only tip is you need to make sure foxes can't get in.
I used to keep chickens. It's a doddle. There's a book called Storey's Guide to Keeping Chickens which I found very useful.
My only tip is you need to make sure foxes can't get in.
In reply to Ridge:
The shed sounds an okay size to me, it's more important that your chooks are kept out of wind and rain than under a duvet!
They'll roost damn near anywhere - if they escape (and they will, domestic chickens devote an inordinate amount of time to extremely complex escape plans involving jumping off their shed roof and suchlike) you'll probably find them in a nearby tree fast asleep.
Make sure they have good nesting boxes to lay in, and develop a liking for eggs - with even half a dozen birds you'll get an awful lot of them!
Oh and get a rooster. That way you'll have lots of chicken to eat even if you have to get up a five o'clock every morning to throw your shoes at him to get him to shut up.
The shed sounds an okay size to me, it's more important that your chooks are kept out of wind and rain than under a duvet!
They'll roost damn near anywhere - if they escape (and they will, domestic chickens devote an inordinate amount of time to extremely complex escape plans involving jumping off their shed roof and suchlike) you'll probably find them in a nearby tree fast asleep.
Make sure they have good nesting boxes to lay in, and develop a liking for eggs - with even half a dozen birds you'll get an awful lot of them!
Oh and get a rooster. That way you'll have lots of chicken to eat even if you have to get up a five o'clock every morning to throw your shoes at him to get him to shut up.
In reply to Ridge:
Get yourself a goat as well, milk, cheese and they are great fun too.
Get yourself a goat as well, milk, cheese and they are great fun too.
In reply to Ridge:
What a timely post. I'm afraid I cannot help, but would also be grateful for any practical advice.
Mrs DNS has decided that chickens are to be acquired and has just had a day at our local agricultural college on a 'chooks for dummies' course.
Three of the animals and an unfeasibly massive range of housing, feedstuffs and medication are inbound right now.
I'm confining myself to dividing the total cost of the operation (Currently £300'ish) by the number of eggs produced (currently obviously zero) but I've no doubt I'll have to participate at some stage.
What a timely post. I'm afraid I cannot help, but would also be grateful for any practical advice.
Mrs DNS has decided that chickens are to be acquired and has just had a day at our local agricultural college on a 'chooks for dummies' course.
Three of the animals and an unfeasibly massive range of housing, feedstuffs and medication are inbound right now.
I'm confining myself to dividing the total cost of the operation (Currently £300'ish) by the number of eggs produced (currently obviously zero) but I've no doubt I'll have to participate at some stage.
In reply to Ridge:
People normally put roosting bars in at various levels, sloping up towards the back. FOX is the big issue. They will be warm in any shed, even with a few holes in. Get a few fake eggs to get them in the mood and the right place.
People normally put roosting bars in at various levels, sloping up towards the back. FOX is the big issue. They will be warm in any shed, even with a few holes in. Get a few fake eggs to get them in the mood and the right place.
In reply to Ridge: You should have been at the Smallholders Show yesterday at Ardingley in Sussex. Inbetween driving rain and gale force winds you could have talked to fellow chook keepers to your hearts content. There are several mags out there which would be helpful too, 'Smallholder' 'Country Smallholding' and 'Home Farmer' are all in WH Smiths.
hth
hth
In reply to niggle:
Hey, we've all seen 'Chicken Run' you know
> (In reply to Ridge)
They'll roost damn near anywhere - if they escape (and they will, domestic chickens devote an inordinate amount of time to extremely complex escape plans involving jumping off their shed roof and suchlike) you'll probably find them in a nearby tree fast asleep.Hey, we've all seen 'Chicken Run' you know
In reply to Ridge:
All your chicken-related questions answered in one spot.
OK, for the shed, you might find it worth putting a cardboard box in during the worst of the cold weather - they'll huddle together in there just fine. Ours survived a solid week of well-below-zero temperatures just fine this winter, and they refused to use the box we put in the coop!
Perch height - what breed, full size or bantam, and I'll get back to you with sizes and heights. Few things to think about are to quarter-round the top edges of the perches, not put them too high, and make sure all perches are the same height.
Nest Box - must be lower than the perches to prevent roosting in the nestboxes. You'll probably want to add this onto the outside of the shed so you can check for eggs without going in.
Make sure there's no damp and plenty ventilation to avoid respiratory diseases.
Your biggest problem will be to vermin-proof the shed and run - fox and rat are the big problems.
Fox - sturdy fence wire, electric fencing and buried wire to prevent burrowing are all factors. Either make the fence 8' high with a serious overhang, or cover the top with mesh too. "Urban" foxes tend to be a bigger pest, as they have lost their wariness of humans, and don't bother getting them exterminated - you leave an open fox territory, and a shedfull of chickens will guarantee even more foxes trying to gain the territory.
Rat - keep all food in solid metal bins and clear up any spillage. Make sure there's no handy hiding holes, eg, under the shed or slab paving nearby.
You might also want to consider the run surface - if you are using grass, you could try splitting the run into two equal-sized areas, and allowing access to one area only, and letting the ground recover in the other. Chickens are almost as effective as a strimmer...
Breeds? If you want nice, full-size "chickeny" chickens, have a look at Orpingtons.
Blimey, I've gone on a bit.
All your chicken-related questions answered in one spot.
OK, for the shed, you might find it worth putting a cardboard box in during the worst of the cold weather - they'll huddle together in there just fine. Ours survived a solid week of well-below-zero temperatures just fine this winter, and they refused to use the box we put in the coop!
Perch height - what breed, full size or bantam, and I'll get back to you with sizes and heights. Few things to think about are to quarter-round the top edges of the perches, not put them too high, and make sure all perches are the same height.
Nest Box - must be lower than the perches to prevent roosting in the nestboxes. You'll probably want to add this onto the outside of the shed so you can check for eggs without going in.
Make sure there's no damp and plenty ventilation to avoid respiratory diseases.
Your biggest problem will be to vermin-proof the shed and run - fox and rat are the big problems.
Fox - sturdy fence wire, electric fencing and buried wire to prevent burrowing are all factors. Either make the fence 8' high with a serious overhang, or cover the top with mesh too. "Urban" foxes tend to be a bigger pest, as they have lost their wariness of humans, and don't bother getting them exterminated - you leave an open fox territory, and a shedfull of chickens will guarantee even more foxes trying to gain the territory.
Rat - keep all food in solid metal bins and clear up any spillage. Make sure there's no handy hiding holes, eg, under the shed or slab paving nearby.
You might also want to consider the run surface - if you are using grass, you could try splitting the run into two equal-sized areas, and allowing access to one area only, and letting the ground recover in the other. Chickens are almost as effective as a strimmer...
Breeds? If you want nice, full-size "chickeny" chickens, have a look at Orpingtons.
Blimey, I've gone on a bit.
In reply to All:
Thanks for all the replies. I've got plenty of steel sheeting to reinforce the hut and bottom of the pen, and I'm doubling the floor thickness to keep out the foxes. All I need now is for the rain to stop..
Thanks for all the replies. I've got plenty of steel sheeting to reinforce the hut and bottom of the pen, and I'm doubling the floor thickness to keep out the foxes. All I need now is for the rain to stop..
In reply to Al Evans:
Ha ha!
Chickens are a bit crap at flying but tend to be ambitious about getting out of their pen, so they develop bizarre strategies for getting over the fence and out to freedom.
Trouble is their plans never seem to extend more than about ten feet past the boundary fence and after escaping they tend to run out of ideas and either fall asleep or start looking for something to eat.
Chickens are lovely and actually quite good company. But they are staggeringly stupid and devious which is a bad (and time-consuming) combination.
> Hey, we've all seen 'Chicken Run' you know
Ha ha!
Chickens are a bit crap at flying but tend to be ambitious about getting out of their pen, so they develop bizarre strategies for getting over the fence and out to freedom.
Trouble is their plans never seem to extend more than about ten feet past the boundary fence and after escaping they tend to run out of ideas and either fall asleep or start looking for something to eat.
Chickens are lovely and actually quite good company. But they are staggeringly stupid and devious which is a bad (and time-consuming) combination.
In reply to Ridge:
Chickens are 'ard as foyk. They'll survive if you just leave them be and feed them twice a week, but this is inhumane and you won't get a high egg yeild.
It's a 'toss up' between economics and being Humane. Make sure roosting ledges are at the same height- so birds don't fight and try and get a soft bed for them to lay their eggs- but they will be happy to lay them on the ground.
It's best to get lots of chickens though as once the infrastructure is paid for you have no expenses (apart from food). In a 5ft by 7 ft shed you'll easy fit 30-40 birds- if you let them out every day, but the legal requirement for birds is something like 30cmx 30cmx 30cmm. So if my maths is right you should be able to fit in about 400 birds, if your shed is 9ft high.
Obviously though you would prefer your garden to be the home of a thriving commune, rather than the site of a terrible genocide. Basically, pack 'em in, as long as you let them out in the day- although you don't legally have to, but I always did. They'll come back so you don't need to worry about them running away.
Chickens are 'ard as foyk. They'll survive if you just leave them be and feed them twice a week, but this is inhumane and you won't get a high egg yeild.
It's a 'toss up' between economics and being Humane. Make sure roosting ledges are at the same height- so birds don't fight and try and get a soft bed for them to lay their eggs- but they will be happy to lay them on the ground.
It's best to get lots of chickens though as once the infrastructure is paid for you have no expenses (apart from food). In a 5ft by 7 ft shed you'll easy fit 30-40 birds- if you let them out every day, but the legal requirement for birds is something like 30cmx 30cmx 30cmm. So if my maths is right you should be able to fit in about 400 birds, if your shed is 9ft high.
Obviously though you would prefer your garden to be the home of a thriving commune, rather than the site of a terrible genocide. Basically, pack 'em in, as long as you let them out in the day- although you don't legally have to, but I always did. They'll come back so you don't need to worry about them running away.
In reply to niggle:
It all really depends just how urban you are. We always just let them out all day and closed them in at night to protect from foxes. Where fine, and although they wander a bit, not too far and always come back.
It all really depends just how urban you are. We always just let them out all day and closed them in at night to protect from foxes. Where fine, and although they wander a bit, not too far and always come back.
In reply to Ridge:
we had 3 chickens in an urban garden (no rooster), but had to get rid of them because they were far to noisy If you have neigbours nearby, don't do it!
They were great pets otherwise. As everyone else has said, you don't need a warm shed, just one that is secure and well ventilated but not draughty.
we had 3 chickens in an urban garden (no rooster), but had to get rid of them because they were far to noisy If you have neigbours nearby, don't do it!
They were great pets otherwise. As everyone else has said, you don't need a warm shed, just one that is secure and well ventilated but not draughty.
In reply to Ridge: O iy, also. Keep them in the hut for a couple of weeks and they'll always home back, even when you sell them to someone else- a profitable buisness.
In reply to liz j:
But don't let the little bastards near the house, they are machines for causing trouble (but yes, great fun)
> (In reply to Ridge)
> Get yourself a goat as well, milk, cheese and they are great fun too.
> Get yourself a goat as well, milk, cheese and they are great fun too.
But don't let the little bastards near the house, they are machines for causing trouble (but yes, great fun)
In reply to Franco Cookson:
Would the OP mind completely ignoring the numbers above? Franco appears to work for Bernard Matthews.
I'll dig out some figures for the max loading on that run size if you like? The shed's big enough, the run size you have will limit the bird numbers eventually - certainly six or so should be happy in there.
A decent size run relative to the number of birs prevents the run becoming a mess, keeps the birds fit and active, and prevents boredom which leads to nasty habits like feather pulling and bullying.
I'm assuming the idea is to have Happy Chickens, and not simply a scaled-down factory?
Would the OP mind completely ignoring the numbers above? Franco appears to work for Bernard Matthews.
I'll dig out some figures for the max loading on that run size if you like? The shed's big enough, the run size you have will limit the bird numbers eventually - certainly six or so should be happy in there.
A decent size run relative to the number of birs prevents the run becoming a mess, keeps the birds fit and active, and prevents boredom which leads to nasty habits like feather pulling and bullying.
I'm assuming the idea is to have Happy Chickens, and not simply a scaled-down factory?
In reply to Anonymous:
It is
> (In reply to Franco Cookson)
> I'm assuming the idea is to have Happy Chickens, and not simply a scaled-down factory?
> I'm assuming the idea is to have Happy Chickens, and not simply a scaled-down factory?
It is
In reply to pmagowan:
We had an odd habit of acquiring chickens people found. One was some sort of fancy chook with posh feathers and such which was found just wandering around a suburb of edinburgh, and we got our rooster that way too.
> It all really depends just how urban you are. We always just let them out all day and closed them in at night to protect from foxes. Where fine, and although they wander a bit, not too far and always come back.
We had an odd habit of acquiring chickens people found. One was some sort of fancy chook with posh feathers and such which was found just wandering around a suburb of edinburgh, and we got our rooster that way too.
In reply to niggle:
We got a white chicken that way when we lived in London - it came wandering down the road and we rescued it and put it in with the other chickens. We also inherited a rooster called Henry who was from Peckham...
We got a white chicken that way when we lived in London - it came wandering down the road and we rescued it and put it in with the other chickens. We also inherited a rooster called Henry who was from Peckham...
In reply to Anonymous:
I was merely making the point that you have to make your mind up as to whether to have profitable slaves or happy dosser chickens.
I chose a merry medium. Feed them good, protect them and keep them sheltered, but don't spend stupid money on a ridiculous shed.
I was merely making the point that you have to make your mind up as to whether to have profitable slaves or happy dosser chickens.
I chose a merry medium. Feed them good, protect them and keep them sheltered, but don't spend stupid money on a ridiculous shed.
In reply to Lotus: you gave them names????????????????????????
In reply to Lotus:
I bet he was laaaaaaaaaaaaahd in the morning!
(ours was called joseph and he was not just loud but extremely violent)
> We also inherited a rooster called Henry who was from Peckham...
I bet he was laaaaaaaaaaaaahd in the morning!
(ours was called joseph and he was not just loud but extremely violent)
In reply to Franco Cookson:
Henry was already called Henry when we inherited him. I can't say he ever actually answered to it though.
> (In reply to Lotus) you gave them names????????????????????????
Henry was already called Henry when we inherited him. I can't say he ever actually answered to it though.
How does a flock of chickens respond when you eat or sell one of them?
In reply to Ridge: Ive got four in a portable run on the lawn. They do dig it up a bit but I move it each morning when I collect the eggs, chuck a cup of grain down and refill their feed and water hoppers. Other than that pretty easy to keep. They have about 4'x3'x3' as a house with a sliding roof which is at the end of a 10x4x2' mesh covered run which is open to the ground. Its obviously reasonably fox proof as I saw one of the feckers stood outside very early one morning with the chickens doing their nut inside. The whole thing just drags across the grass when it is moved. Easy DIY job to make the same type. The nice thing is no permanent structure as a fixed run becomes like the Somme in winter
In reply to Cú Chullain:
A couple of times I got to the chickens shortly after the fox - the remaining ones would be wondering about scratching for worms, seemingly unaware of the headless remains of their friends lying strewn about the pen.
> How does a flock of chickens respond when you eat or sell one of them?
A couple of times I got to the chickens shortly after the fox - the remaining ones would be wondering about scratching for worms, seemingly unaware of the headless remains of their friends lying strewn about the pen.
In reply to Cú Chullain: They respond well to public executions.........
In reply to Ridge:
Bantams are the way to go, less food and a bigger yolk to white ratio in the eggs. I used to have a dozen bantams, mainly Silver Laced Wyandottes and Oxford English Games together with a couple of insane Khaki Campbell ducks. The eggs were fantastic and Big Eric, my oxford cock, was a pugilist par excellance. He would see off anyone who came within the confines of the garden apart from me. I found him wandering around the woods battered and bruised which makes me think he was an escapee from an illegal cockfight (still goes on a lot around here), he turned out as loyal as any dog.
Bantams are the way to go, less food and a bigger yolk to white ratio in the eggs. I used to have a dozen bantams, mainly Silver Laced Wyandottes and Oxford English Games together with a couple of insane Khaki Campbell ducks. The eggs were fantastic and Big Eric, my oxford cock, was a pugilist par excellance. He would see off anyone who came within the confines of the garden apart from me. I found him wandering around the woods battered and bruised which makes me think he was an escapee from an illegal cockfight (still goes on a lot around here), he turned out as loyal as any dog.
In reply to Franco Cookson:
Indeed. Happy dosser chickens FTW! Putting two dozen birds in a run Ridge's size would look like the Somme fairly quikly.
One thing I bought that has been worth it's weight in gold is an automatic pophole opener, google for "vsb door opener". Not cheap, but saves you getting up at 5am every day, and means you can go out for an evening and the chooks put themselves to bed.
> (In reply to Anonymous)
> I was merely making the point that you have to make your mind up as to whether to have profitable slaves or happy dosser chickens.
>
> I chose a merry medium. Feed them good, protect them and keep them sheltered, but don't spend stupid money on a ridiculous shed.
> I was merely making the point that you have to make your mind up as to whether to have profitable slaves or happy dosser chickens.
>
> I chose a merry medium. Feed them good, protect them and keep them sheltered, but don't spend stupid money on a ridiculous shed.
Indeed. Happy dosser chickens FTW! Putting two dozen birds in a run Ridge's size would look like the Somme fairly quikly.
One thing I bought that has been worth it's weight in gold is an automatic pophole opener, google for "vsb door opener". Not cheap, but saves you getting up at 5am every day, and means you can go out for an evening and the chooks put themselves to bed.
In reply to Ridge:
Hello,
I bought myself an Eglu earlier this year and I have to say it's ace. BOth chickens lay every day and as some else has commented, thy think about escaping every now and then but get stopped by food/bird song/noise of over head plane.
Go for it.
Hello,
I bought myself an Eglu earlier this year and I have to say it's ace. BOth chickens lay every day and as some else has commented, thy think about escaping every now and then but get stopped by food/bird song/noise of over head plane.
Go for it.
In reply to Ridge:
so you've decided to raise your own chickens? i found this:
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/chickens.htm
so you've decided to raise your own chickens? i found this:
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/chickens.htm
In reply to jibberingwreck:
Do you find you get any condensation in there? Mrs DNS was advised against an Eglu on the basis that it 'didn't breathe' and 'the chickens wouldn't like it'. I had supposed that it would be easier to keep clean and insect-free and that - if yours are laying constantly - they cannot be too unhappy about the accomodation.
Do you find you get any condensation in there? Mrs DNS was advised against an Eglu on the basis that it 'didn't breathe' and 'the chickens wouldn't like it'. I had supposed that it would be easier to keep clean and insect-free and that - if yours are laying constantly - they cannot be too unhappy about the accomodation.
In reply to Ridge:
We had 3 chickens when I was a kid. We kept them in our wendy house, with little blue shutters with hearts on them, gingham curtains, a welsh dresser, and a sofa for them all to sit on!
In the day, they went into their own mini garden, with a white picket fence (lined with chicken wire).
We got them from a battery farm...
We had 3 chickens when I was a kid. We kept them in our wendy house, with little blue shutters with hearts on them, gingham curtains, a welsh dresser, and a sofa for them all to sit on!
In the day, they went into their own mini garden, with a white picket fence (lined with chicken wire).
We got them from a battery farm...
In reply to Ridge:
www.selfsufficientish.com is a good place to talk about keeping chickens. It's quite a good place to be altogether...
www.selfsufficientish.com is a good place to talk about keeping chickens. It's quite a good place to be altogether...
In reply to DNS:
Nope. Mind you, I followed some advice from another Eglu owener and I always leave the Eglu door open - even at night time. The run door gets shut of course, but I suppose leaving the Eglu door open helps no doubt.
I bought one beacause it is so easy to clean. Takes 15 minutes evry fortnight. Oh - and it looks ace
Nope. Mind you, I followed some advice from another Eglu owener and I always leave the Eglu door open - even at night time. The run door gets shut of course, but I suppose leaving the Eglu door open helps no doubt.
I bought one beacause it is so easy to clean. Takes 15 minutes evry fortnight. Oh - and it looks ace
In reply to DNS:
Forgot to add, if you're ever near Belper you're more than welcome to pop over and give the Eglu a 'once over'.
Ben
Forgot to add, if you're ever near Belper you're more than welcome to pop over and give the Eglu a 'once over'.
Ben
In reply to Franco Cookson:
Our cockerel is called eggbert
> (In reply to Lotus) you gave them names????????????????????????
Our cockerel is called eggbert
Mrs Hammy is hell bent on acquiring an Eglu - she keeps checking on Ebay to see if there are any going cheap....
Not sure how compatible they will be with her rather frisky hound!
Not sure how compatible they will be with her rather frisky hound!
In reply to Hammy:
Our family dalmatians were fascinated by the chickens and loved to pick them up in their mouths and parade around the garden with them. Never seemed to do them any harm (I think).
> Not sure how compatible they will be with her rather frisky hound!
Our family dalmatians were fascinated by the chickens and loved to pick them up in their mouths and parade around the garden with them. Never seemed to do them any harm (I think).
In reply to Ridge: been considering getting chooks too, but unless i am doing maths wrong, by time you have bought modest apartment for them with garden and fed the little buggers it is going to take along time to re coup(no pun intended) your money, or have i missed something.
In reply to Ridge: Second the eglu vote, not cheap, but jolly easy to keep clean, etc.
Also fairly fox/rat proof, which is nice...
Also fairly fox/rat proof, which is nice...
In reply to chadrads:
I'm fortunate to have the old shed, wood and corrugated sheeting knocking about the place, so I'm really only looking at buying chicken wire (which ain't cheap). Even buying wood to make your own run and coop would be expensive, and a purpose built ark or an eglu seem to be incredibly expensive.
Food isn't overly dear, and looking at the price of free range eggs (and chicken) in the shops I reckon I'll be into 'profit' quite rapidly. I agree if I was starting from scratch it'd be a non-profit hobby.
> (In reply to Ridge) been considering getting chooks too, but unless i am doing maths wrong, by time you have bought modest apartment for them with garden and fed the little buggers it is going to take along time to re coup(no pun intended) your money, or have i missed something.
I'm fortunate to have the old shed, wood and corrugated sheeting knocking about the place, so I'm really only looking at buying chicken wire (which ain't cheap). Even buying wood to make your own run and coop would be expensive, and a purpose built ark or an eglu seem to be incredibly expensive.
Food isn't overly dear, and looking at the price of free range eggs (and chicken) in the shops I reckon I'll be into 'profit' quite rapidly. I agree if I was starting from scratch it'd be a non-profit hobby.
In reply to Ridge:
Don't have chickens but next door has. From my observations of what they have done, don't have a run that is 15ft by 3ft attached to hut 3ft by 5ft and then stick a dozen chickens in it. They have now reduced the numbers to 6 big hens of which 4 have virtually no feathers, the other 2 must rule the roost so to speak.
As someone else said chickens remove all vegetation in the run and it quickly turns to mud just like our neighbours, chickens have feet with balls of mud on them. Have a hard surface like slabs that can be swept out to clean.
If you do let them out into the garden please realise they shit everywhere and it is as big as a small dog's shit and can be squishy. Neighbours now let them out during the day but with 2 young children in a small garden it's not my idea of hygene. Chicken-shit everywhere.
We now have rats because our neighbours are too dim to realise that rats can chew through plastic food containers. Even with poison there are rats running in our garden in daylight.
Hens can be noisy so consider what your neighbours might have to put up with.
So, a few things to consider that might not occur to you at first.
Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. My wife and I are considering reporting the condition of the hens to the RSPCA. We've mentioned to our neighbours about the featherless birds but apart from reducing the numbers they've done nothing.
Don't have chickens but next door has. From my observations of what they have done, don't have a run that is 15ft by 3ft attached to hut 3ft by 5ft and then stick a dozen chickens in it. They have now reduced the numbers to 6 big hens of which 4 have virtually no feathers, the other 2 must rule the roost so to speak.
As someone else said chickens remove all vegetation in the run and it quickly turns to mud just like our neighbours, chickens have feet with balls of mud on them. Have a hard surface like slabs that can be swept out to clean.
If you do let them out into the garden please realise they shit everywhere and it is as big as a small dog's shit and can be squishy. Neighbours now let them out during the day but with 2 young children in a small garden it's not my idea of hygene. Chicken-shit everywhere.
We now have rats because our neighbours are too dim to realise that rats can chew through plastic food containers. Even with poison there are rats running in our garden in daylight.
Hens can be noisy so consider what your neighbours might have to put up with.
So, a few things to consider that might not occur to you at first.
Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. My wife and I are considering reporting the condition of the hens to the RSPCA. We've mentioned to our neighbours about the featherless birds but apart from reducing the numbers they've done nothing.
In reply to woolsack:
This sounds a lot like our set-up, but ours are free to go where they like all day. We generally get close to one egg per bird per day (often enormous). As other have said great fun and strangely satisfying. And it does mean that Niggle and I do have something in common, after all!
> (In reply to Ridge) Ive got four in a portable run on the lawn. They do dig it up a bit but I move it each morning when I collect the eggs, chuck a cup of grain down and refill their feed and water hoppers. Other than that pretty easy to keep. They have about 4'x3'x3' as a house with a sliding roof which is at the end of a 10x4x2' mesh covered run which is open to the ground.
This sounds a lot like our set-up, but ours are free to go where they like all day. We generally get close to one egg per bird per day (often enormous). As other have said great fun and strangely satisfying. And it does mean that Niggle and I do have something in common, after all!
In reply to the crabbit man:
Sounds grim
I think rotating it is the wasy forward.
Aware of that one, thanks.
Not got the brightest of neighbours, have you?
We're pretty isolated, and all the near neighbours have some sort of livestock.
Thanks for that, good to hear both sides
> (In reply to Ridge)
>
> Don't have chickens but next door has. From my observations of what they have done, don't have a run that is 15ft by 3ft attached to hut 3ft by 5ft and then stick a dozen chickens in it. They have now reduced the numbers to 6 big hens of which 4 have virtually no feathers, the other 2 must rule the roost so to speak.
>
> Don't have chickens but next door has. From my observations of what they have done, don't have a run that is 15ft by 3ft attached to hut 3ft by 5ft and then stick a dozen chickens in it. They have now reduced the numbers to 6 big hens of which 4 have virtually no feathers, the other 2 must rule the roost so to speak.
Sounds grim
> As someone else said chickens remove all vegetation in the run and it quickly turns to mud just like our neighbours, chickens have feet with balls of mud on them. Have a hard surface like slabs that can be swept out to clean.
I think rotating it is the wasy forward.
> If you do let them out into the garden please realise they shit everywhere and it is as big as a small dog's shit and can be squishy. Neighbours now let them out during the day but with 2 young children in a small garden it's not my idea of hygene. Chicken-shit everywhere.
Aware of that one, thanks.
> We now have rats because our neighbours are too dim to realise that rats can chew through plastic food containers. Even with poison there are rats running in our garden in daylight.
Not got the brightest of neighbours, have you?
> Hens can be noisy so consider what your neighbours might have to put up with.
We're pretty isolated, and all the near neighbours have some sort of livestock.
> So, a few things to consider that might not occur to you at first.
>
> Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. My wife and I are considering reporting the condition of the hens to the RSPCA. We've mentioned to our neighbours about the featherless birds but apart from reducing the numbers they've done nothing.
>
> Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. My wife and I are considering reporting the condition of the hens to the RSPCA. We've mentioned to our neighbours about the featherless birds but apart from reducing the numbers they've done nothing.
Thanks for that, good to hear both sides
In reply to the crabbit man:
Classic symptoms of boredom and overcrowding, once they pick up these habits (when all 12 were in there) it's near-as-dammit impossible to stop them.
If you can't rotate the run areas, consider slabs, bark or gravel. I think gravel (the round, pebbly kind) has a lot of potential, lets them scratch about as normal but without the mess. Bark's quite good if the run is covered.
Metal bins FTW. IKEA do some stacking metal boxes with lids for less than buying metal dustbins.
Please, plesase report these mongs to the RSPCA and your local Environmental Health dept.
> (In reply to Ridge)
>
> Don't have chickens but next door has. From my observations of what they have done, don't have a run that is 15ft by 3ft attached to hut 3ft by 5ft and then stick a dozen chickens in it. They have now reduced the numbers to 6 big hens of which 4 have virtually no feathers, the other 2 must rule the roost so to speak.
>
> Don't have chickens but next door has. From my observations of what they have done, don't have a run that is 15ft by 3ft attached to hut 3ft by 5ft and then stick a dozen chickens in it. They have now reduced the numbers to 6 big hens of which 4 have virtually no feathers, the other 2 must rule the roost so to speak.
Classic symptoms of boredom and overcrowding, once they pick up these habits (when all 12 were in there) it's near-as-dammit impossible to stop them.
> As someone else said chickens remove all vegetation in the run and it quickly turns to mud just like our neighbours, chickens have feet with balls of mud on them. Have a hard surface like slabs that can be swept out to clean.
If you can't rotate the run areas, consider slabs, bark or gravel. I think gravel (the round, pebbly kind) has a lot of potential, lets them scratch about as normal but without the mess. Bark's quite good if the run is covered.
> If you do let them out into the garden please realise they shit everywhere and it is as big as a small dog's shit and can be squishy. Neighbours now let them out during the day but with 2 young children in a small garden it's not my idea of hygene. Chicken-shit everywhere.
>
> We now have rats because our neighbours are too dim to realise that rats can chew through plastic food containers. Even with poison there are rats running in our garden in daylight.
>
> We now have rats because our neighbours are too dim to realise that rats can chew through plastic food containers. Even with poison there are rats running in our garden in daylight.
Metal bins FTW. IKEA do some stacking metal boxes with lids for less than buying metal dustbins.
> Hens can be noisy so consider what your neighbours might have to put up with.
>
> So, a few things to consider that might not occur to you at first.
>
> Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. My wife and I are considering reporting the condition of the hens to the RSPCA. We've mentioned to our neighbours about the featherless birds but apart from reducing the numbers they've done nothing.
>
> So, a few things to consider that might not occur to you at first.
>
> Thank you for letting me get this off my chest. My wife and I are considering reporting the condition of the hens to the RSPCA. We've mentioned to our neighbours about the featherless birds but apart from reducing the numbers they've done nothing.
Please, plesase report these mongs to the RSPCA and your local Environmental Health dept.
In reply to the crabbit man:
Chickens do moult though. They could well be bald for a reason.
We used to keep ours in the Wendy house. I'd love to have chickens again, but it does also restrict your holiday time.
Chickens do moult though. They could well be bald for a reason.
We used to keep ours in the Wendy house. I'd love to have chickens again, but it does also restrict your holiday time.
In reply to Dave Garnett:
Ha ha!
I was very fond of our chooks. Especially the fancy one we adopted, she liked to sit in my lap and be stroked.
> And it does mean that Niggle and I do have something in common, after all!
Ha ha!
I was very fond of our chooks. Especially the fancy one we adopted, she liked to sit in my lap and be stroked.
Ok, some questions some of you might be able to help me with.
Do chickens eat veg gardens or do they leave them alone?
If you have a movable hutch and run, the part of the lawn it has just been moved off, roughly how long is it before the chicken shit decomposes/washes away? (don't fancy having the whole of the garden covered in chicken shit).
Are there other movable hutches and runs other than the Eglu?
In reply to Bob kate bob: They will get in and scratch for England. If your veg is tasty for them they will peck away at it but mostly they dig away in fresh soil.
The chicken shit dissolves away with a bit of rain. Mostly it is in the tray I put under their perch. There is not very much left in the run each day.
The eglu is a very overpriced package that appeals to a 'certain segment' of the market. I think seasoned chicken keepers probably have a wry smile if they see it.
If you have half an idea of how to make things in wood you can make a very good house in wood and mesh for very little money, just a bit of time. Mine is homemade and works very well
The chicken shit dissolves away with a bit of rain. Mostly it is in the tray I put under their perch. There is not very much left in the run each day.
The eglu is a very overpriced package that appeals to a 'certain segment' of the market. I think seasoned chicken keepers probably have a wry smile if they see it.
If you have half an idea of how to make things in wood you can make a very good house in wood and mesh for very little money, just a bit of time. Mine is homemade and works very well
In reply to Bob kate bob:
<laughs unstoppably for several minutes>
They'll leave your veg alone. No really, they won't even look at it.
<chortle, snigger>
Seriously, they're feathery rotavators. Quite often people use them to clear overgrown allotments, as it's easier to leave six chooks on the ground than spend a backbreaking weekend doing it yourself.
Move the run daily, and it shouldn't be a problem. The thing you have to do is make sure you are buying an appropriate number of birds for the size of run or garden, and they need more space than you think (note to self, dig out books and check figures). It's very easy to overcrowd them, which causes stress. The one thing you must avoid with chickens is stress - it can lead to all sorts off illness, lost egg production, weird behaviour like feather pulling and worse.
If you want a small, one-man-movable coop and run, think seriously about buying bantams. They require a lot less space-per-bird, and are easier for novices to handle, at about one quarter the size of a large bird.
The Eglu is the only plastic one I know of. Plenty wooden ones out there, Forsham is probably the best known. Get a copy of Practical Poultry maagazine, it's chock-full of adverts for this stuff.
While it's not *that* hard to make one, it's quite easy to make design mistakes that affect the birds, eg, putting perches at varying heights or putting them too high. One leads to fighting as birds all try for the highest perch, the other can lead to painful foot injuries caused when the birds jump down off the perches.
It's also worth pointing out that some "built" coops have such problems built-in, so read up on this stuff before you buy one.
If you plan to make one, have a good look at a well-made one, and try to copy the design.
>
> Ok, some questions some of you might be able to help me with.
> Do chickens eat veg gardens or do they leave them alone?
> Ok, some questions some of you might be able to help me with.
> Do chickens eat veg gardens or do they leave them alone?
<laughs unstoppably for several minutes>
They'll leave your veg alone. No really, they won't even look at it.
<chortle, snigger>
Seriously, they're feathery rotavators. Quite often people use them to clear overgrown allotments, as it's easier to leave six chooks on the ground than spend a backbreaking weekend doing it yourself.
> If you have a movable hutch and run, the part of the lawn it has just been moved off, roughly how long is it before the chicken shit decomposes/washes away? (don't fancy having the whole of the garden covered in chicken shit).
Move the run daily, and it shouldn't be a problem. The thing you have to do is make sure you are buying an appropriate number of birds for the size of run or garden, and they need more space than you think (note to self, dig out books and check figures). It's very easy to overcrowd them, which causes stress. The one thing you must avoid with chickens is stress - it can lead to all sorts off illness, lost egg production, weird behaviour like feather pulling and worse.
If you want a small, one-man-movable coop and run, think seriously about buying bantams. They require a lot less space-per-bird, and are easier for novices to handle, at about one quarter the size of a large bird.
> Are there other movable hutches and runs other than the Eglu?
The Eglu is the only plastic one I know of. Plenty wooden ones out there, Forsham is probably the best known. Get a copy of Practical Poultry maagazine, it's chock-full of adverts for this stuff.
While it's not *that* hard to make one, it's quite easy to make design mistakes that affect the birds, eg, putting perches at varying heights or putting them too high. One leads to fighting as birds all try for the highest perch, the other can lead to painful foot injuries caused when the birds jump down off the perches.
It's also worth pointing out that some "built" coops have such problems built-in, so read up on this stuff before you buy one.
If you plan to make one, have a good look at a well-made one, and try to copy the design.
In reply to Franco Cookson:
Ours were Clara, Henny Penny and Jenny.
> (In reply to Lotus) you gave them names????????????????????????
Ours were Clara, Henny Penny and Jenny.
In reply to moomin:
The 4 out of the 6 that have extensive bald patches have been like that for over 2 months so can you rule out moulting?
To others who replied
Our neighbours garden isn't big enough to rotate the run so a hard surface is needed. We've also had a lot of dry weather so the shit has not been washed away. Now that the hens have been reduced in numbers they don't make much noise but they did before. Neigbours have been on holiday so will have another word about the condition of the hens when they return. And the rats!!!
The 4 out of the 6 that have extensive bald patches have been like that for over 2 months so can you rule out moulting?
To others who replied
Our neighbours garden isn't big enough to rotate the run so a hard surface is needed. We've also had a lot of dry weather so the shit has not been washed away. Now that the hens have been reduced in numbers they don't make much noise but they did before. Neigbours have been on holiday so will have another word about the condition of the hens when they return. And the rats!!!
In reply to Ridge:
If your having a cock, you'll be getting little chicks. Some of which will also be cocks. Save the cocks in separate accomodation and when big enough supplement your initial outgoings by hosting cock fights. Well, if you'r going to eat them you might as well have some sport.
If your having a cock, you'll be getting little chicks. Some of which will also be cocks. Save the cocks in separate accomodation and when big enough supplement your initial outgoings by hosting cock fights. Well, if you'r going to eat them you might as well have some sport.
In reply to Anonymous:
It depends on how much space they have. Ours are only a problem on freshly-planted areas (a bit of wire over or around keeps them off). For established areas they just weed between the beans or raspberries or whatever. Admittedly, we only have four and they have effectively limitless garden and fields to forage in. Completely different in a small garden, I'm sure.
> (In reply to Bob kate bob)
> [...]
>
> <laughs unstoppably for several minutes>
>
> They'll leave your veg alone. No really, they won't even look at it.
>
> <chortle, snigger>
>
> Seriously, they're feathery rotavators. Quite often people use them to clear overgrown allotments, as it's easier to leave six chooks on the ground than spend a backbreaking weekend doing it yourself.
>
> [...]
>
> <laughs unstoppably for several minutes>
>
> They'll leave your veg alone. No really, they won't even look at it.
>
> <chortle, snigger>
>
> Seriously, they're feathery rotavators. Quite often people use them to clear overgrown allotments, as it's easier to leave six chooks on the ground than spend a backbreaking weekend doing it yourself.
>
It depends on how much space they have. Ours are only a problem on freshly-planted areas (a bit of wire over or around keeps them off). For established areas they just weed between the beans or raspberries or whatever. Admittedly, we only have four and they have effectively limitless garden and fields to forage in. Completely different in a small garden, I'm sure.
In reply to Dave Garnett:
For the full scorched-earth effect you do need to stop them wandering, but given time they will turn the densest jungle into bare earth.
Spent an entertaining 10 mins last night watching two of ours having a dust bath in a sunny corner of the flowerbeds they've cleared out for themselves.
Thankfully our chickens are small, and have plenty space to bumble around.
Again, I'd recommend bantams for the average garden.
For the full scorched-earth effect you do need to stop them wandering, but given time they will turn the densest jungle into bare earth.
Spent an entertaining 10 mins last night watching two of ours having a dust bath in a sunny corner of the flowerbeds they've cleared out for themselves.
Thankfully our chickens are small, and have plenty space to bumble around.
Again, I'd recommend bantams for the average garden.
In reply to Anonymous: bantams help in keeping up with consuming the egg-put , even with only four full size I usually have a healthy surplus most of the time
Around the table in my office canteen today; of nine people three were experienced chicken-wranglers and three of us have the beasts arriving any day now. Is this a widespread phenomenon?
In reply to DNS:
Yes.
Prices for good stock have shot up. A decent "fancy" trio (cockerel, 2 hens) can fetch £50-75 depending on breed, up from £20-40. Potential prizewinners cost even more.
(The value is usually the hens - you can pick up cockerels of almost any breed for free, up to the price of a pint)
I blame Hugh Fearnley Doublebarrel myself. No bad thing, as long as people buying them realise that they need some minimal looking after, it's not just a case of chuck 'em in the garden to fend for themselves. Like crabbit's neighbours...
> Is this a widespread phenomenon?
Yes.
Prices for good stock have shot up. A decent "fancy" trio (cockerel, 2 hens) can fetch £50-75 depending on breed, up from £20-40. Potential prizewinners cost even more.
(The value is usually the hens - you can pick up cockerels of almost any breed for free, up to the price of a pint)
I blame Hugh Fearnley Doublebarrel myself. No bad thing, as long as people buying them realise that they need some minimal looking after, it's not just a case of chuck 'em in the garden to fend for themselves. Like crabbit's neighbours...
In reply to woolsack: Overpriced? Undoubtedly.
Easy to look after? Yep.
Easy and quick to clean? Yep.
Looks good? Oh yes.
I'm happy to be in the 'certain segment' of the market.
Easy to look after? Yep.
Easy and quick to clean? Yep.
Looks good? Oh yes.
I'm happy to be in the 'certain segment' of the market.
In reply to Removed User: Surely you're not reading the Daily Mail out there are you?!
In reply to jibberingwreck:
He doesn't have time to read on Brokeback Mountain...
> (In reply to Bobt) Surely you're not reading the Daily Mail out there are you?!
He doesn't have time to read on Brokeback Mountain...
In reply to Removed User:
So is nobody willing to do the needful for a good roast or is it all "Tom and Barbara" with a nice omlette?
> So how many of you "off" your own meat or are you all strictly omlette?
So is nobody willing to do the needful for a good roast or is it all "Tom and Barbara" with a nice omlette?
In reply to Removed User: Well if you are going to keep chickens for meat and you do it by having your own chicks from your own eggs, your going to have to have room for a lot more chickens than keeping 2 or 3 for eggs. I would expect it is as moch not having the space for them as not being able to kill animals that people have looked after and bonded to.
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