Backyard Chickens!

[stephen_o]

Hi, I have it seems agreed to rehouse 4 Chickens from a house futher up the estate due to there owner starting to neglect them.

They have kindly offered to dismantle, transport and re-errect both coops and sort out everything for me, to be fair I don't want this to be bashing them because they wanted the chicks to be happy and new they weren't doing the greatest for them.

I have done masses of internet reading and video watching, I have wanted Chickens since last year but the start up costs have been an issue.

I would value any advice.

Stephen
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current scoot 2009 Yamaha YBR250 + Current Pootle 2013 Nissan Leaf

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Cordon off an area or accept total destruction of your garden.
Expect one to die without reason.
Expect one to always get out.
Unless they are young don't expect many eggs.

They have brilliant characters.

Don't hold them at eye level.
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The Harry Turner Project

[MCN]

They have a very set routine in line with the sun and seasonal patterns.
Very individual personalities.
Google the british hen or fowl or chicken society.
They will wreck a flowerbed in an hour or two.
But marvellous little critters.
And all as the other guy above said.

They'll not wander fer from the coup. Foxes and some cats and dogs may be a threat.
Keep the coup and house clean to help prevent fowl type disease.
The forum vet could advise better.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[stinkwheel]

They will generally cost more to feed/house than they produce unless you have larger numbers and will destroy any garden they get into. So only go into this for the experience of having them.

If you give them names, they will eventually cost you a fortune in vets bills. So decide if they are farm animals or pets. The difference is, a farm animal (or group of fram animals) gets treated up to its/their replacement value. A pet gets treated up to the limit of acceptable welfare.

Beware of adding more chickens to your group that may be carrying diseases. If you really want to add more to your group, a good and rewarding way to do it is to buy a cheap incubator and fertilised eggs off ebay and hatch your own (remember 50% will be cocks and probably want necking/eating as soon as you realise/they are big enough if you want to stay friendly with your neighbours).

Beware of re-homing "retired" battery hens, they can be carrying all sorts of respiratory diseases. I've seen people loose all their chickens this way.

They will eat pretty much anything you'd put in your household compost bin, especially greens, and their egg quality will be all the better for it. Swap caterpillar-infested cabbages from your neighbours allotments for eggs.

Mr Fox LOVES chicken.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[MCN]

[Nexus Icon]

My mum kept chickens for years. I shall look down on you with scorn if, at least once, you don't stand with one perched on your forearm (like some grand falcon) while you throw out quotes from Ladyhawke.

Also, look forward to rats.

The hardest part can often be getting neighbours to accept that the gentle clucking of happy hens is not annoying. Fortunately your neighbours may already be used to it.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[c_dug]

I had a friend with chickens about 7 years ago, she became really attached almost instantly (they're just chickens to me but she saw them all as individual characters).

The foxes got at them twice in the first two weeks, despite properly re-enforcing the coop after the first time. They had one tattered hen left from around half a dozen.

Cue one properly distraught friend.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[DrSnoosnoo]

If you know what type of animals I've got, you'll know I can't enough of birds!

I would really like some chickens in the future but before I do, I have a lot of gardening to do to get rid of shit loads of bushes and such.

Honestly, I would have half of my land for an aviary and then the rest for a run for chickens and other fowl.

Then I'd quite my job and live happily ever after ...
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[stinkwheel]

[MCN]

[DrSnoosnoo]

Stinkwheel/MCN.

That is brilliant. Where I live the garden tends off into a sort valley, that's there for water run off, supposedly.

There's loads of green bush/shrubbery kind of stuff down 2/3s of my garden so I suppose it'll be good for me to just get a boundary set up to be able to keep them from running away and leave them to it.

It'd be easier to sell the idea to the missus now.

I'll have to approach the neighbours though. They already have to deal with the "Golden Conure morning and evening shoutfest" and then my other birds general shouting at me if they think I'm leaving them by going into the kitchen. So they may or may not appreciate outside cluckers but I suppose it's only the cocks that are bellends and super loud ?
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[Kris]

Our old neighbours (last property) had 3 chickens. Unfortunately the woman was a bit of a PETA mentalist and refused to get their wings clipped, so almost inevitably they ended up over the 6ft fence and in our garden. Cue a few annoying visits to round up their animals in our garden.

I must admit that I was happy they were around, seemed to keep the slug population down a bit. Just a shame that they got rid of them after a few months as their garden was destroyed. I'm also very glad there wasn't a cockerel in the group..
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www.prisonplanet.com

[Matt B]

Expect one of them to decide that some inaccessible spot under a bush, behind your shed etc. is a great place to lay eggs.

They are nosy and inquisitive and like to look through the patio doors to see what you are doing. If you don't want chicken crap all over the patio fence it off.

Once they are used to you they will follow you around. They love it when you dig the garden/weed the flower beds and turn the soil over digging around for bugs.

They live longer than you may think.
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[pdg]

One of my chickens (Beryl) used to sit on my shoulder while I did stuff like mow the grass.

Hours of fun pretending to be a poverty level pirate (can't afford a parrot, got a chicken, arrr, etc.)
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Any and all advice given should not be followed - if you have to ask it means you don't know so get a man in to do it for you.

[hedgehugger]

[DrSnoosnoo]

[doggone]

[Matt B]

[MCN]

[DrSnoosnoo]

[Polarbear]

Mate has 3 hens, gets way too many eggs and loves them.

Funniest thing watching his German Shepherd rounding them up when they are running free in the garden.

And I don't know why, but his hens eggs taste much better than supermarket ones.

I wouldn't mind them but the missus loves her garden flowers and chickens and flowers don't mix.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[hedgehugger]

[stephen_o]

Thanks for all the tips and stories.

2 questions.

- My garden has steps down to the lawn area, will they negotiate this or fly around it?
- How are they with ponds and fish? I have a pond with 5 goldfish in and resident frogs. I have read elsewhere that they may eat frogspawn but the pond is netted to stop the fish being attacked by birds and cats.
Thanks for the tips about the shed, my shed is derelict and the land falls away under it so there may be a nice couple of hidy holes I will have to keep an eye on until its replaced.
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current scoot 2009 Yamaha YBR250 + Current Pootle 2013 Nissan Leaf

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Frogs you say....
Frogs you once had.

They will eat anything they 'think' they can swallow.
Steps will be no obstacle.

If not already mentioned then ensure they can get out of wet and windy weather.

Wear a dust mask when cleaning them out. The dust and bloom from their plumage is nasty for lungs.
Those large kitchen scissors are good enough for clipping their 'flight' feathers. No need to go berserk.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[stinkwheel]

If you're clipping wings, take three or four of the primary flight feathers out of ONE wing in a "window" make sure they are cut through a part of the shaft with no blood in it.

Then chuck them in the air and make sure they can flutter down without getting too much lift. if you think they are too airborne, take out a bigger window.

The aim is to disrupt flight (such as it is) without removing the ability to escape predators or safely descend from a height.

It needs re-doing after each moult.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.