Keeping chickens

[firebrad]

ok this is a long shot but does anybody here know anything about Keeping chickens? I want to build a little pen for a few hens so I can have fresh eggs, oh and because the kids will love it too lol

going to build something like this

only mine wont look as good and will have nails coming out of it in all directions ROTFWL

 

[Apache]

I keep chickens. What is it you want to know?

 

[jl-heating]

what are you going to do when they get to 4 days old because they wont fit in there lol..

 

[firebrad]

Ha ha what a stroke of luck, the electrician forum has chicken knowledge Well to be honest all i know is i want 2 hens for the odd egg now and then. I have a big garden so no problem moving the coop around every few days.. few questions...

1) do they need a pertch to lay eggs or will they just lay in a nest of straw?

2) whats the best thing to feed them?

3) what age do they lay eggs?

Cheers chaps

 

[a2]

Ha ha what a stroke of luck, the electrician forum has chicken knowledge Well to be honest all i know is i want 2 hens for the odd egg now and then. I have a big garden so no problem moving the coop around every few days.. few questions...1) do they need a pertch to lay eggs or will they just lay in a nest of straw?

2) whats the best thing to feed them?

3) what age do they lay eggs?

Cheers chaps

You'd be suprised what we know on here between us all. Applaud Smiley

 

[Andy™]

I have a big garden so no problem moving the coop around every few days.. few questions...

and you think moving the coop around is going to make the chickens think 'WOW! this place is bigger than the last place!'

 

[Apache]

Ha ha what a stroke of luck, the electrician forum has chicken knowledge Well to be honest all i know is i want 2 hens for the odd egg now and then. I have a big garden so no problem moving the coop around every few days.. few questions...1) do they need a pertch to lay eggs or will they just lay in a nest of straw?

2) whats the best thing to feed them?

3) what age do they lay eggs?

Cheers chaps

We have 2 chickens in our garden -Sage and Onion! The picture you show is known as an 'arc' and I have something similar that I made. They do need a perch 1 1/2" timber with the edges rounded is best for them to sleep on. They need a nest box to lay eggs in - somewhere quite private with some soft straw, shavings (or shredded paper) bedding. I could foresee a problem with them laying eggs whilst on the perch!

Feeding depends on age! You can buy fertilised eggs, day old chicks, chicks off heat at different ages, point of lay or retired battery hens. As a minimum I would suggest you bought them off heat (usually at least 4 weeks old an able to live outside without a heat-lamp). The older the chicken the more money it costs. If you are buying chickens before they begin laying feeding a commercially available 'growers pellet' would be advisable. When they are adult and egg laying 'layers pellets' mixed 50:50 with whole wheat or mixed corn. They also need poultry grit freely available. You can supplement them with kitchen waste, greens even meat. Ours love slugs from the garden.

Age when they first lay varies with breed but ~16 weeks would be when you'd expect some eggs. They will lay through their first winter, but stop laying when the nights get dark and cold. If you are wanting to be super efficient then you replace them each autumn!

Any more questions?

 

[Apache]

and you think moving the coop around is going to make the chickens think 'WOW! this place is bigger than the last place!'

No - but it will stop them wrecking the lawn and add grazing to their diet!

If Firebrad grows veg they will clean up the veg beds at the end of the season!



The eggs are fantastic! And I save money!

 

[green-hornet]

I love a man that knows his birds

 

[Apache]

I love a man that knows his birds

Blushing

You got a couple of hens in your garden?

 

[firebrad]

Wow, thanks for the advice Apache, can now see the problem with laying eggs on a perch Blushing lol well my old boss has lots of free range chicken and he has a few chicks on his farm and he says I can have 2 female chicks. Is an "arc" ok to keep 2 hens in or is it crul to keep them in the enclosure? Im not worried about them being super efficient layers, I have 2 young children and thought it would be nice to have some hens in the garden for them to see where eggs come from and how to look after them.

when you say a nest box, is that like a seperate compartment? would they lay togther in the same box?

Thanks again for your advice

 

[Apache]

Wow, thanks for the advice Apache, can now see the problem with laying eggs on a perch Blushing lol well my old boss has lots of free range chicken and he has a few chicks on his farm and he says I can have 2 female chicks. Is an "arc" ok to keep 2 hens in or is it crul to keep them in the enclosure? Im not worried about them being super efficient layers, I have 2 young children and thought it would be nice to have some hens in the garden for them to see where eggs come from and how to look after them.when you say a nest box, is that like a seperate compartment? would they lay togther in the same box?

Thanks again for your advice

Just think 'nest'! Yes they can share. Our 2 chickens don't have a seperate compartment to lay eggs in, but bigger runs do.

They need to be locked in at night or they are at risk from foxes. The arc is fine and not cruel. My chickens live in one. Look up and see how little space a battery hen has! My dog sleeps in a cage, nowt wrong with that. You could just have a hen house and give them free roam if you wanted but you'd have to be there to shut them in every night at dusk. An enclose run is much safer.

As an aside - your picture shows the arc with chicken wire - I prefer the light gauge 1" weld mesh, much stronger if attacked by a fox or dog!

Eggs are expensive - we save money with ours! And they are so much better. Bit of health and safety - kids must wash their hands after handling poultry before eating.

 

[batty]

I have a customer who had three chickens the fox came a while back and had two this was in the daytime. They even have an electric fence but because volts where down due to fact fence was touching a bush the fox got in. This is in the back garden of a house. so be careful of foxes even in the daytime.

Batty

 

[Apache]

I have a customer who had three chickens the fox came a while back and had two this was in the daytime. They even have an electric fence but because volts where down due to fact fence was touching a bush the fox got in. This is in the back garden of a house. so be careful of foxes even in the daytime.Batty

Good advice Batty! I prefer mine behind wire at all times. It does really depend how hungry the foxes are! They are usually nocturnal but will come out in the day if desperate. A cat or a dog can equally be a problem!

 

[firebrad]

Thanks again for all the info, our nextdoor neighbour have dogs and they sometimes get in to our garden so I think its best for the chickens to be enclosed 24/7.

how can you get them in to the sleeping section at night? do they just go in or do you have to man handle them in :^O

ive been looking on ebay all day at enclosures andfoudn some really nice but expensive ones lol what do you think to this one?

This one is around

 

[Apache]

Looks a cracking run does that! Bloody good price. I couldn't build that for

 

[firebrad]

Here is the link mate http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=280369928835

its up at

 

[Apache]

Thanks Brad

It does look decent

 

[a1]

I like that one - But I would make one myself.

Easily do that for less than a oner, patch.

Looks lovely.

 

[Apache]

I like that one - But I would make one myself.Easily do that for less than a oner, patch.

Looks lovely.

It's the galvanised weld mesh that really adds to the cost. When I costed something slightly larger than the pic wood ~