keeping chickens advice please

[ashamomodablam]

hi i have now talked my oh into getting 4 chickens, but we know nothing about what chickens to get etc any advice welcome

[MINESAPINT]

I have kept chickens for 5 years. I still have 2 of my original 4 and both are very happy and laying regularly. The originals are a Maran & a Welsumer. I have had a few cross breeds but for some reason I enjoy keeping pure breeds more. I also have 2 Rhode Island Reds.

Many people will implore you to go and rescue some ex battery hens which may be a possibility if they are available in your area. The important thing is to give your chooks a good life and enjoy their eggs. You might also want to prepare yourself for any critter infestations that will probably occur. I have had Lice and Red Mites but have eventually beaten them by changing the nest box from wooden to aluminium and going after the critters on a regular basis with whatever I have found effective against them. Check for Red Mites at night wih a torch.

There are many coniderations, we chose heavy breeds so they would not routinely be able to fly out of their enclosure or fit through the pig netting.

Good luck & let us know how you get on.

[red]

what chickens to get... well depends if you want pretty ones, or not bothered.. you can go the rescue route, but be prepared for them to stop laying in a year or so, ( you might get more). if you get traditional breeds, then you are helping to keep those breeds going ( by creating a need etc) but they will be more pricey. If you want lots of eggs, you might be better going for a modern hybrid.

what do you fancy?

[ashamomodablam]

nothing fancy,just lots of eggs

[MINESAPINT]

Now I am raising more questions.

Over the past 5 years I have had about 5 pure breeds and about 5 cross breeds/hybrids. I still have 4 of the pure breeds which are really fit and healthy but a couple of the hybrids have become ill and died during this period. My understanding is that hybrids are bred for a purpose which is laying eggs fast and furious but only for a short period of maybe less than a year. In my very limited experience I have found pure breeds to be more robust and long lived. 2 of mine are 5 yrs old and still laying and I hope they will for a few years yet. Hybrids tend not to go broody whereas some pure breeds are broody on a regular basis.

There are plenty of sites dedicated to poultry - have a google.

With regard to which breed to recommend I suppose it really depends what is available locally to you.

My Maran lays a dark brown egg but some strains of Maran lay eggs the colour of dark chocolate. There are also breeds that lay blue & green eggs.

If you let your chooks free range you will not believe the colour of the yolks compared to the incipid looking bought ones.

If you can explain how I can put a photo on this site I will post a picture of my chooks.

[Thomzo]

Hi
I got my ex-battery girls just over a year ago. Before that I knew nothing about chickens. They really are very easy to look after but it does help if you can find a friend or neighbour that knows a thing or two. At my local college they run an evening class for chicken keepers.

Otherwise get a good book and keep reading the great advice on this forum.

Go for it. They are definitely great fun as well as providing eggs.

Zoe

[ashamomodablam]

hi thanks for the advice, as i live in the country and that my neighbour breeds shooting dogs and that we have plenty of foxes. i am thinking that i cant really let them roam around as their lifespan will be about a day.i am going to make an enclosure with a lid on it . how big does it need to be for 4 hens

[MINESAPINT]

Just make it as big as you can. The more access to green grass the better the quality of the eggs.

[SploT]

I'm new to this site and I too have been thinking about getting chickens to have fresh eggs. I have decided to look at the equipment I'll need to get a the chicken pens/runs seem ......... small! I'm not keen on the battery hen idea because I personally would feel that I was supporting battery farming. I'm not having a go at any one that has them and I know I could give some a good life it just doesnt sit right for me.

I'm also wondering how my neighbours will reack to chickens in the garden - unfortunately they would have to be penned chooks as I have 2 who are rather good at bird catching!

Does any one have any knowledge of chook pen design? What makes for a good home for them?

[marshlander]

I'm also wondering how my neighbours will react to chickens in the garden - unfortunately they would have to be penned chooks as I have 2 who are rather good at bird catching!

Does any one have any knowledge of chook pen design? What makes for a good home for them?

We've two cats too but they're afraid of the hens! They stalk wild birds , even ducks and pheasants but steer well clear of the hens!

For hen houses, you could adapt this http://www.pekinbantams.com/broody_coop_1.asp which mydreamlife posted on another thread

[VM]

Scroll down the page a bit in this forum to see my posted question a while ago about hybrids vs pure breeds and various people's answers. The more I went into it, the more I felt I wanted pure breeds - especially for the reason other people give about supporting the continued existence of these breeds - in the interests of sustainability etc. Other people on our allotment site have ex-batts and it is certainly heart-warming seeing them become more confident and like 'proper' chickens as the weeks go by. However, I didn't want to go that route because for me too it feels like condoning the industry - though obviously not saying other people shouldn't do it.

I also have to say I am a sucker for nice-looking animals and am completely besotted with the beautiful hens we acquired just last week - 1 Rhode Island Red, 2 Cream Legbars and 2 which are crosses between Cream Legbars and Welsumers - which are a particularly beautiful goldeny colour, though have grey fluffy bottoms like the Legbars.

Have fun with it all anyway.