Cost of keeping chooks??

[ElizabethBinary]

Milims, how do you get their poo for fertilizer? maybe it's me but they seem to just scratch it all into the dirt, so there's not much to be seen.

[Milims]

The stuff that they "lay" in the night, when they are in their hut, either gets composted or put onto the garden.

[Rosendula]

These answers are really useful.

So Rosie.... when you getting some??

I think my next task is to try to find my tenancy agreement, or contact the council to ask them if I'm allowed to keep them. Although if I ask, they might say no, whereas if I don't ask they won't know unless someone tells them. But then if that happens ..... I'll see if I can find a copy without asking anyone.

If there's nothing in the agreement to stop me, I'll talk to my next-door neighbour who's a lovely man. I'd rather clear things up with him before I get them. I'll think about the rest of the neighbours. It might be worth not telling them, then if I think they're being noisy, handing a box of eggs over the fence.

[bonniethomas06]

Before I enlarged my flock I had three in an ark in my town back garden, with a tiny lawn. I think that moving them all the time is just a big hassle unless you have a large area, as each patch takes at least two months to recover.

Instead, I left them in the same space, but bought bark chippings (just make sure they aren't treated with preservatives - most aren't) and put them down where the grass used to be.

They loved scratching about in them, and once a month (or whenever they start to smell - mostly in warm, wet weather, but I never had any complaints from the neighbours) I just raked them up, stuck them on the compost heap, and put down fresh. They still managed to dig holes to dust bathe, and seemed very happy. Also, the poos seemed to sort of wash to the bottom - so they weren't treading on them all the time.

[Evelyn J]

I think my next task is to try to find my tenancy agreement, or contact the council to ask them if I'm allowed to keep them.

You said you live in an ex council house, so i am ashulming that you are now a housing associatiobn tenant? your housing trust/ association will have a web site and on it should be a section on your tenancy, much faster than doing a fingertip serch of the house for the darn thing that you like me have put somewhere safe lol.

I think you will find that your tenancy will have no mention of keeping chickens either way, i would surgest you ring your landloard and ask to speek to a housing officer, DONT give your name or address, and just ask, they will probobly have no idea and say they will get back to you, but before you talk to them talk to your neighbours and get them happy with the idea, if they arnt on your side its a none starter.

As for smell and noise, yes they do smell in summer but i deal with this by planting strong smelling flowers around the garden so the neighbours smell them not the chuks and at night in the hight of summer when the chuks have gone to bed i water there area with diluted zoflora, it dose no harm to the chuks and it helps stop bacteria build up thus not as smelly.

As for noise, like red's chuks i have a nesting box for each bird but they all want to use the same one at the same time and can get a bit giddy with them selves but this is not everyday and normaly when i have poped up the top of the garden with some greens things quiet down fast.

I strogly surgest that when looking for a coop or building one you go for one without windows as chuks giving it there all at 4am in the summer because they want out dose not make you popular as i found out last summer, i spent most of it trotting up and down the garden at silly o'clock trying to keep them quiet ( marmite on toast seems to work)

I to live in an ex councill house and have the neighbours from hell on both sides of me, growing veg and recycling seem to be ofencive to them but they have never said anything about the chuks, go figure!? lol


Eve

[grubbysoles]

On the cost issue, we have 4 hens and they cost us £8 for a 20kg sack of layers mash, which lasts 4-5weeks, although I've noticed they seem to be eating a bit more of it as it's winter. I buy woodshavings and straw for their nest boxes, but these cost about £2 a bag and last a few months each, so practically no cost there.

Sunflower, we have one of these: http://bit.ly/daYt3z It fits our 4 hens fine, but the run isn't really big enough for 4, so my boyfriend built them an extension. Actually, we have managed to get a much bigger house for them on freecycle and they will be moving out of this one. You're welcome to it if there's any way at all of you getting it from us (we're probably a bit too far away from you?!). We'll probably hang on to the extra run space, though, that we've added to it.

You'll find you will be swamped with eggs in summer if you get 4 hens - I should probably only have got 2 hens but I got carried away because they are cute Fewer hens would mean you won't have to worry too much about extra run space for them.

Other than that, ditto what everyone else has said about cost/smell/noise, etc.

[Thomzo]

Hi Nikki
Two places I can recommend for food round here. Toomers garden centre in Lydiard Millicent is close and sells layers pellets at around £8 for 20kg. That lasts my 3 around 6 weeks. Be aware that if you feed kitchen scraps, egg production will go down.

If you don't mind travelling a bit further afield then there is a farm on the Lyneham road out of Wootton Basset which sells layers pellets or mash for around £5-6 for £25kg. It's really good stuff and they grow the main ingrediants themselves. My neighbour and I often go together to get several bags. I can let you know next time we're going and you can join us.

Cheers
Zoe

[gunners71uk]

I think my next task is to try to find my tenancy agreement, or contact the council to ask them if I'm allowed to keep them.

You said you live in an ex council house, so i am ashulming that you are now a housing associatiobn tenant? your housing trust/ association will have a web site and on it should be a section on your tenancy, much faster than doing a fingertip serch of the house for the darn thing that you like me have put somewhere safe lol.

I think you will find that your tenancy will have no mention of keeping chickens either way, i would surgest you ring your landloard and ask to speek to a housing officer, DONT give your name or address, and just ask, they will probobly have no idea and say they will get back to you, but before you talk to them talk to your neighbours and get them happy with the idea, if they arnt on your side its a none starter.

As for smell and noise, yes they do smell in summer but i deal with this by planting strong smelling flowers around the garden so the neighbours smell them not the chuks and at night in the hight of summer when the chuks have gone to bed i water there area with diluted zoflora, it dose no harm to the chuks and it helps stop bacteria build up thus not as smelly.

As for noise, like red's chuks i have a nesting box for each bird but they all want to use the same one at the same time and can get a bit giddy with them selves but this is not everyday and normaly when i have poped up the top of the garden with some greens things quiet down fast.

I strogly surgest that when looking for a coop or building one you go for one without windows as chuks giving it there all at 4am in the summer because they want out dose not make you popular as i found out last summer, i spent most of it trotting up and down the garden at silly o'clock trying to keep them quiet ( marmite on toast seems to work)

I to live in an ex councill house and have the neighbours from hell on both sides of me, growing veg and recycling seem to be ofencive to them but they have never said anything about the chuks, go figure!? lol


Eve

which strong smelling flowers would you recommend?

[red]

I hope Nikki doesn't mind me hijacking her post but I have a few more questions I hope people can help with

The info about costs and noise have been really helpful to me, and I have put the idea of keeping chickens to OH. Now he wants to know about
1) the smell. Do they pong at all?
2) the cats. There are a lot of cats around here. Will that be a problem (to the chickens or the cats)?
3) we understand they don't lay all year round. Can you please give me an idea of how many eggs we will get per bird per year (roughly)
4) if we were to get ex-batts, DD1 said their beaks will be clipped and she doesn't think they will be able to pick up food . Am I right in thinking they will still be able to feed themselves from a feeder?
5) what about injections and things?
6) should I leave you good folk in peace and go and borrow a book from the library?

1. no but the poo smells - but nothing like as bad as dog or pig.. if you clean out out once a week.. less if you only have a few hens, it wont pong.
2. cats will only be a problem to chicks. if you raise chicks you will need a cage arrangement. having said that i prfer to keep my hens in a large run anyhow.
3 depends on the breed. hybrids lay more than pure breeds - older girls start to lay less. you can expect eggs from feb to sept, then possibly some throughout winter depending on their age.
4 ex batts even with clipped beaks should be able to eat.. they had to eat in the battery farm after all.
5 i dont bother with vaccinations.. good grief - but i do worm occasionally if i think there might be a problem, i do keep an eye out for redmite, and will treat if there is another issue. for example my flock got mycoplasma a couple of years back.. so i treated them then.
6 nope ask away thats what forums are for.

ps get chickens.. theya re great

[Rosendula]

Thank you for the patient replies. The good new is
WE HAVE A COOP!!

It's still in its flatpack in the garden as it only arrived this morning, but OH said he'll put it together on his day off which is tomorrow, so fingers crossed it won't rain or snow. The coop has a run attached and the house itself is on stilts to give them a bit more room to wander about underneath. I've been told to relocate it every couple of months or so, which shouldn't be a problem if I can keep the garden tidy and I'm hoping to let them out in the garden whenever I'm out there to keep my eye on them.

We were given free water and food feeders with it, and I've bought a small scrubbing brush for the feeders and a bigger one for when I need to clean the coop. So now I need

• chickens (would be helpful)
• food
• bedding
• hutch disinfectant
• mite powder

Is there anything else I need?

I'm so-o-o excited

[Millymollymandy]

Rosie please read the thread on soft shelled eggs - you'll need to provide them with crushed oyster shell as they need calcium for forming good egg shells, and also grit, both of which you can buy in sacks from (presumably) the same place as you buy feed. If they are not free ranging they will need the grit. It's all explained in the other thread which is current so you won't have a problem finding it!

You'll also need to worm them every 6 months.

[thesunflowergal]

Sunflower, we have one of these: http://bit.ly/daYt3z It fits our 4 hens fine, but the run isn't really big enough for 4, so my boyfriend built them an extension. Actually, we have managed to get a much bigger house for them on freecycle and they will be moving out of this one. You're welcome to it if there's any way at all of you getting it from us (we're probably a bit too far away from you?!). We'll probably hang on to the extra run space, though, that we've added to it.

Thanks for the offer hun, but you are really quite a long way from us

Hi Nikki
If you don't mind travelling a bit further afield then there is a farm on the Lyneham road out of Wootton Basset which sells layers pellets or mash for around £5-6 for £25kg. It's really good stuff and they grow the main ingrediants themselves. My neighbour and I often go together to get several bags. I can let you know next time we're going and you can join us.

YES PLEASE ZOE , that would be fab. Thank you very much. Your always a great source of info


Thanks Rosey for adding to this thread, its all made very useful and interesting reading. Are you getting egg-cited now??

[Annpan]

Rosie please read the thread on soft shelled eggs - you'll need to provide them with crushed oyster shell as they need calcium for forming good egg shells, and also grit, both of which you can buy in sacks from (presumably) the same place as you buy feed. If they are not free ranging they will need the grit. It's all explained in the other thread which is current so you won't have a problem finding it!

You'll also need to worm them every 6 months.

I have never had to feed my girls oyster shell, nor have I had to worm them, never had to disinfect the hen house.... I bought mite powder, I haven't used that yet either.... I use cut grass as bedding, and occasionally a bit of shredded news paper.

[gunners71uk]

i havnt got me chooks yet but i have been told poultry spice is wort having and putting a bit of garlic powder in there feed
http://www.bestpetpharmacy.co.uk/detail ... p?id=68016
http://wiki.omlet.co.uk/index.php/Chick ... upplements

[red]

[*]mite powder[/list]

i wouldn't buy the lavendar and whatever mite powder.. totally useless imho

The best way to keep redmite down is keeping the house clean (they dont live on the hens they live in the house, bedding etc). we found diatom the best all round - its harmless (its fancy chalk dust), and seems to work well.

I did a wholeblog poston red mite a while back

hens should be able to get all they need grit and calcium wise from eating pellets and scratching around. if you have a problem with soft eggs.. you can do the oyster shell thing.. they like it. - but we manage fine without it too.