is it worth it

[pink-angel29]

hi ive recently took on an allotment plot and my oh has only put a shed up a few weeks ago and we have already been broken into (nothing stolen just trashed)
we used the last of our savings on getting a chicken coop and run and now we are having doubts as to carry on.
2 of my children have aspergers and they love going to the allotment and are looking forward to getting the chickens but now i dont know if we should if anything happned to there chickens they would be devistated.
has anyone any advice on how to keep chickens safe on an allotment or even sheds.

sorry for the rant but i just cant beleve how horrible people can be.

[mogs]

Hi Pink Angel

Don't let the morons spoil it for the children. Our allotment site suffered quite a bit from break ins last year, my shed included. However, I bought a really good lock and protected the fixings and 'touch wood' nothing this year, although they have been on the allotment for sure. I got to the point where I wondered whether you could buy a solar powered electric fence, but thought better of it!! Fried teenagers I imagine taste a bit yuk!

I don't know how you'd go on with the chickens, but I used to visit a farm when I was a kid that had geese in the yard in preference to a guard dog - and believe me I was frightened to death of the thing - wonder if chickens would get along with a goose!

[Liza]

The little Buggers are a pain in the a**e at our site too so I would never keep chooks there, goodness knows what they would do to them ! I have mine in my garden.

I never lock my shed and don't keep anything in it of any value.

Please don't think about having any animal on your lottie, sorry but I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

[Jeanied]

Pink Angel are there other lottie holders who keep chooks? It would be worth finding out what their experiences are.
I have been broken into several times since my shed was put up last year. Before then, I didn't know when the 'visitors' came round, but I suspect they have visited many times. I do the same as Lisa.
I decided not to get worked up or upset because my lottie is more important to me than some of my things and certainly more important than a few local louts and vandals.

[binley100]

The lotties on our site regularly have nocturnal visitors of the hooded variety. It is an annoyance but we don't keep anything of value there and our shed hasn't a lock on it. I would think that the chooks would be left alone as I'm sure they are looking for portable things they can sell. Whether you decide on the chooks or not don't please don't give up on your allotment as I think your children will benefit from it .

[pink-angel29]

thanks for your replies. there are a few other plots with chickens i will have a word with them tomorrow when i go down there
it just makes me so mad that some people have no respect for other people anymore.
I think the problem is there are so many vacant plots where am its an easy target

[zazen999]

Pink - where ARE you?

Perhaps people nearby on here might be after a plot and could get in touch with the necessary people and take some of the vacant plots up.

[Jeanied]

Pink why don't you put your location on your profile - go to the top green bar and find 'User CP' - click on that and you will be able to edit your details and your location is one of the options. Most of us can say where we are safely.

[CaroltheCarrot]

pink ,dont give up my shed was up only a matter of days and was broken into,horrible little hooded swines.

i personally wouldnt keep chickens there,mime are at home,keep going

[Lazgaot]

The kids can still benefit enormously from just growing crops so don't give up on it.
I don't have a shed on my plot,I've got the most accessible plot on my site and I only keep an old cheep rake and fork there, hidden in the nettles. Everything else is taken with me when I go up.

[Hans Mum]

dont let the b*****ds win, as others have said I never lock my shed they do more damage getting in than the value of the stuff in there, i know its upsetting we had a whole week over easter when kids were coming in looking for snacks & drinks so we all stopped leaving anything so they just trashed the sheds, no damage just everything thrown on the floor, must admit the last morning it happened i burst into tears, shut the door and went to chat to some of my mates, then they all came to my plot & helped me clear up. If its kids i would have thought your chickens would be ok

[pink-angel29]

well i couldnt sleep this morning so me and my dog had a very early morning walk to the allotment (5:45) lol
all was fine.
I had a walk around the allotment and there are atleast 40 plus plots empty

[Liza]

I would be worried they would damage the run and chooks would escape.

The kids that visit our allotments have sprayed swear words on sheds and tunnels, pushed over sheds and set fire to sheds !

I don't consider it to be a bad area where I live, but there's always a handful that spoil it for everyone.

[russell]

Hi

Have you mentioned anything to the person in charge? People get getting into our plot, we have one out of three and I spoke to the parish clerk. She is going to put up some new fencing right round the perimeter to replace the ramshackle fence that is there already.

[pink-angel29]

I have sent an email informing the council of whats happned and i will write a letter asking whats going to be done about it.
I have 2 plots and it costs me almost £200 a year to rent them.
the plot opposite us has been burgled twice in 3 weeks and they have 3 locks on there shed.
i have sprayed everything worth taking bright pink so i hope it will put them off
As for keeping chickens we have put the coop up (we brought it before this happned) but will wait and see what happens