My First Chickeny Post, Full of Questions

[Rhona]

We've made an offer on a house we'd love to buy - massive garden and room for chickens!

We kept chickens as kids, but never had my own. We always had dozens of them, so what I'd like to know is whether they would be happy if we just kept, say, 3 or 4? No more than 6 anyway.

Second question; I would like to get ex-batteries if possible. Any comments - good or bad idea?

Finally (for now); we'll probably buy a ready made coop. There's a good woodyard nearby that makes great stuff and they may knock something up for us, but otherwise, any recommendations? There's loads of ads in the back of GYO but like to hear what others think.

The idea is that we get our little ones used to feeding, collecting eggs, etc. from a young age so all has to be tiny-ones friendly!

Thanks ever so!

[RedThorn]

I would say go for it!

A little while ago I posted re: ex-batts non ex-batts and well we ended up with ex-batts and we cannot be happier! we got 4 and you should see them now - we've had them for just over 2 weeks and they have just(this weekend) learn't to scratch properly. They've been no hassle and so easy to look after, I would recommend ex-batt's to anyone and everyone! I have a 4yr old DD and she even came with to choose them.

EDIT: OH even asked me to move them closer to the house a week ago! (She's been fighting me tooth and nail to keep as much of her garden non "good life"

[MaureenHall]

Oh go for ex-batts Rhona Start off with the 3 or 4 you've planned and I bet there'll be 8 or 9 by the end of the year Definitely a very good idea.

As for the coop, just make sure that the nesting box is lower than the perches (not that ex-batts are very good at perching - well mine aren't), that it's easy to clean out, and the fox-proof

[lizzylemon]

Great idea - I have 4 and they're fab once I stopped(ish) worrying about them

The one thing I wish I'd done was to make either them an escape free run (they have a 4 foot fence around them currently and do not break sweat getting over it - wings clipped too) or a designated child area right from the start. Probably the run thing actually. Not that I mind at the moment but They WRECK the garden: gravel scratched up, plants eaten, grass dug up, veggie patch trampled, poo very generously sprinkled everywhere.

My DD is just crawling so I'll be making changes in time for better weather as she'll have nowhere poo free to play and I'll be extremely cross if my gardening effort gets wasted by the hens later in the year but it would have been much easier / cheaper to make it that way from the start

[Snadger]

Ex bat or brown bovans are great if it's only eggs you want? I enjoy the eggs, but am fancying something out of the norm. Thats why I'm incubating some eggs of different coloured chooks that are utility breeds and will give me eggs, look pretty, and have enough meat on them to make a worthwhile Suinday lunch!

[vicky]

They are lovely animals to keep, I have 4 and they're quite happy. I don't think ex batts are any more difficult than 'normal' chickens, only downside is they all look similar. We have one posh bird too for a bit of variation!
Negatives of chicken keeping are the destruction of the garden and the poo. You won't be able to have them free range with babies crawling over the grass. I have found my toddler with a mouth of chicken poo...
As for coops...I have one which I can stand in which I like. If you have a permanent run it will be a mud bath if the weather's wet, so maybe think about a cover? Also you can get smells and flies in the summer if you don't have time to pick up poo...is hubby ok to help out?
Hope you get the house you want too!

[dozey1]

Go for it..

Ex-bats are great and you are saving them from becoming dog meat or cheap chicken pies... They are good fun and lovely animals. I have a 6ft x 4ft shed and a run 16ftx 6ft. Its high as well so i walk in. I have 2 parts of it under cover, we used the corrugated plastic sheeting, topped of with weld mesh and wooden frames. he other i part doe's get wet but i turn it over every few days and cover it with the dry stuff. Ever so easy to keep but be sure you have the time cos you won't stop sitting with them....

[HayleyB]

Hmmmm, well I originally only wanted 3 or 4 now look at me.........

Go for it Rhona - BTW is this the one with the North facing garden?

[Rhona]

Thanks so much everyone. Brilliant advice as ever. I'm now very happy with the idea of ex-bats and very useful advice on runs/coops etc.

HayleyB, yep - it is that one. We should get a call today or tomorrow telling us whether or not our offer has been accepted. We went back to view the garden at midday, a couple of weeks ago. Even in winter, the garden is so long that the sun hits 2/3rds of it at that time. I'm pretty happy with that! I really really hope it comes off - we've got so many plans for it...

[HayleyB]

Ooooohhh, fingers are well and truly crossed for you Rhona, I thought the garden'd be ok. Good luck

[Hans Mum]

ex-batts every time Rhona, got mine on saturday and already they look a bit better and are eating loads, and ive let them out supervised for an hour tonight with my other 2 and they just seemed to love it....they also know what the container for treats sounds like already