keeping chooks

[Runningwolf]

hiya all

Have just took over an allottment and I want to keep chickens. Have been reading books etc about it and all. I have never kept them before but i would like to give it a go. The problem i have is that there are so many houses and runs on the market i am not sure where to start. I am told the best chickens for a novice is the bovin goldliner breed as they are quite friendly, i plan for about six birds. also what is the best type of ground for the run to be on, ie soil,grass. My aunty used to keep them in cornwall on the farm and they just used to run around the farmyard. I understand about foxes and the dangers of them and plan to make the run as secure as possible, I plan to start keeping chooks in about three months when I have read a few more books and spoken to people who keep them. I would appreciate any advice that can be given PLEASE

regards runningwolf

[Nicos]

Welcome to the Vine Runningwolf!
My chooks free range - and I'm just about to buy some electric fencing for when I'm out during the day to keep the foxes out ( fingers crossed)
So...I'm no use to you at all- unless you want advice on where I'm getting my fencing.
My bit of advice would be....yup- get chooks. You'll not regret it.

[Suechooks]

I have kept chooks on my allotment for a few years. I bought a hut with 2 pop-holes so I could have a run on each side and thus give each one a rest so the parasites would die off and grass regrow. I treat the empty run with ***** fluid and then lime after the chooks have moved out and re-seed. (Am going to try green manure this time after someone else on forum mentioned it) I have a small area in front of the hut which is paved and the main door opens on to this. The run has wire buried all round the edge and various obstacles to deter foxy such as old kerb stones concrete posts, paving slabs etc. The runs are roofed with wire and I have a decent sized covered area in both runs for shelter from weather - they never go back into the hut whatever the weather except to lay. Give them as much room as you can spare. Mine have 1 run 12' x 30' and one 12 and 40'. I'm in the process of building another which is 20' x 20'. They have tyres and logs and straw bales to roost on in the runs and hanging feeders under the covered area. Water is in a drinker and also a bucket.
Hybrid hens are always a good bet and the brown jobs seem friendly little souls. I have a mix of ex-battery hens which are Warrens and other coloured hybrids - black, grey, speckled, and white. The latter I bought as point of lay pullets.
They enjoy the produce from the lottie and frequently help themselves when they're free ranging which they do whenever I'm there.
The only real problem I have had was 18 months ago when someone broke in and stole 5 of my 6 hens. I've improved my security since then to make it more unwelcoming! Am considering electric fencing too.
The hens will soon reduce any grass to bare soil.
If you are planning on 6 hens be prepared for more as it's very addictive!
I go to my plot early morning then during the day and again at bedtime. As I'm retired it suits me but not everyone can do this and others will be along to tell you how they do it I'm sure!
Chickens are really great and you won't regret having them. Good luck!
PS If you can raise the hut of the ground it helps deter rats and gives the chooks extra shelter. My new hut is on a frame 18" high and covered at the back in the direction of prevailing wind.

[TEB]

Hi Runninwolf,
when I decide to get chickens last year, I was going to build their house and run as there are plenty of plans online explaining how, in the end though I bought a house and run cheap in a sale (for 10 birds). My idea was to just allow them this area but when I saw the 4 birds in the run (Speckledys and huge) with our typical British softness for animals it just wasn't big enough. So I fenced off an area in the garden about 11' square including house and let them roam in this. I built the enclosure by digging a trench 6" deep and grounding the chicken wire in the trench which I then back filled, this was to keep rats, foxes and badgers from digging underneath. The fencing was 6' initially to stop the birds from flying over, I had to increase this though because they would fly onto the house and then up and over the fence , I did think at this stage to also clip their wings but wasn't needed in the end. They lived happily in this run for about 6 months, initially the area was lawn and soil, put in a few perching points and made sure shade was available, they trashed this within the 6 months and in the wet weather it was a muddy quagmire . After this I let them roam free range in the garden, surprising they didn't do to much damage to the plants apart from the Raspberry canes which they would jump at and pinch the raspberries but they can pooh like nothing on earth, vast quantities of the stuff and always where you wanted to be, OH was getting mad. So 2 weeks ago I have extended their original run and its now 30' x 20 and I plan to segregate various sections of this to allow it to recuperate, so far so good. So, good luck with your chickens, they can be great fun but watch out for that pooh

[vicky]

It is really confusing all the different runs and breeds, but you're going about it the right way - books and questions! I have 3 ex batts and one legbar, I like having one that looks different. My house is a converted wendy house (thanks to handy hubby!), as we had one in the garden that wasn't used...it is easy to clean out as you can (just) stand up in it! The run is about 20x10ft, they destroyed the grass and now it has a covering of horse bedding (chopped straw/wood chip - whatever is cheapest!), surrounded by 6ft chicken wire (ebay) which (touch wood) has kept the foxes away so far. I let them out into the garden too but they have destructive tendancies and like to poop just outside the back door!
Ideally I would like 2 runs so I could rest one or a movable run (but bigger than the omlet one- electric fencing would be great)
If you keep them on an allotment it could be a good investment to get an automatic pop hole opener (£80 ish!) as then you don't have to be there twice a day to let them in/out, just when it suits you

[Runningwolf]

Hiya all thanks for the advice. I will keep you up to date on progress. Still have a few more books to read.

regards runningwolf

[Eyren]

If you can afford it I would recommend medium gauge weldmesh rather than chicken wire, as foxes can bite through chicken wire, and a roof of corrugated plastic will let light in but help stop the run turning into a quagmire.

The run needs to be a minimum of one square metre per bird, but if you are not going to be able to let them out to free range then a bigger run would be more pleasant for them. A good compromise would be a smaller roofed weldmesh run that they have full access to, plus a larger one fenced with chickenwire that they can be let out into when you are on the plot. You could even fence the entire plot in winter and let them out now and again to clear up the bugs - you might need to protect your leafy greens, but you'd need to do that anyway to keep the wild birds off.