Newbie to all things feathered

[dexterdoglancashire]

Whoopieee! I've finally got DH to agree that I can have some chooks! We've just been round the rare poultry collection in ludlow. We are particularly keen on the gold and silver sebrights. I googled hen houses, to find there is a local maker in Chorley .
I need to sort out a space in the back garden, get the house etc and then I can arrange to collect the birds (going to nip in again tomorrow en route home to discuss availability).
Can anyone give me any advice on keeping chooks? I've always wanted to, but never thought I would get the opportunity. Also can anyone recommend a good, basic info book?
Many thanks, in advance, a very, very excited Dexterdog!

[its hilly]

Welcome to the club, Dexterdog. Wont offer advice cos I'm still too new to proper chook keeping, but will say you'll never be short of help and advice on here, they're a fantastic bunch I've already learned loads

[TPeers]

I've always liked this book

Starting with Chickens - Keeping Chickens by Katie Thear from The Poultry Pages

Give a bit of thought in your planning to a secure location for all the hens bits and bobs - food drums, cleaning kit, spare bales of sawdust etc - I have a wooden locker but part of your garden shed would do. Pellet, mash and grain tend to come in paper sacks - you will need proper storage or you will have an endless rat problem, I use plastic drums from CJ Wildlife others have metal food bins.

Is your garden fox safe - if not you need a run area big enough for the girls to be in for most of the day. Government guidelines state 1 sq m per bird - if they are going to get out regularly that is probably fine but give them as much space as you possibly can and remember that foxes not only dig but can climb! A lot of comercial runs are under 4' in height - great for the birds, not so hot if you need to go in, do you have a view on this? Are your girls going to be principally pets which you will want to handle or livestock which you won't.

Housing - dry, secure, easy to clean! How much bending do you want to do and is the human access sufficient to let you clean properly. A lot of henhouse designs make you grovel on your knees (probably in smelly chicken poo) to do the cleaning, bear this in mind when choosing. Everyone has preferences, mine is to stand up to the job so a raised house is the answer - it also gives the birds some shelter if it rains and somewhere dry for the food hoppers.

Dogs. I know you have dogs and with all due respect you need to give this thought. Dogs in general are hunters, just like cats it is hardwired into their brains. I don't want to put you off but it is worth noting that someone here on the 'vine lost hens when their old and soppy dog did a flip and killed several birds in the space of a few minutes having been left loose with the hens on many previous occasions. To avoid tradegy you will want to consider not letting the dog loose with the hens - even with supervision!

That said my cats lie down by the hen run watching 'tv' so it is not just humans who find their antics amusing!

Plan, plan and then do some planning! If you think it all through now, and think about if you enjoy hen keeping that you will want to get more.... also bear in mind neighbours - you DON'T need a cockerel to get eggs only to get chicks. Are you interested in meat birds or only egg birds? Is it important to you to know which bird laid which egg (only one hen of each 'type' for egg shell colour)? Banty, light fowl or large fowl? Space requirements and the damage they will do to your garden vary.

Ok, I've gone on at length but the bottom line? Good on you! get out there and enjoy a really fresh egg with zero food miles! But do it right, give not just the birds welfare but that of your other pets and yourselves some thought.

Terry

[MaureenHall]

Oooooooo good decision DDL I'd also recommend Katie Thears' book, it's the first one I got before I kept chooks and I think I read it cover to cover many times choosing what to get and how to do things. It's all Jamie Oliver and Hugh FW's fault that I got ex-batts, but for me it's the best thing I could have done

Think about what you'd like, where to put the chooks, then just keep asking us questions. And don't forget to show us progress pictures!!!

[Hans Mum]

welcome to the club bernie, whatever area you plan to have, double it cause you'll want more once you get them..... its another addiction (along with seeds)

[Hilary B]

Make sure you don't put the chook-patch at the lowest part of the garden, or you will be fighting the mud all winter (and every time it rains)!
Katie Thear's book is excellent, it covers all the basics in a no-nonsense manner. Any time you can't find the answer with Katie, you can come and ask on here!
If you remember to 'think chook' and 'think dog' you won't make mistakes that risk conflict. Chooks flee and flutter when alarmed (and anything can start them off). Dogs chase anything fleeing or fluttery (if well trained, may refrain when supervised, but don't risk it when you can't be watching the dog. Being there, but busy, is NOT safe if the idiot next door starts up a noisy lawn mower and the chooks freak out).

[lettucegrow!]

You won't regret getting them,just wish you had them sooner!! I'm new to this this year and everything has gone much smoother than I thought it would. I'd recommend reading loads. I was given Henkeeping by Jane Eastoe- a little red book with straight forward info. and Choosing and Keeping Chickens ,Chris Graham.This book was produced in association with Practical Poultry Mag. Keep in touch with this page-loads of good advice and definitely watch the dog-he'll think you're providing dinner!

[Glutton4...]

Welcome to 'Chook-addiction' DDL!

I get all my info on here instead of books, but I have started collecting books now. I too blame HFW and JO for all this Chicken malarkey, but also Aunty Mo, who gave me the encouragement to actually do something about it.

My advice is read all you can, and go for it. You will make mistakes - we all do, and YOU WILL end up with more Chooks than you first decided on!

[Bramble-Poultry]

Can highly reccomend this book - The urban hen by Paul Peacock - a relitaviley inexpensive book written in an understandable style for the modern back yard chicken keeper. I also like Katie Thears books but they are starting to date slightly and are not aimed at small back yard keepers.

Way to go dive in at the deep end with one of the most expensive suppliers in the UK, their birds are very nice just expensive. and never ever tell anyone where you got them from not even on this forum - their name is often a trigger for theft due to the knowledge that they are "worth" so much - they are not actually better or worse than anyone elses and certainly not worth anymore its just the perception that they are.

As for planning - we can all tell you what to do and what not to do but it really is trial and error and what works for one is wrong for another - but whatever you do if you buy 3 plan for 10 - cos trust me you will end up there - secretly this forum is chookoholics anonymous.

[bluemoon]

Congratulations DDL, but as everyone says it's addictive! Not only do you want to buy more, you start to want to hatch your own and it all gets out of control very, very quickly. As for books, Katie Thear's has been used a lot here so I can recommend that. But also avoid one called 'Living with Chickens' by Jay Rossier. This was the first one I bought because it was the only one stocked by the local Waterstones. It's published in the US, is aimed at the larger backyard keeper - ie one who wants to make a profit - and things are done very differently in the states where they buy their chickens as day olds via post rarely have POL hens available - so it doesn't tell you what to look for when buying - and is just generally not suitable for the way we do things. It does, however have photos of Gold Laced Wyandottes, so has started a bit of an obsession here.

[beulah59]

I have ...
Keeping Pet Chickens
The Urban Hen
Henkeeping (a National Trust handbook)

and have read The Right Way to keep Chickens ...

all very helpful.

[Flummery]

Congrats on making a sensible decision! Gotta have chickens! I think everyone's covered it all really - just make sure you can walk in the run - you do need to poo-pick and it'd be deadly on your hands and knees. Also, it wasn't until we got ours that I realised that chickens are really very 3 dimensional. I'd seen runs that were 3 ft high or so and our first idea was to go with this. I'm so glad we didn't. They love to fly up onto the perch or the garden chair we keep in there - even onto their house roof. Because the run is roofed they can do this without getting a leg up to fly off, so to speak. You won't regret it.

Remember, pictures are a must!

[RedThorn]

welcome to the club! Hehe here's to many eggs in the future!

[weekendwellies]

I'm a bit behind you Dext. Still in the seriously thinking about it/getting information stage.
Let me know how you get on and what house and hens you go for.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I'm a bit behind you Dext. Still in the seriously thinking about it/getting information stage.
Let me know how you get on and what house and hens you go for.

No probs. Have been searching t'internet for chook houses, despite there being a local supplier, I think I have found the house Im looking for. Going to visit a local place in Preston tomorrow who supplies hens.