I'm a little excited by the possibility of hens!!

[Suechooks]

Wild birds aren't affected by electric fence as they need to be earthing it - ie standing on the ground to get a shock. Hedgehogs however are - I've had 2 stuck in my fence.

[vixfinn]

Aah! I guess the dog would be toast too then!! So the electric fence would be just a fence for me and I would need to build them a covered run for when I'm not at home. So really it's a "worn" coop and an automatic door opener thats of any value to me as the feeders are the plastic ones.
I think I'm sounding a tad ungrateful for the offer Just trying not to make any rash decisions! Thanks for all your advice, I will explain this to them and if it's a question of rehoming their hens with the coop supplied I'd be willing to do that but for far less money.

[Suechooks]

Your dog would only touch it once! It'd have the same effect as it does with foxes and rabbits and be an active deterrent as it is if you accidently get hold of it! I think the trouble with hedgehogs is their spines get caught and they then curl up round the fence. Some of my Warrens put their heads through it one day - they were fine but they've never done it again! btw The netting on its own is about £90 for the 50m length and around £70 ish for the 25m retail/new. The door openers are around £100.
Hope you get sorted out!

[Nicos]

Early birthday pressies for you and OH????...my electric fencing was a joint birthday gift.
Just a thought

good luck

[BUFFS]

even if you end up paying more than you wanted,if the birds are fine and the coop in reasonable condition,dust and worm,delouse coop and as nicos said treat it as a pressy,or even better,look on it as an investment,an improvement to your life,with the chooks bringing a smile to your face,whether they are laying or not,they are better than any tablet at cheering up your moods,after a heavy day,half an hour of watching them will lift you,then you can go and have your eggs and soldiers...magic....

[sheena]

Agreeing with Sue about the fence, dog's are stupid (well mine are )if they get a shock once, they should never get that close again. Good deterant for foxes, depends on how high off the ground you have it. I think I saw somewhere about it being kept about a foot of the floor, but don't quote me on that. No hedgehog's to rescue and foxes shouldn't be able to get under it either.

Don't be deceived by the plastic feeders and drinkers. You're still talking best part of a tenner each for a good size... each!!! As I said before... might not seem much when getting a single item, but add it all up.

Now back to the task in hand, they dropped to £200 without any prompting?? Looks like they deffo want to rid themselves.
Chickens can go on laying for some years, ex-batts too, and can live to a fruitful age as seen recently with a 13yr old hen. Someone else will hopefully confirm just how long, my ex-batts are approaching 2 1/2 years and still laying (guessing they were around 18mths when rehomed with me).

I dunno, I think I would try not to show how enthusiastic I was about keeping chooks and kinda umm and ahhh a little about it. Try to make it look like you aren't in no hurry for them, and that you don't mind waiting. You never know, you may get them for a steal... but at the same time this could backfire.

£150? Maybe... at a push, £125..... Ohh that's half the price we started with!!! Go for it

[Hilary B]

I'd try for £150, on the basis that you would need the 'unit' for the fencing (if it is possible to use a mains powered one, that is worth it. The actual fence should be the same either way). If you do use a battery fencer unit, you really need some way of powering it when the 'proper' battery is charging.
If they sold it all on e-bay (just the kit without the birds) they would quite likely only get £100, and the hens really don't have much sale value.

[vixfinn]

Well I took the bull by the horns and emailed her. Explained that £200 was a lot more than I was able to pay but appreciated that the equipment alone was no doubt worth it. Said I would have loved to have been able to rehome them so if they have no luck getting the price they want elsewhere before they move then I'd be willing to "foster" the hens until they decided what to do. Had a reply and she says she understands and that she wouldn't have paid that much new or secondhand but hubby went a bit mad for them! They will keep me in mind. I'm still in with a chance but I think it's really hubby's chickens They don't have to move for 6 weeks now so I will wait and see.
Cheers for the advice, I will get me some chickens soon either way

[sheena]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you x

[vixfinn]

Just a quick update, I have been offered the 7 hens and coop for nothing as the husband just wants them to have a good home! I assume he will try and sell the fence and door opener to "re-coop" some of his outlay. It's been a while since I was contemplating the whole adopting the hens stuff and Mr Finn has almost finished my coop made of pallets (despite having a bout of pleurisy, Bless). Oh what to do??

[sheena]

Go for it, 2 coops are better than one.
You can always use either one as a broody coop should you wish to go down that route.

Bite he's hand off, you can open and shut the door at night, and get your hubby to take a pee in the garden for a while (supposed to deter foxes).

[auntsally]

hi only just noticed your thread, sounds like a good deal to me, my hen house and run are still sitting flat packed in the shed waiting for OH to construct it for me, I am also having the what breed dilemma but if that was taken out of my hands I would be thrilled, are you getting the chickens for the sheer pleasure of getting chickens, for the evenings you will be sitting watching, talking to them, and unwinding after a manic day or are you wanting eggs, if its eggs you are wanting these girls don't seem for you but if its the first option go for it no more dithers...

[vixfinn]

OH says he's only too happy to pee in the garden Sheena ! His concern is the amount of chickens and their age. We were planning on 4 at POL. Also he's now saying as he's been offered a job in Stratford Upon Avon who would look after them every other weekend when the kids and I go up to visit?
I don't see how 7 or 4 chooks would make any difference to that query, I'm sure I can find someone to pop over, let them out and feed them etc.
Eggs would be good Auntsally, was hoping they would pay for themselves in my dreamworld They're still laying albeit slowing down. I think 4 a day between them will be more than enough for the time being. They've been brought up with children too on the plus side.

[sheena]

I wish I lived closer to you, I would gladly look after them for you.

One day I will get a home down that way, but not for the moment. Gotta off load the kid's first.

4 eggs a day is a great start, although for the amount of chooks not that great, but I get 4/5 eggs a day from 8 and they all ex-batts too.
I did struggle to find ways to use them at first, until I started selling them and now I can't keep up with the demand. But they do pay for themselves 4 fold.

I just look at it as another pet in the house, with the added bonus of eggs.
Paying £12 a fortnight for dog food and only getting dog poo in return is disheartening, but when I pay £7 odd for a bag of chook pellets which lasts me best part of a month, I get that back in a week from selling them.

[Hilary B]

With a good set-up chooks need very little 'everyday' care, so finding a willing neighbour is unlikely to be difficult (presumably your chook-sitter will get whatever eggs are laid during their time in charge, so you may have a queue).