chickens not kept well ....advice please

[Cornish Pixie]

Hi all, I dont know much about chickens but a lady on our allotment site has at least 12 in a very small space. Thier house is ok and kept fairly clean but the outside run is discusting. The hens are sinking into the mud and poo, drinking out of dirty water holders and thier feathers are getting muddy. they are never mucked out and I have never smelt anything like it - its really bad! Should I do something about it or just leve her to it? Any help on how many chickens in how big a run?

[RichmondHens]

Sounds horrible and if the chickens have been like that for long I'm amazed they are still alive and haven't dropped dead from coccidiosis or other disease.

Perhaps you can get the RSPCA to check them out. Don't know how effective it will be but worth at least getting their attention. Also if it is very smelly maybe the Environmental Health Officer should come and have a look too.

I believe the minimum recommendation of space per bird is 1 sq metre, which is still not enough, in my opinion.

[Cornish Pixie]

Thankyou. They certainly havent got that amount of space! She also sells the eggs as free range!

[squibbs]

Thankyou. They certainly havent got that amount of space! She also sells the eggs as free range!

I would go with environmental health - RSPCA have no powers other than turning up in a smart uniform and looking officious.

If you are sure they don't meet the free range standard (and they arent as generous as you'd think) then you can contact either trading standards or the Egg Marketing Inspector, the latter has a lot of powers and can send scary letters to owners of chickens (regardless of the number of birds)

[Allotment Nerd]

Hi,

Just a point on the lady selling eggs. I was informed from my allotment rep that you weren't aloud to sell produce..even eggs, from your allotment. Don't know if this is the case else where.

[rustylady]

Hi,

Just a point on the lady selling eggs. I was informed from my allotment rep that you weren't aloud to sell produce..even eggs, from your allotment. Don't know if this is the case else where.

You aren't supposed to sell any of your produce, but you can swap stuff with people or give it away. As well as contacting Environmental Health re the condition of the chickens, your allotment committee should be made aware.

[Suechooks]

If your site is council run they will have an Animal Welfare officer who should be able to sort the problem. Our sites are run by our local council and any concerns the allotment officer refers to the animal welfare who come out and inspect. Most don't know much about chooks so its best if you can gather as much info as you can to give them. Clean water and shelter and food come under the animal welfare act so should be actionable.

[petal]

surely a warning from the RSPCA would make her get her act together. the fact she knows she is being watched will surely sort her out.

[Thekayakcoach]

Only a week or two ago someone on the vine was very upset because someone that didn't understand chickens contacted someone (im guessing the Environmental Health) and she had to have an inspection. Everyone on the vine got very upset about this person not speaking to the chicken keeper directly perticularly as the person making the complaint didn't understand chicken keeping.

It is my understanding that the legal minimum floor space for a chicken is the size of a tabloid newspaper. As it has been raining everywhere for the last few weeks if the chickens dont have a roof above them then they will be in a muddy mess with mud over there feathers.

Now please dont misunderstand me, I am not in support of mistreating animals. Im just thinking, are they living in conditions that are unacceptable?

Do we need to run straight to the RSPCA?

Should we not find out some facts and maybe even talk to the chicken keeper before putting them through possibly a lot of worry and heartache?

Just my thoughts....

[Snadger]

Only a week or two ago someone on the vine was very upset because someone that didn't understand chickens contacted someone (im guessing the Environmental Health) and she had to have an inspection. Everyone on the vine got very upset about this person not speaking to the chicken keeper directly perticularly as the person making the complaint didn't understand chicken keeping.

It is my understanding that the legal minimum floor space for a chicken is the size of a tabloid newspaper. As it has been raining everywhere for the last few weeks if the chickens dont have a roof above them then they will be in a muddy mess with mud over there feathers.

Now please dont misunderstand me, I am not in support of mistreating animals. Im just thinking, are they living in conditions that are unacceptable?

Do we need to run straight to the RSPCA?

Should we not find out some facts and maybe even talk to the chicken keeper before putting them through possibly a lot of worry and heartache?

Just my thoughts....

Here,here.....

My chooks are well looked after, always have fresh water,plenty of food,cleaned out regularily,straw changed in nestboxes regularily,wormed etc etc. but........
Even though each chook area has a covered run, the uncovered area is like a quagmire with the rain we've had recently.
I intend covering ALL areas when the rain and wind goes down and I get some time to do it but I could understand a non chook keeper thinking they were mis treat..........not so!

[Liza]

Here,here.....

My chooks are well looked after, always have fresh water,plenty of food,cleaned out regularily,straw changed in nestboxes regularily,wormed etc etc. but........
Even though each chook area has a covered run, the uncovered area is like a quagmire with the rain we've had recently.
I intend covering ALL areas when the rain and wind goes down and I get some time to do it but I could understand a non chook keeper thinking they were mis treat..........not so!

Ditto that ! My covered area is fine, but the uncovered run is like a bog.

I had a word with the girls about getting dirty but do they listen ?

[RichmondHens]

What seems acceptable to some people is not acceptable to others. And among chicken keepers it is the same. I see chickens kept in all sorts of conditions which many people think is acceptable, though I do not. But if the chicken (or whatever animal it is) appears to be unhappy or suffering as a result of the conditions they are kept in, then someone somewhere needs to say or do something. It is sometimes difficult to approach the keeper in this situation, especially if they are neighbours or someone you know fairly well, hence the preference to use an intermediary like an EHO or RSPCA rep.

[pinkprincess]

we keep ex batts they have a big run in our garden, they did free range til the ate the veggie plots to pieces! Their house is clean and dry and they are loved but sometimes some of their outside space gets a bit swampy when it rains heavy. Anyway as long as it wasn't malicious then if someone in their opinion had a valid concern about our girls and called the officials in then although I'd be puzzled but I'd have nothing to hide so it wouldn't bother me.
We've had to call the RSPCA in due to a neighbour over breeding dogs and cats, and the conditions she kept them in but there was no way we could have spoken to her direct as she didn't see it as a problem and could get quite aggitated.

[di]

How awkward
I must admit the outside/uncovered bits of our runs have got quite nasty over the last week or so...we have lots of slabs and plan on slabbing a permanant area and sectioning off either two or three runs so each gets a bit of a rest.....but that's slightly off track
I think I'd chat to the lottie secretary first,perhaps they'd feel more able to approach the owners and suggest that changes need to be made for the sake of the chooks health.

[binley100]

There's one guy who keeps chooks at our site, not seen his runs cos our plots all have hedges round them . But they stink , and it is difficult to broach the subject. "'scuse me but your chooks smell " doesn't really work. I did say to his mate once when I got out the car (it's next to the carpark ) "what's that disgusting smell ?" an awkward situation you have there.........