Thinking of getting hens.

[Nicos]

If they are better for hatching, then they may be a breed which goes broody at the drop of a hat- or, they are old and stopping laying.
Think it'd be good to find out the gals' ages so you know what to expect.

[Darwin.]

I'll find out all on Friday. I talked to my brother this evening and he told me one of them was killed by something this morning, one went a while back so there's only one hen and a rooster. He's meant to be a lovely looking fella. As soon as the ban is lifted I can get one or two more to live with them before I even get my full set up sorted.

The rooster will be nice revenge on my neighbours with their noisy dogs.

[Nicos]

Just a thought Darwin...do you have council restrictions about keeping cockerels in a residential area?

[Darwin.]

I live out in the country, 2.5 mile from the nearest town, my garden is big enough (1 acre) There's a house either side of me and then it's all farms. There shouldn't be any restrictions out here.

[Nicos]

Brill!
Getting excited for you!

[Bigmallly]

Are you aware that the recommended ratio is 1 Cockerel to 6 Hens?

Basic Principles of Rearing and Management of Chickens

[Darwin.]

When I get set up fully I'll be getting 6 hens. The coop I want holds 8 so 6 or 7 and the rooster will do me nicely.

[veggiechicken]

Meanwhile, you'll have one hen and one cockerel
Ask your brother if he knows what killed the other hen yesterday and whether it was in with the cockerel at the time.

[Darwin.]

The one that died had its head twisted funny, that's all he said. They were all in together. Is it very bad the rooster only being with one or two hens? A lad 5 minutes over the road from me is selling some but I didnt want to take the chance until the ban had passed.

[d000hg]

This thread seems a good place to ask a real noob question or two... the place we're buying is in the country with about 1/2 acre of land. We've floated the idea of chickens although personally ducks are more appealing (anyone hear know about that?)

Do you have to have a coop/run proper or can you just let them wander wild with an open coop to sleep in? Are they a "flight risk" or will they roam around during the day but come back each night? I'm probably after the least effort, most freedom route where they do as they please and I nick the eggs

Side question... does anyone eat their chickens?

[Snadger]

5 minutes after I posted that I was offered free chickens. I think it's two hens and a rooster. I dont know what breed but I was told they have feathers all down their legs. I didn't want a rooster but they come as a package. There's a free coop too that can be moved about and it would do until I got a proper setup.

My brother has them so I know they've been kept inside. I can pick them up this weekend if I want.

When I get set up right I'll have a concrete kerb to stop anything getting ina under the fence and the run will be split, the smaller one will be covered on top but the bigger one won't.

Silkies are the commonest feathered leg type of banty hen. They go broody at the drop of a hat and are good mothers.
I used to have large fowl Faverolle which also have furry legs. There legs need to be kept dry as mud sticks to the feathers and apart from being unsightly, weighs them down.
You usually can't even give cockerels away, never mind sell them! Thats why most sellers sell trios (two hens and a cockerel) just to get rid of the cockerels.

[Darwin.]

Hopefully this works, this is the coop I'm getting. €179 for that and a starter pack. Should be coming this weekend but it'll be a while before I get the run set up.

[mrsbusy]

This thread seems a good place to ask a real noob question or two... the place we're buying is in the country with about 1/2 acre of land. We've floated the idea of chickens although personally ducks are more appealing (anyone hear know about that?)

Do you have to have a coop/run proper or can you just let them wander wild with an open coop to sleep in? Are they a "flight risk" or will they roam around during the day but come back each night? I'm probably after the least effort, most freedom route where they do as they please and I nick the eggs

Side question... does anyone eat their chickens?

Hens and ducks need to be properly looked after and kept safe from predators - mainly foxes. If you don't want to look after them they are not for you. Anyway you won't have them for very long and you won't get many eggs.

[Scarlet]

When I get set up fully I'll be getting 6 hens. The coop I want holds 8 so 6 or 7 and the rooster will do me nicely.

It takes quite awhile to integrate two flocks of chickens....you need separate runs, and run them sideby side for awhile, if they are older than the new ones you get in they can literally peck them to death. Personally I would hangfire and get them all at the same time, all the same age, point of lay so you aren't gettingin a "spent" hen that may cause you a lot of trouble in the long run.

[Scarlet]

A good walk around the garden today, there are three animal trails coming into it, at least one looks like fox tracks. I need to put up a fence roughly 60m long to make the back safe for chickens. The lawns are fine but I'd like them to have the run of the whole place.

I'll be sticking some bare root stuff behind it and there's some stuff planted along there already, mainly berry bushes and rosa rugosa. Eventually it'll be a full hedge for the full 60m but that won't really do a lot so I'll always keep a fence there too. It'll be expensive though, 60m of chicken wire + 20 or so fence posts.

A fence won't keep a fox out if there is a dinner the other side. They will scale a fence and jump down the other side or dig under. Electric fence is the only way we have managed to keep chickens on our plot. If you've a large plot, the fox will take his chances during the day.