Chickens

We had chickens for years in the back garden, the only thing we have in the local authority rules in no cockerels.

We used to give our neighbor eggs regularly as we had that many.

The only problem we have with rats is the ones that live under next doors decking, they regularly leave left over food out for the birds (the neighbors not the rats) so the rats have a nice supply of food.
 
I was expecting a vowel change rather than a tale of theft!
 
Just as an update, we haven't heard a peep out of them yet, but how is this for random......

We currently have a small black hen in our garage! She was wandering around the drive all day yesterday, so I checked with the neighbour who said no, she's not one of his, and he didn't want to take her as she might have some mites and / disease that could affect his other birds (fair enough). So I lured her into the garage with a bit of bird corn and called the RSPCA. She's been in there all night with food & water and was happy enough this morning. RSPCA are collecting her later today. :)
 
The RSPCA have been and collected her :'( She was a rather cute Orpington Black and I had already named her Colonel Cluck :lol:

It's a good job they came to get her though as I was pricing up coops!
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
That is weird... or your neighbour is very smart and sussed you as a potential allie and is softening you up ;) ... ring the RSPCA a in a few days and see if anyone claims it....like you neighbour.
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Excellent point. Shall have to keep an eye out and see if a black hen makes an appearance in his run. :suspect:
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
:D :thumbs:

Did you fill in the markings and colour cards and note the slight difference ... one black chicken is much like another...
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Be pretty easy. He currently has noo black chooks :lol:
 
I would be with you Viv, definitely wait and see, perhaps mention to him that your aren't concerned about the hens per se, assuming they settle nicely, but you would be bothered if the hormone fuelled one starts shouting about himself at silly hours.

Mind you, I have wanted chickens for years, we use tonnes of eggs, but more than that, I would so love to annoy a select few of our neighbours with a hand made crooked wooden sign in the front garden proclaiming fresh eggs :lol: [rebel or what?!?!]

I would LOVE our neighbours over the back to swap their 16yr old drum playing son in his garden shed [which is closer to our house than theirs] for a chicken coop, cockerel and all to be honest :bang:
 
It's true. My garage is empty...my little Colonel Cluck is gone. The RSPCA are too efficient.
I had such a nice coop picked out :(
 
Hi Ruth we also have chickens at home right next to my two year old sons window, would not know they where there, we did have a cockerel once and he would go for it especially if there was another one in the area, so if you are standing out in your garden and its calm and you can hear another cockerel in the distance then you will speaking from experience have a crowing cockerel next door, he will also crow but not as often, i find it very pleasant ti wake up to in the mornings don't miss sunrise then for shooting landscapes, hope this makes sense lol
 
kevin obrian said:
Hi Ruth we also have chickens at home right next to my two year old sons window, would not know they where there, we did have a cockerel once and he would go for it especially if there was another one in the area, so if you are standing out in your garden and its calm and you can hear another cockerel in the distance then you will speaking from experience have a crowing cockerel next door, he will also crow but not as often, i find it very pleasant ti wake up to in the mornings don't miss sunrise then for shooting landscapes, hope this makes sense lol
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Thanks Kevin. We still haven't really heard a peep out of them :D
 
we are currently in the process of having chickens.. this is how it is as of end of today..

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am now waiting for mesh to arrive for the security perimeter, the garden centre/diy places prices were through the roof so the web it was.. they will free range best part of the day (I mainly work from home and wife only does 4-8pm)..

I am making out to the missus I am 'doing it for her' but secretly I am looking forward to it.. :)
 
Love it David....and jealous :lol:
We still rarely hear the neighbours chooks....but the eggs are lovely!
 
Chickens today, pigs and cows tomorrow. And I know from a past traumatic experience that the latter can keep you up all night farting.

Nip it in the bud!

edited to say - except it's no longer a bud as it's an old thread....duh. Cows still fart though.
 
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Spuff said:
Chickens today, pigs and cows tomorrow. And I know from a past traumatic experience that the latter can keep you up all night farting.

Nip it in the bud!

edited to say - except it's no longer a bud as it's an old thread....duh. Cows still fart though.
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Old thread, but the coop above is brand spankin new :D
 
Tigger.ufo said:
If it is stipulated in the purchase paperwork then there can be no arguing about it and they will have to go.
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Why? Who is going to enforce it?

As an ex keeper of chickens, I would only insist on the rooster going. A few years ago we had two young roosters which we thought were hens. When one started crowing we got rid of it... then the other one started so he had to go too.

I don't think a few hens are going to be of any bother to neighbours though.


Steve.
 
So when do the chooks arrive????? :D
 
I know nothing about chickens apart from they taste good. Is there enough room in that place for them to run around or what ever it is chickens do? Or do they prefer to be more closed in because it makes them feel safer etc.
 
pepi1967 said:
Or do they prefer to be more closed in because it makes them feel safer etc.
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exactly that, the flat pack section in the photo is a coop and run all in one and is good for 5 mediums, I wasn't convinced and wanted to buy bigger but all the advice from various pet places was no, we are getting 4 bantams but might have to get more if they are not happy.. they will have the run of the whole garden when we are home(which is most of the time).. if I had known I was going to do such a good job on the enclosure I would have just got a hen house but ho hum I could always convert I guess.
 
strumstrum said:
exactly that, the flat pack section in the photo is a coop and run all in one and is good for 5 mediums, I wasn't convinced and wanted to buy bigger but all the advice from various pet places was no, we are getting 4 bantams but might have to get more if they are not happy.. they will have the run of the whole garden when we are home(which is most of the time).. if I had known I was going to do such a good job on the enclosure I would have just got a hen house but ho hum I could always convert I guess.
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Well you obviously know what your doing I know a few people on here have or have had chickens etc so you will have to keep us up to date and post a few photos:thumbs:
 
Sorry to slightly hijack this thread. But we are thinking of keeping a few chickens in our garden.

My main concern is that there are a lot of cats around our neighbourhood and quite of few of them pass though our garden. We also have three of our own cats. Only one of them is a hunter and she has never brought home anything bigger than mice and baby birds. There are also definitely foxes which pass through our garden. I have assumed that we would be ok as long as the chickens are locked up safe at night?
 
PatrickO said:
There are also definitely foxes which pass through our garden. I have assumed that we would be ok as long as the chickens are locked up safe at night?
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foxes are the killer and will do just about anything to get the chicken so what you might think is secure will not be, I have used 3 gauge heavier mesh than what is classed as fox proof.. it should also be buried 2 ft down, I have not been able to do this because the area is a hardcore base which I am hoping is going to help but the wire is sort of buried, then I am putting very heavy concrete blocks from an old greenhouse base around the perimeter..

hopefully I would have done enough, we have a jack russell and she is a superb alarm, one trick we have been told is to walk her around the cage at dusk and the scent will warn foxes off..

foxes are my primary worry.
 
Our cat is a fine huntress (or as we call her an evil little murderess!!!) and always has been. Mum and Dad had her before us and didn't have a collar and bells on her so her hunting was rather more successful than it is now! While with them, she used to bring in all sorts, from tits to pidgeons and voles to rabbits (via squirrels). There was a flock of Guinea Fowl and a few chickens running loose in the field beside the house and she took absolutely no notice of them whatsoever, although she did hunt in that field regularly.

Of course, other cats may have different tastes - it's entirely possible that ours didn't see them as enough of a challenge. Oddly, the local foxes also seemed to ignore the free range fowl, despite being seen frequently (on an almost daily basis) in the field.
 
PatrickO said:
My main concern is that there are a lot of cats around our neighbourhood and quite of few of them pass though our garden. We also have three of our own cats. Only one of them is a hunter and she has never brought home anything bigger than mice and baby birds. There are also definitely foxes which pass through our garden. I have assumed that we would be ok as long as the chickens are locked up safe at night?
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The chickens will chase the cats away. You need to keep them safe from foxes though, especially in towns as town foxes are more daring than country foxes.


Steve.
 
For cats and foxes, have an electric fence, however "good" you think your security is........sheep netting is fine!
 
This thread had reminded me of an old cartoon I did a few years ago:

showoffchicken_zps5cd34c41.jpg


Funny I've stumbled across this thread as it was only earlier on this morning that my Facebook Cloud Master weather forecast page has been full of chicken talk. Must be us yearning for proper spring weather to arrive.

PS: I don't own chickens.
 
Ian D J said:
This thread had reminded me of an old cartoon I did a few years ago:

showoffchicken_zps5cd34c41.jpg


Funny I've stumbled across this thread as it was only earlier on this morning that my Facebook Cloud Master weather forecast page has been full of chicken talk. Must be us yearning for proper spring weather to arrive.

PS: I don't own chickens.
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Pure class......That's so funny.
 
You really need some straw (or leaves) in that run, or it'll rapidly get "fowl sick" (a build up of worms and other pests), and your eggs will be mucky - regularly top it up, and every once in a while, muck it out and compost it.... Hens are naturally woodland birds, and they like something to "rootle" through
 
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