Just wondering how many on here keep chickens. I've just started keeping them and they are fascinating creatures.
I'm sure I've read other posting re chickens but just not sure.
Anndee

Yes
2 Chickens, 3 ducks.
soon to add 3 ex battery hens as well :) :) :)
Very fascinating, and we dont throw half as much food in the bin!!!!!! Ie peelings etc :)
Lea :)

Just wondering how many on here keep chickens

lots of us! I have 14 plus an Indian runner duck--dutch bantams, silkies, Welsummers and light sussex.

Yep My Daughter and Her chap have ex-battery chickens here...they're doing really well bless 'em....and I agree...are totally fascinating....! :)

we've got 3 rhone island red/sussex crosses.....agree they are great characters but they are mega messy, I spend much more time poop scooping them in the garden than I do the dogs!!!!

I love my chickens and am thinking of adding a couple of ducks

have a fair few as breed show ones.
keep serama, naked necks and a couple of ducks.  lovely creatures.

Its lovely to hear from you all with chicks.
I have 4 bantams. we rescued our little lemon cuckoo Pekin boy 6 weeks ago, he's now 12 weeks old and last week we got 3 girls for him. 2 more Pekins one black, only about 6 weeks old and one a pheasanty marked chesnut colour and a buff laced Wyandotte bantam both 16 weeks old. so quite a mixed bunch agewise.
I must agree with Penfold they are really messy!!! I spend more time poo picking up with them then I ever do with the dogs.
I bought a little grout brush from Asda for £1 and scoop it up into a plastic hand shovel pop it into a bucket with water in and am waiting for it to rot down for manure for the plants.

ho Norman, my lesson from ducks (I had 2 call ducks and still have my Indian runner) is that it is impossible to underestimate how dirty they are. I had water troughs out for the hens and the ducks would jump right in there as soon as I brought fresh water :-(, the lined pond I made for them (10' x 6') has to be dredged twice a year and the effluent cannot be used on anything in that state unless you want champion nettles. Ideally they need running water, e.g. a pond with inflow and outflow and a lot more space than you'd need for hens. Having said that the hens get on well with the duck--I got him as a tiny left over orphan from a poultry auction and couldn't bear the thought that he wouldn't survive, now he's a lovely lad, still very shy despite being hand reared though.

Will carry on thinking about it a while then thanks JAY15

I just love my chickens! :)  We started with 5 Pekin Bantams in March, now up 11 adults & 18 chicks all of various colours (black, silver partridge, gold partridge, cuckoo, white lavender & some we don't know yet! *blush*!  We're lucky we've a massive area for them and they can be so funny to watch, proper little characters!  Couldn't be without them now!

I have chickens and ducks had them for over 50 years (not the same ones) also have ducks. Lost a lot to the fox in the summer they have 3 acres to roam, if its wet and they hear the front door they all rush under the canopy. I can't get about much but they give so much pleasure

and we dont throw half as much food in the bin!!!!!! Ie peelings etc

my friend who keeps them on her alloment said you cant feed kitchen scraps anymore. anything in the kitchen is out of bounds? dont know how they police that though

I saw some lovely chickens at Mid Somerset show...I think they were silver pencilled wyandottes...hoping when we move to get about 3 not sure what they will be yet though..had Maran bantams & light sussex  long time ago when were were on the farm.

I have nine hens now and wouldn't be without them, one of my new ones has started laying very pretty green eggs.

>my friend who keeps them on her alloment said you cant feed kitchen scraps anymore. anything in the kitchen is out of bounds? dont know how they police that though

I'm afraid it's true.  Believe me, I have sent out Animal Health Officers many a time - even to see if a pet pig gets cabbage leaves/peelings etc. 

It is against the law to feed kitchen scraps to poultry or pigs.  Honestly!  DEFRA carry out random checks.  Up to £20,000 fine if caught. 

Legislation is exactly that.  :-(   I can remember a certain well known chef writing an article about his pig being fed peelings, and a government official reading that newspaper.

Where is that embarrassed smiley with the red face?

>> my friend who keeps them on her alloment said you cant feed kitchen scraps anymore. anything in the kitchen is out of bounds? dont know how they police that though
> I'm afraid it's true.  Believe me, I have sent out Animal Health Officers many a time - even to see if a pet pig gets cabbage leaves/peelings etc. 
>
> It is against the law to feed kitchen scraps to poultry or pigs.  Honestly!  DEFRA carry out random checks.  Up to £20,000 fine if caught. 
>
> Legislation is exactly that.  :-(   I can remember a certain well known chef writing an article about his pig being fed peelings, and a government official reading that newspaper.
>
> Where is that embarrassed smiley with the red face?

World gone mad in my opinion...obviously the main feed should be proper food but our chix were always given scraps back in the 80's/90's.

I didn't know that JeanSW...I suppose it applies to everyone and not just those who are registered with DEFRA (those with more than 50 chooks iirc) :-(

it applies to everyone.  chickens may be kept as pets but their status is farm animal not companion pet so regualtions should be followed
to be fair it is for safety and for economic reasons as diseases can spread with unsuitable feeding- ie foot and mouth with inadequatly boiled contaminated food waste fed to pigs

saying that when you see some of the things they grab and eat of their own choosing you wonder why anyone bothers! mice and frogs are very popular and a friends birds had to have a pigeon rescued off them as they were doing their best to kill that

mice and frogs are very popular

Yes, very true, I have seen one of my girls scoop up mouse du jour, no messing.

yep we keep chickens - we have 15 hybrids and one call duck ( the fox killed the other ducks ) - love my chooks !

Yvonne

Hopefully as soon as the house issold and wefind somewhere with space we will have some chickens and I can't wait.

I have a client who has 3 exbats and 2 pedigree chickens(sorry can't remember breed) they have an abundant supply of eggs and I get halfa dozen fromher from time to time and they taste excellent!! I would love some ex bats to look after. And maybe a coupleof indian runners forthe dogs to herd up!! Although sheep are my true intention.

As for the DEFRA bit sounds mad!! Its recycling surely?! I suppose it's done from a hygiene point of view so is understandable.

We have 4 2 speckledy/maran type and 2 light sussex wont get sussex again there ok but the speckledys are much calmer and laid back easier to handle and have started laying where the sussex havent. bit fiesty too could see issues if we didnt have a big enough space.

I have 6 ex batts and we call them the chicken mafia. The dogs are terrified of them. They are very messy and have to clean up there poop every day and pressure wash the patio where they gather to stare in. I have had to put a baby gate across the french doors as they kept coming in.

I would have Sussex again, I found them to be quite easy going, wouldn't have Maran's again though, total pains in the butt, so noisy.

We have one hen that comes in the house first chance she can get, thankfully she's used to being indoors now so she doesn't poop all over the place, I think she'd be quite happy to move in permanently if I let her, she does freak the dogs out a bit though, you'd think that between them one Tibetan Mastiff and two Staffies would be able to keep one hen out of the house...useless lol.

I have my birds in an allotment across the back street, and in the days when they used to be able to escape from the pen I'd find occasionally the more extrovert of the hens sitting in the back yard, wondering where breakfast was. The kitchen door is hald glass and on the other side of it were the dogs, one of whom was definitely counting on a chicken breakfast if only he could get out there. I love the way the birds come to visit, they are so inquisitive and clever.