Does anyone on here keep chickens? I am looking for advice on care of them.

There are a lot of foxes around us.

We are thinking of getting 4 chickens as both me and OH like them and had them as children. Now we have re-arrange the kennels outside we have an area for them.

The fence around 3 sides of the run is wire that goes into the ground (the previous people kept ducks) and the fourth side (which has the gate in) opens onto our garden which is chain-lik on a post and rail fence.

We know we have to increase the height of the chicken fence to prevent escape or unwanted visitor;-)

What is holding us back is shutting them in at night. We have a suitible shed that can have perches and boxes in no problem, but if we were away (say, at a dog show:D) do the chickens HAVE to be shut in? From what i remeber thay will go in at dusk by themselves anyway but would a fox get in? I reason that if a fox can't get in in the day how could he get in at night but perhaps you have ideas.

The rest of the time we would be here to shut them in, it's just if we weren't here at dusk.

Also any ideas on the best breed to go for? we aren't going to have a cockeral we just want some pets that the children can enjoy as well.

Chickens will naturally go in at dusk, but the pophole will need to be closed to keep them safe. Also foxes are around well before dusk, especially in the summer when the evenings are light for so long.

To be sure that your birds are safe you really need a totally enclosed run with a secure roof as well as sides - foxes can scale six-foot wire mesh without problems.

As for breeds - do you want them for eggs or for pets? Chicken farms have to change their birds every year (selling eggs from birds over a year old is apparently illegal! ) and they have several more egg-laying years left. Thene there are many other breeds for different coloured eggshells - some lay eggs that look like milk chocolate, and some lay green or blue eggs! Bantams are fun for children, being smaller. There's enormous choice, but you're right to avoid having a cockerel, despite how handsome they are!

So what you're saying is that they need to be shut in. This is kinda what we thought and why we haven't already got them! The foxes around here are quite cheeky and walk about in broad daylight wich sends the dogs mad!

If the run was roofed though could we leave the pophole open on the occasions we were away? (we only rarely go away) as i said, if a fox can't get in, he can't get in surely

Regards breeds, i don't like bantams, so they are out. We would like eggs from them but looking for 'temperent' as much as anything. Quiet nature and easy to tame.

< right to avoid cockerals despite how handsome they are >

How true in all walks of life;-) :D

Can I ask what you have against bantams?

I keep Pekin bantams (as well as an old sebright and 3 ducks) and they are the friendliest birds you could ever hope to meet, even the cockerel. They have a reputation as being very docile and enjoy being handled, ideal I would have thought with children.

The easiest hens to catch (in that they squat down when you touch them rather than legging it!) and handle are commercial breeds. It sounds as though rescuing a few from a chicken farm would be the way for you to go. :)

Remember there are bantam versions of many breeds of chicken - the same look, just in a smaller package! :D

Just personal preference as far as bantams go. i like 'big' chickens thats all. OH likes them but doesn't mind any really.

i shall look out for chicken farms then! I was going to get them from some people that advertise in the local paper saying,

Free Range
Over year hens, vaccinated, £1

would this be the chicken farms then?

also, (sorry to go on but i have lots of questions and don't know any 'chicken people'!)

what about rats? OH says that chickens attract rats, but someone else said that if you only feed corn and layers pellets in the house, and put greens in the run you shouldn't get them. Is this right?

The chicken run will be near the kennel and run for the dogs where the puppies go for exercise in the daytime.Obviously we don't want rats near the pups.

Yep, those 'over year' hens sound just the thing. :)

Rats - basically, if you have livestock which get fed outside you're going to get rats - even putting birdfood on a birdtable (or dog biscuits or bones in a kennel run) is enough. Poultry and rats go together I'm afraid.

I've been putting a positive spin on it to OH by saying that we dooooo have 4 cats, so perhaps they could stop killing rabbits long enough to kill some rats instead. but he pointed out that if a fox cant get to the run, the cats wont, and he thought that the cats may switch from rabbit to chicken anyway *gulp*!!:D

perhaps chickens aren't such a good idea after alll.....

but i like them, i want them wrestling with heart and head here i'm afraid. I really want chickens as i loved looking after them when i was younger,but after speaking on here and the various points raised i think i have to be sensible not someting i do very often, granted but the worst thing is, OH has been right oh no, not again!!:D :D

why do they keep advertising in the paper? and right next to the dog section :rolleyes: people will want to buy them if they keep putting them in there :D

quick, someone tell me that having chickens is fine, everything will be great, no rats or foxes. it doesn't matter if you are away and can't shut them in and they are soooo funny and cute and soft and fluffy and the children want them......

i'm going now!

*heart,listening to head*

Having chickens is fine! You probably have rats nearby if you have a compost heap or veg garden or binsacks with kitchen waste or even dog poo left out! Just think - fresh eggs which you know aren't full of antibiotics and colourants and the chickens have had room to scratch about and flap and have happy lives ...
;) :D

Great, thank you JG!

i will go home and say to OH, 'JG says it's fine, we already have rats and we need to rescue the poor things'!! he will surely go for it!! :D

(he has already said that he will do the run as though we are going to have chickens, and convert the shed, before we make a decision, so i don't think it will be long be for we hear the cluck of new additions!!) ;-) he he he :D

>'JG says it's fine, we already have rats and we need to rescue the poor things'!

Yeah, that's a winner for sure! :D :D :D

I've kept chickens for years, and they make great pets they have their own personality.  They do ideally need locking up at night but i've not always been able to do so and they have luckly been fine, i have always kept free range so they haven't even been pened in.  If you after large chickens Buff obingtons (not sure if thats how you spell it) are nice, warrens and marrons, red rocks and leghorns are good for laying, most chickens will become friendly if not already, i've had ex-battery hens too, i had one that was totally bold, called her plucky.  I would say if you have neighbours don't have a cockerel it can cause upset.  I did have one hen that started crowing for the short period i didn't have one. I love chickens would recomend them they are great, they can live for ten years thought so bear that in mind.

Hmmmm, touchy subject at present!!! We have had hens all my life......they must be shut in at night. if you have to be out at dusk & cant get back then you either risk it or get someone to shut them infor you. They are a major commitment.(unless you wish to keep them in a run which to my way of thinking is not very nice for them) In the last couple of months we have had MAJOR fox/badger problems and have shot 4 foxes in our garden in last 2 weeks, through the kitchen window!!! At one point we were witnessing a fox coming into our garden whilst 9 hounds were there & attacking our geese. Last week one came into our garden and snatched 2 hens off their perches just before dark before we locked them in  The next night she came back & tried to rip the broody-coop roof off to get into the broody hens. She managed to chew through a piece of quarter inch plywood to get to them. Last night we caught a badger doing the same & he was more successful with his powerful jaws.  Needless to say, tonight wil be another sleepless one with the gun, a pheasant on a long piece of string and a powerful lamp!!  As for breeds, a nice quiet docile breed and BIG is the buff orpington, which we breed. they are wonderful lumbering birds but lay pretty well. If you want egg factories then get commercial hybrids such as ex battery.

I love our chickens (well our surrogate chickens in our care whilst neighbours live elsewhere for a year or so).  I wouldn't risk leaving them out at night and two of them like to roost up high rather than in the coop so every night we scoop them off the top of the compost bins!  Ideal excuse for a cuddle!

The eggs are out of this world and I would struggle to go back to supermarket eggs, even free range ones.  We do get rats but also have a cat who takes care of the occasional one!  Chickens, dogs and cat get on just fine.

I've always wanted chickens! because theyre cute and i love fresh eggs. maybe you should look at this - http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?view=Chickens&about=foxproof%20run (sorry i cant do links) but i suppose you would only be able to keep like 2 chickens :( Looks so fun though!

This link may help as to suitable rarer breeds? http://www.thegardenhen.co.uk/

Thanks to all,

After speaking to OH and showing him this thread, we have decided to get 4 of the ones advertised in the paper. If we do ever go away we could maybe rope the neighbours into shutting the door. At least 4 of the poor things can have a nice life.
If we get really into it we could then look at breeds, but for now the commercial ones will be fine.

try www.practicalpoultry.com , their forum section will answer all your chicken questions :D - I keep Light Sussex ( docile, friendly good layers but need to have their wings clipped as they do love to try and fly over the fence) , Orpingtons - lovely BIG docile and easy, Cochins - ditto but with feathery feet ;) - Barbu Duccle and Dutch and Belgian Bantams - V pretty and good natured - I also have a Black rock - a chicken with attitude - a Brahma - the friendliest and biggest of the bunch - a couple of Silkies - Lovely, pretty, but boy do they go broody ! and a few Seabrights again beautiful feathering and easy to keep. Also have a couple of Call Ducks - now theres character LOL - such funny 'chatty' friendly creatures.

We do have foxes and always have to shut the chicks up at dusk - or in the case of the ducks chase them around a bit before they go in - particulalrly if it's raining when they think that it's just GREAT to waddle around in the dark with a demented mum traipsing after them.

You go for it - chickens are great and I would be without my brood :D :D

Yvonne

I work for a charity preserving traditional rare breeds which include poultry.
Have a look on our website for the rarer breeds. Not only are they great personalities, but also you'll be doing your bit to preserve these breeds from extinction. Give us a call at the office, there is always poultry experts around to help.  http://www.rbst.org.uk/watch-list/poultry.php

Thanks for all of your help. I didn't realise so many of you had chooks!

We are going to get the shed, (or should it now be, 'The Chicken House' ha ha!) sorted with perches and boxes and raise the height of the run, and then we will get some. By that time the puppies should be here so maybe we will wait until they are all sorted before adding some feathery friends ;-) but we will have then by the end of the summer i am [certain/b].  :D