View Full Version : Chickens
Bluepete
04-05-09, 07:26 PM
I'm really excited, you may laugh but I don't mind!
We've just ordered a chicken house. Four chickens will be taking up residence in the near future, two Speckledy and two Light Sussex. They will be living in the garden roaming around when possible, then in the coop overnight and in bad weather. Both breeds are prolific egg layers, so there may be the odd dozen going cheep!
We are going to name one each, so commedy ideas would be appreciated. My brother has some too, one is called Paula Radcliffe 'cos the day she arrived, she ran around the garden and crapped everywhere! The others are Foghorn and Leghorn.
Anyone else keeping chickens out there? Any tips?
Pete.
DarrenSV650S
04-05-09, 07:30 PM
Chicken fajitas?
Biker Biggles
04-05-09, 07:31 PM
Eggs going cheep?
Was that a joke or do you mean cheap?
As for names how about Bob and Crow?
timwilky
04-05-09, 07:35 PM
As a kid, I had a couple of bantams, strange thenI also had some BSA ones as well.
Dad mainly kept Rhodies
dizzyblonde
04-05-09, 07:36 PM
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=122914&highlight=chickens
I wrote a few posts in this thread. I've had a couple of mates that have chucks, they are ace. My best mate in France keeps them, and shes just had her born first chick.
edit, noticed you asked about em then too ;-)
All I'd say is as long as you've plenty of room in your garden you shouldn't have a problem. they just love scratching up gardens, and digging themselves ditches to sleep in the shade under your plants :-).
Oh and they like any scraps of spare veg you may like to throw out, along with rock hard baguettes
Mrs Blue Pete
04-05-09, 07:46 PM
As for names how about Bob?
Nah, can't be Bob. That's my nickname! :lol:
Bluepete
04-05-09, 07:47 PM
I forgot all about that thread Dizz, although thinking back, that was the catalyst that lead us to today's purchse.
Kids are over the moon but are a bit dissapointed, the birds are only coming after our summer holiday, late July.
pencil shavings
04-05-09, 07:51 PM
wooooo!!
i used to keep chickens! :) I had 3 in an eglu. One of which I found on the side of the road!! :)
make sure you clip their wings and all the basic housing requirments. dont lets the eat meat and give them a varied diet.
handle them lots and they will enjoy it and get used to it.
they are very fun cute animals, I cant wait to get more! :)
oh and make sure you lock them up every night or the foxes WILL get them :(
dizzyblonde
04-05-09, 07:51 PM
aww no fair. One thing your kids will love, is when the chucks get used to your voices they come running to greet you clucking.
Nah, can't be Bob. That's my nickname! :lol:
Well then .. errr Bob...
in the army thats short / code for ...
dare I say it...
Bird Or Bloke...!
runs and hides....
Damn Pete knows where I live....
Mrs Blue Pete
04-05-09, 08:06 PM
Well Richie, I do have a very short hair cut and my mum said that I looked like a lesbian when I first had it done. I found it really funny cos I was six months pregnant at the time!! Needless to say she's had planty of time to get used to it and now likes it.
But I digress...
I am MOST CERTAINLY a Bird!! (And yes, I know...this thread is useless without photos...) :D
davepreston
04-05-09, 08:14 PM
richie these i think you'd agree with
dorice, jack,rupert,tom
pete these for you
tom,john,nick,paddy
universal translator please :)
Speedy Claire
04-05-09, 08:18 PM
Good luck with the laying, i`ll be first in the queue to buy a dozen :smt041
Bluepete
04-05-09, 08:20 PM
Right-oh Claire!
Oh and thanks for the "Good luck with the laying" Val says thanks too, last time was embarrassing for both of us...............
Pete ;)
Speedy Claire
04-05-09, 08:23 PM
Right-oh Claire!
Oh and thanks for the "Good luck with the laying" Val says thanks too, last time was embarrassing for both of us...............
Pete ;)
pmsl :smt081
dizzyblonde
04-05-09, 08:24 PM
If chucks are happy, they'll lay. Just don't expect anything at first. Takes a while for em to settle. . . . a bit flighty!!
I'll get me coat :-)
had a spell of looking after 1000's of the blighter's... chickens are cool..
keep an eye out for rats taking up residence in the coop...
try your local chicken farm for a supply of sawdust... usually come in a big bale wrapped in plastic...
dizzyblonde
04-05-09, 08:41 PM
keep an eye out for rats taking up residence in the coop...
..
or indeed if you keep chicken feed in bins in an outhouse...mice!
Bluepete
04-05-09, 08:44 PM
keep an eye out for rats taking up residence in the coop...
try your local chicken farm for a supply of sawdust... usually come in a big bale wrapped in plastic...
Good ideas! I'll get a metal bin for the food. We are thinking of bark chips for the floor material. Then we can scatter food into it for them to scratch for. Straw in the nest boxes.
Plus, I have an air rifle, rats make good moving targets......
Pete
Bluefish
04-05-09, 08:56 PM
good stuff, we looked into getting chucks but decided our garden was a bit too small, will have to wait untill we move to our farmhouse, lottery win presumed of course. what type of hen house have you gone for?.
Bluepete
04-05-09, 09:04 PM
This one (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hen-Chicken-Poultry-Coop-House-Run-great-quality-CC047_W0QQitemZ290311876698QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_P et_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item290311876698&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1686%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A2%7C 240%3A1308%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A24)
I know it isn't the cheapest, but I didn't want to build one and it fits the spot we chose perfectly. It should be a luxurious size for four birds, easy to clean and I can extend the run if needed.
DarrenSV650S
04-05-09, 09:06 PM
Does it come with curtains?
Bluepete
04-05-09, 09:13 PM
No, but it has flock wallpaper in it!
DarrenSV650S
04-05-09, 09:15 PM
No, but it has flock wallpaper in it!
=D>
pencil shavings
04-05-09, 09:15 PM
http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/homepage.php
have a read of that site for tips.
also, as chickens arent gready animals sprinkling food will have to be done everyday and getting the right amount might be difficult. have alook into a perminant food dispenser of sorts. and also water is very important too (sorry if im telling you to suck eggs *no pun intended* :) )
DarrenSV650S
04-05-09, 09:16 PM
Hey what happened to my clapping smilie ?
Chickens make great pets. Our two, Britney and Bridget, are very entertaining.
As well as the food and housing etc they do rather like somewhere to have a dust bath.
lukemillar
04-05-09, 10:53 PM
Some friends of mine named theirs after curries :)
Korma
Madras
Tikka
etc.
Pete, I have brand new 120ltr wheelie bin you can have to put your food or bedding or whatever it is you need to safely store
We are thinking of bark chips for the floor material. Then we can scatter food into it for them to scratch for. Straw in the nest boxes.
dont use bark for the floor.. believe me i'm sure that chickens p!ss pure ammonia.. use a good layer of sawdust it soaks it up better.. dont put food in the coop, encourage them to go outside by feeding them outside... again use the sawdust in the nest boxes...
you might want to consider using some lino on the floor and nest boxes of the coop this will stop the wood from rotting and make it easier to replenish the sawdust...
when the chickens are in there nest box get them used to you putting your hands under them.. do this early and you wont get pecked as much when checking for eggs...
when handling the chickens use a barrier cream or an alcohol rub for your hands before and after. also invest in a pair of wellys and only use them in the area that your chickens are in...
also remember to register with a vet..
Bluepete
05-05-09, 08:24 AM
Thanks all for the tips! Stewie, you have a PM!
Pete
Bluefish
05-05-09, 08:28 AM
house looks good, i'm sure they can't wait to move in.
dizzyblonde
05-05-09, 10:32 AM
Pete, I have brand new 120ltr wheelie bin you can have to put your food or bedding or whatever it is you need to safely store
We've all got new wheelie bins that we'd like to give to Pete:p;)
To follow on from Bibio. Chucks like to roost, so making them a perch, not too far from the ground would also be a good idea.
DarrenSV650S
05-05-09, 04:31 PM
You'll need to train them to do this on your sv Pete:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mmVte7HJY
pencil shavings
05-05-09, 04:39 PM
You'll need to train them to do this on your sv Pete:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mmVte7HJY
that is very cool. Mine would sit on my lap, but that was it. couldnt get them on my sholder. but they love to follow you around!! :smt111
Nostrils
05-05-09, 04:55 PM
My brother has had chickens for about a year and is getting 8 eggs a day! You will no doubt get lots of advice off people here but one thing my sister-in-law swears by is scotts porridge oats in a little milk and mixed with lots of olive oil.....it helps with egg laying! Good Luck.
My old man has loads of hens i keep hearing about light sussex hens being great layers but whenever we've had them they've been quite poor tbh but as long as they are settled and happy you should still get an egg per day per bird.
All the basics have been covered just provide them somewhere to roost up off the floor, i would recommend putting thier feed in a feeder hung up off the floor and the same with thier water.
If you value your garden, plants, lawn etc you'll sharp get sick of having the hens out nothing green will survive the only thing that will do more damage to a garden is a duck ( messy bu**ers )
Im currently bringing on a few Cream Legbars they lay bright blue/green eggs ( nice little gimmick for selling the eggs people seem to like them cos they're different )
We also have Rhode island reds, black orpingtons, black rocks and high sex (the ones that are used as battery hens) Highsex hens are the best layers by far but are useless for breeding off, they are silly tame and make really nice pets and are the cheapest to buy i believe.
good luck with your birds you will deffinately enjoy them
Oh and when shooting rats use something like cat or dog food to bring them out this way they have to stay still to eat the food and BLAMO hours of airgun practice
mick
gettin2dizzy
05-05-09, 06:07 PM
We also have Rhode island reds, black orpingtons, black rocks and high sex (the ones that are used as battery hens) Highsex hens are the best layers by far but are useless for breeding off, they are silly tame and make really nice pets and are the cheapest to buy i believe.
Find a battery farm, and they'll sell you a chicken that has stopped laying for 50p-£2. Give it a fortnight, and it'll start laying eggs again! It'll be scruffy as **** to begin with, but its feathers will grow back :)
Luckypants
05-05-09, 08:06 PM
For sawdust bedding, you can buy at any farm place / horsey shop as it is used for bedding down horses.
BUT - sorry to rain on your parade, check there are no restrictive covenants on your house that prevents you from keeping chickens. Seriously, both the houses I owned in York had such covenants.
Speedy Claire
06-05-09, 09:09 AM
For sawdust bedding, you can buy at any farm place / horsey shop as it is used for bedding down horses.
BUT - sorry to rain on your parade, check there are no restrictive covenants on your house that prevents you from keeping chickens. Seriously, both the houses I owned in York had such covenants.
Excellent point... now you mention it the deeds of my previous house stated I couldn`t keep chickens or pigs, use the property for dentistry! or make candles on the property!!!! :smt117
gettin2dizzy
06-05-09, 09:20 AM
Excellent point... now you mention it the deeds of my previous house stated I couldn`t keep chickens or pigs, use the property for dentistry! or make candles on the property!!!! :smt117
I bet you had wax coming out of your ears :rolleyes:
Speedy Claire
06-05-09, 09:22 AM
I bet you had wax coming out of your ears :rolleyes:
lol :D
dizzyblonde
06-05-09, 12:02 PM
A very useful point LP.
I can't keep chckens or goats..lol
A very useful point LP.
I can't keep chckens or goats..lol
i'd love to have goats
My collegue keeps chickens, called: Tikka, Buna and Marsala!
We all get to buy the lovely eggs here, £1 for 6, and the yolks are so yellow! Yummy!
pencil shavings
06-05-09, 07:18 PM
My collegue keeps chickens, called: Tikka, Buna and Marsala!
We all get to buy the lovely eggs here, £1 for 6, and the yolks are so yellow! Yummy!
that is a bargin price seeing as they cost £1.50 for 6 in shops, and fresh home raised eggs are so much better!! :D
Long shot here, but worth a try. A person I know runs an animal shelter, and they are looking after a Peking Bantam Cockerel for the RSPCA that is looking for a new home...
Any of you chicken keepers interested? Their based in Leicestershire, but the RSPCA should be able to transport the little fella...
Spiderman
07-05-09, 03:15 PM
Long shot here, but worth a try. A person I know runs an animal shelter, and they are looking after a Peking Bantam Cockerel for the RSPCA that is looking for a new home...
Any of you chicken keepers interested? Their based in Leicestershire, but the RSPCA should be able to transport the little fella...
How good do these ones tatse? Vould i throw him on the BBQ? mmmmmmm chicken.
Bluepete
16-05-09, 05:55 PM
The chicken coop is in place, screwed onto a treated base with an extra run on the side. All we need now is some chickens!
They are coming after the summer hols.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk24/conker51/DSC_0117.jpg
Plus, they are being watched over by this happy smiling bloke!
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk24/conker51/DSC_0119.jpg
Pete
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