Keeping Chickens..

They need to earn there keep but also as pets.

 

They'll never pay back the initial cost of housing, run and the birds themselves, but they might eventually pay for the bags of feed you get for them, with the money you save from not having to buy eggs.

As I said, bantams are adorable and as they are smaller, you can fit more of them in - a friendly breed such as Sussex or Rhode Islands would be ideal. Their eggs are smaller but that's not necessarily a bad thing! One thing, be prepared to pay some money for them, especially if from a reputable breeder. Hybrids will go for £15 each, perhaps a bit less, but pure breeds are higher - perhaps £20-30 each, depending on the breed.

 

Sorry, I meant by 'earning their keep' as supplying us with some eggs.

Would that coop and run in the link be big enough for 3 or 4 chickens, at a later date I will be making an extention to the run - at the moment I havent got the time to make one(coop).

How much noise would 3 or 4 make?
We have a fairly large garden(120 foot long) so noise not much of a problem but just interested.

Is there anywhere that lists what they can and cant eat?

They also have the free run of the garden when I am there to watch over them.

 

Please enlighten me on the following points. i ask out of interest, and not to rant.

As far as I am aware, even hens/chickens on small, organic farms, which roam free and produce unfertilized eggs for human consumption, begin their lives in hatcheries, where the male chicks are automatically gassed or macerated due to being of no commercial use? Therefore, even people who keep their own birds in a garden or home-farm, have purchased birds originally from such hatcheries?
Again, even with small-scale, hobby-farm style chicken keeping, it is customary for the birds to be slaughtered for meat, even if their primary purpose was producing eggs?

I personally know of people who keep chickens who had been destined for the knife ("rescue hens") which live out their natural lives, but somehow I doubt this is a widespread practice.

 

Our hens are kept as pets that lay eggs and when they stop laying become just pets and are buried under our apple trees when they eventually die which can be several years later.

 

Those of you having them wander free round the garden in daytime...any problems with the local cats?

 

Thanks Scrungee - that's the sort of chicken-keeping I'd be interested in. One thing I'd like to ask, though, and it isn't intended to come over as accusatory or nosy, is this: how were the chickens originally acquired? Apart from those which are rescued, ie bought from a farm who are otherwise selling birds for slaughter, I imagine that most people buying or obtaining chickens do so from a commercial hatchery?
Or am I wrong - is it possible to start a "backyard coop" or even a small farm without paying into that system? And what about male birds born - is this an issue in your situation, and if so, do you/would you let the males live, or have them killed? I don't keep chickens and there is little chance of me doing so what with space/time considerations, but it is something that interests me, not least because I would consider buying eggs from someone who raised chickens humanely.
Anyway, thank you for the info and I wish your birds well.

 

Got the last lot from a poultry centre which is part of my favourite garden centre and run by staff who love hens and keep poultry themselves:



We're down to only three at the moment, one doesn't lay at all apart from the occasional soft egg, and the other 2 are only each laying around a couple of eggs each a week, so we're getting some more from the same place.

I always resisted the loan of the services from one of my sister in law's cockerels, or offers of some fertile eggs for a broody hen/loan of an incubator for the very reason that concerns you - that some might turn out to be cockerels.

Also been offered eggs that have been 'sexed' to eliminate the cockerels, but glad we didn't as my SIL got some and most hatched out as cockerels. I'd rather get point of lay hens from a breeder who's more proficient in lamping.

 

Thanks for the info and good luck with the chickens.

 

Mine came from the local breeder (if that's the right word). He has about 20 pens (each with very tall fencing), each is about 20' square I would guess, and has their "house" and the birds running loose. He rears a number of different varieties and you rock up and choose what you want.

I suppose you could buy them from some mass production unit, but that sort of approach tends to be incompatible with someone only wanting to buy one or two - unless you buy from a distributor who buys from a wholesaler ... then I suppose they might be "reared in bulk".

 

Never had a problem with cats, chickens usually win when it comes down to getting food off a cat.

They have a great sense of what should be happening.

YouTube - ‪2 chickens break up rabbit fight!‬‏