About to take the plunge - New to chickens

[Supertramp]

Less of a plunge really and more of a toe dip...
We're thinking of getting some ex battery hens from BHWT, having never owned chickens before. We go through a lot of eggs and it's the chance to provide a nicer life for some chucks.
I think I may build the coop/run myself despite virtually no DIY experience, although I built my campervan interior last summer, as a bit of a project. We were thinking of three chickens with ample room to wander in a secure run and the run of the garden when supervised.
We're in a normal semi detached in the suburbs of Manchester so the garden is small-mediumish, but we've got a side area that is paved so I thought that would make a better area for the coop with a good quality flooring.
Not really much to ask yet, I'm sure the questions will come. Just reading up on everything, security, space, feed etc

So really just a big hello!

 

[chrismahon]

Hello Supertramp (have a couple of their albums somewhere) and welcome to the forum. Sure you will have enough skills to build a coop but worth saying is that it will not be perfect and striving to make it so can become an obsession. Lots of things to consider but it all starts with the perch space for a given number which determines the coop size, then the number of nest boxes required, access for cleaning (which is becoming more important for me every day) and ventilation. Main failings in bought coops is lack of ventilation, weather proofing (particularly the nest box lid), poor security against predators and poor quality materials. Sure you will have loads of fun (and stress at times) building one and seeing hens in it. Most important is to plan well ahead and not find that at the very last stage something is so badly wrong and it can't be corrected. Plenty of people here will be able to give you advice, but it helps if you can see some in use and ask the owners what doesn't work well for them. Just because companies build and sell coops doesn't guarantee they are fit for purpose at all so I don't advise copying.

 

[dinosaw]

Hello Supertramp, welcome to the forum. I have some ex batts myself at the moment and at the risk of putting you off (though I hope it doesn't) ought to make you aware of a couple of points with regards to them. Firstly they have quite a high mortality rate, from my own experience and talking to others it would seem to hover at about 20% within the first six months so you may want to consider taking 4 instead of 3, obviously that is just an average and you could be ok and not lose any at all in which case you may have more than you want, it is a bit of a gamble. The second point is about egg laying, once they have refeathered enough, (and often before) you will get pretty much an egg a day per bird for the first year, the second year this will drop off quite dramatically and in the third year you will be buying eggs as any surviving hens will be spent. Because of the way the commercial breeds are bred for intensive laying they are not the longest lived of birds, I have yet to have one get much beyond 3 years old though a fair number of people have ex batts who reach 5 years plus. Just saying as having birds die on you or finding that one moment you have more eggs than you can handle and the next you have none is not what most people expect I think.
On the plus side ex batts are ultra friendly birds who are a joy to have around, it is lovely watching them refeather and enjoy the space that they never had in their former lives and do all the things they never could like scratching and dust bathing.

 

[Supertramp]

Thank you both for your replies and welcome, it's a pleasure to be here.
I will take my time regarding the coop and whilst I don't expect it to be perfect, I do agree with the obsession taking over to get it there!
Dinosaw you make a very good point thank you, I suppose the reason for ex battery hens is more the welfare than eggs, though eggs are a bonus but I hadn't realised they had such a high mortality rate. Would it be advisable to buy a hen or two and integrate with the battery hens or is this a no no?
I am quite certain that I would like to rescue a few, regardless of how many eggs they produce, but perhaps offset a lack of laying with bought hens?

So much to look at!

 

[dinosaw]

It sounds like you are already thinking along the right lines. As long as you introduce a minimum of two new birds then integration isn't a problem in the future provided you can subdivide your run and keep them separate for a couple of weeks initially. That way they can get used to each other and you can ensure they aren't ill or bringing any illness to your existing flock, there will of course be a bit of a fighting but done this way it normally isn't too bad. If you are happy to introduce new birds going forward then I would say going for three and then adding new birds when necessary would be the best option.

 

[Chuckchick]

I have ex batts and they are really friendly girls, watching them feather out and re discover scratching, dustbathing and foraging is a true joy for the first time keeper and experienced alike. Our first ever chickens were ex batts, and they all lived long, healthy lives. They lay a decent amount of light brown eggs, but don't usually lay during the winter. I think having a few bought chooks as well would make the perfect flock. Good luck 17