Advice needed

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Hello all, from the latest newbie on the forum!

I have wanted to keep chickens for as long as I can remember but have decided now is the time to give it a go.

I have a small back garden (OK, a very small one!) with borders and a concreted area. I live by the sea in NE England. I think I have enough room for 2 or may be 3 hens, and have an armful of reading material on the go to educate myself.

However, nothing beats talking to real people with real experience. So, as a greenhorn here without a coop or henhouse yet, or a breed in mind, please do you have any advice or tips for me?

I would like eggs of course, but I want friendly, funny, feathery companions too. :P
 
Hello and welcome to the forum :)
It's all down to personnal preference as to which breeds you like etc- I would read all you can and take a look at the main site :- http://poultrykeeper.com/
There are lots of good articles for the novice keeper- buy the biggest, best quality house you can afford and the biggest run. Once you have decided on breeds you like i would make a "short list" and go from there- do more research on those breeds and ask questions on here. Good luck and feel free to ask whatever you need to know.
regards, David :)
 
Yes, great advice from David as always :D

Can I add - there's the Chicken Breeds section that is growing weekly - but it certainly doesn't cover half of the breeds (yet..) there are still many, many other good breeds to chose from.

All of that said, I would think about Hybrids as well (cross between pure breeds) as they are very hardy, lay lots of eggs and are very adaptable.

They are easily found compared to some pure breeds too.

Tim
 
Tiny garden,not too worried re eggs etc-----how about a couple of 'cuddly' bantams? Pekins/sussex etc ,both tough enough for the N.E. Main thing is enjoy them!
 
Welcome. I'd suggest pekins too - they are certainly friendly funny and feathery. I've got three and they are real characters, run to greet me when I get home, chatter away to themselves, each other and anyone else around and are very comical particularly when running. They try and get in the house, and call loudly if they manage it to let us know they're there. They chase the cats but go into a panic about falling leaves. The friendliness is almost certainly food related, but that's chickens for you.

I get plenty of eggs too, usually about 6 a week from each but they do go broody frequently which stops the egg production.

I've decided to get a few more chickens, and after doing all the research and asking loads of people about other breeds can't find anything I like as much as pekins, despite the broodiness problem - so will be getting two more of them.
 
Thanks for this, folks! I really aprreciate your help and enthusiasm!!

I used the links from David and Tim to check out the pekins.......they look hilarious! (No offense to those birds!) I used to keep pigeons and they look like the poultry equvalent of fantails! Lovely! Of course, they will lay smaller eggs I guess, hence I was looking at the larger breeds....I will want my girls to earn their keep, and I think there will be a lot of interest in the eggs from family and friends...... Mam said she used to keep rhode island reds, but I was thinking I may be restricted in my "chicken shopping" as to the availablilty of local pullets?

Also, I have been reading about on the forum and seen you all discussing your local feed shops etc......so I have to find out where mine is.......yellow pages, do you reckon?

I have checked with the council (neighbours expressed concern chicken keeping may not be allowed) and the lovely lady there said I can have up to 50 before permission is needed!! Hey he! That would be double decker chickens in my garden..... :D :lol:
 
Hi Lemmy

Have you considered a ex-battery hen or 3? I have got 5 and they are wonderful :!: I got in touch with the British Hen Welfare Trust (google will put you in the right direction for more info) - my girls are laying about 3-4 eggs per day, plenty for us. It very rewarding seeing how they flourish when allowed to free range. I believe they are called Warrens and are hybrids, a medium size bird and very very friendly. All in all, an ideal chicken for a newby like myself. :)
 
Hello Lemmy,

Pekins are a bit funny looking, but frizzles are funnier! :D

I'm new to poultry keeping too, so I totally sympathise about deciding which hens to go for, houses to buy, food for them to eat, bedding etc The list goes on!

I have 4 hens - 2 light Sussex and 2 black rock (hybrid), and I picked them mainly because the book I read said they were good natured and good for beginners. I'm lucky enough to have to space to let them roam and some breeds are better suited to free roaming, though by all accounts these bunch would be happy enough in a run. Also I picked the light sussex as I didn't want a flighty bird - I didn't want them escaping into the posh formal garden we have next-door - so if you have neighbours it might be something to think about. I thoroughly recommend both breeds - I love them!

Battery hens are a great idea too and I think when I expand I'll be looking in that direction, now that i hopefully have more experience keeping chickens :?

Welcome to the wonderful world of chicken keeping!

Charliex
 
Plans for today.........to do list.....

1) Locate local supplier of small chicken house!( Any tips for hen house supplier shopping greatly appreciated please! This is proving very difficult! Nothing on google or in yellow pages...not able to build own from scratch as not sure where I would start, but considering alterations to rabbit hutch type affair???)

2) Enlist assistance of Dad to decide on exact positioning of coop in my garden.

3) Speak to pal who has friend with some chicks she said she will keep for me until a little older, described as mixed breeds, must see them for myself.......

4) Read more of my chicken keeping books.

Thanks for being so friendly and approachable, all! I am so excited about it all!!!! :P
 
Hello, there are a few good sites on line- Flytes of Fancy, Wells poultry housing, LittleAcre Products, Forsham Cottage Arks and plenty more- try to buy the best you can afford- the cheap chinese fir imports that are for sale everywhere (ebay etc) will not last one winter- you are better with a decent, solid wood coop- or even a good garden shed which you can convert easily- good luck in your search!
regards, David :)
 
Hi Lemmy
Your excietment is infectious.... I remember not being able to sleep for being so excited and lists going round in my head. I still dream about chickens now? :?

David is spot on with his advice re housing, both myself and another member on here have posted photos of our houses, to show another newbie at that time what our set up was like:-

http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1417

We are on our third house since Feb!!!

1st house , an ARK, bought from Ebay, turned out it had no removeable side to clean. Started falling apart within a couple of weeks and is now what we call the girls "bus shelter", when it rains.

2nd house was a "cheap import"- We didn't realise it was an import and it wasn't cheap, cost £150, and after 6 weeks, in early spring this year we replaced the roof with Onduline, as it was leaking. I can now see daylight through various areas.

3rd house was bought from "Pages Poultry", in Burton, Staffs, (I don't know where you are), an altogether much sturdier house, which will last the Winter. They are handmade to order, cost us £105 approx.

Your rabbit hutch sounds fine. Personally I think I would have preferred a double rabbit hutch, having looked at ones in Pets at Home, they seem so much sturdier than our original house. Also having a little more knowledge and experience, 6 mths on, we are better informed as to what our chosen breeds prefer, and a slimline hutch would be ideal.

Obviously a Flyte So fancy house would be my absolute dream home for our girls.......

As for books, I thoroughly recommend this darling little book-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hen-Keeping-Eastoe-Jane-New-Book-/390223888111?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Non_Fiction&hash=item5adb27feef

Its no-nonsense practical advice has given us much reassurance over the months, and I have just loaned it to another budding chicken hobbyist.....

Have you decided on your breeds yet, have a trawl through the photos on this site. I looked at youtube videos of chickens, which proved to be helpful, entertaining and informative....

Best of luck, and keep us up-to-date.

Sharron
 
Many thanks once again!

I am now the proud owner of a chicken coop, just assembled, and a feeder and water container. All I need now is the rest of the beginner's list (but I have found somewhere near by that will sort that) and the food and then my hens!!!

Woo!

Or should I say, cluck! Sigh. Sorry. That will have been done before....... :oops:
 
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