Hi from Tyne and Wear

[Anonymous]

Hi!

My name's Donna. I'm 28 and married with a 1 year old daughter. I have 2 cats, 2 border terrier dogs and a tank of tropical fish!

When I was younger I used to be fascinated by my nana's stories of having chickens and ducks as pets. I used to think only people living on farms were allowed animals such as these!

I first contemplated keeping chickens about a year ago just after my daughter was born. I want her to have as best a diet as possible and to me that means fresh produce, not only fruit and veg but eggs.

I live opposite woods and don't have that big-a-garden (16m x 4m) and I realise that these can cause problems when contemplating keeping chickens (re: foxes in the woods) along with my dogs however if it would be possible I would still love to keep chickens.

I would like to research it fully before stepping into poultry keeping and this is how I stumbled across this site. Any advice given would be greatly received and I would like to ask if members would post photos of their set-up (coop, run, garden size etc) to help me fully understand whether keeping chickens would be beneficial to me AND to the chickens. I wouldn't want to house chickens if they couldn't be fully content in their environment.

I believe that the keeping of chickens should be enjoyed by the whole family and it would give my daughter the opportunity to learn about and enjoy these wonderful creatures. She's already obsessed with ducks!!!

Many Thanks to you all.

Donna. x

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Donna,

A big welcome from a newbie chicken keeper.I'm afraid that I can't visualise the size of your garden,I'm no good with area.I do know that my garden is small,but,I don't know how small compared to yours.Someone else will be able to help though -cue here for Tim or Snifter :lol: .

I think that depending on what type/breed of chicken appeals to you,there should be one or more that would thrive with you,and,give your whole family pleasure.Maybe a bantam,or miniaturised large fowl.
I also found this site before I got my chickens (4 ex-bats)and out of the poultry forums I found,I do think this one is the best.

One thing though common to all forums,as we often use them for a query or help and not much else.It can make you think OMG,chickens are always ill .Which they are not so don't be put off.

I also think that chickens will be a benefit to your daughter.Chickens can be very tame,and,when you appear run up to you to talk to you.Ok,they don't speak english but I don't understand chicken talk....yet.
I personally find that watching chickens is very relaxing and soothing,they are good company and I really wish I'd got some for us before now.
On the down side,you do have to clean their house out,but,it is well worth it because of the entertainment and pleasure that they provide.

My apologies for not being more helpfull,but, other people will be.My son and I went on a chicken course,where you spend a day with a poultry farm/poultry keeper and you learn some of the basics as well as handling.This,I did find very helpfull and would recomend that as an option for you.

 

[snifter]

Hi Donna and welcome to the forum

I'd think you could easily keep a couple of chooks in your garden. Sounds like its longer and not too wide, is this correct?

I'd be inclined to looking to get a small hen house or even a largeish hutch and converting it so its chicken friendly. You'll need to allow a decent sized run and either be able to move it from time to time (rotating the ground they graze on) or allow them a decent amount of time to free range daily, which isn't always ideal if you have small children. Also to maybe cover the run with netting if you have neighbours with cats or possible foxes nearby.

I'd look to penning off the top of the garden and possibly then being able to move it down to fresh ground on a regular basis. I know its advised to rotate ground at least twice a year but tbh I found it easier and nicer for the chooks to rotate mine every week or so between a couple of patches of ground (when in a smaller garden area). That way the ground does not lose all its grass and has time to recover and grow back. I personally then rest each area totally for at least a month once a year and put them on a new patch for this time.

If you keep bantams I am sure 2-3 is manageable. Just get a breed that is suited to that sort of living. You may enjoy Polands (I adore them) and as they generally don't go broody they are ideal for those not wanting the worries of a broody hen. There are a couple of what could be considered down sides, but I view it all as part of the Polands charm. They have the barnet which needs regular treatments for mites. They also need proper cover at all times so if it rains they can shelter. If they get wet you'll need to break out the hairdryer and dry them off as they are a bit feeble (apparently, but mine roams with the other chooks just fine) and can catch a chill more easily than other breeds. So making sure they are dried off before going in to roost at night, especially in the colder months is a must. Polands do make very friendly pets and as they don't see out from under all those feathers too well they become very responsive to voice. Mine loves to be picked up and perch on my shoulder or arm and is quite content to be cuddled also. Very friendly and great characters. And good egg layers during spring/summer/autumn.

A decent poultry run can be made for not very much money. For bantams it doesn't have to be overly high either. Say about 2 foot tall, if that, and if made with weld mesh all round and on top its easy to move as and when. I have pics somewhere of our weld mesh moveable run and can dig them out for you later. If you could make something double that size for 2-3 banties it'd be perfect as it can be moved daily even.

 

[Tim]

Hello Donna, Welcome!

Thanks for saying hi to us.

..and out of the poultry forums I found,I do think this one is the best.

You're too kind! But I'm glad you like it Lydia. It's the nice people on here that make it something, without friendly people to natter with it would be a pretty dull place.

I can remember visiting a forum once when I was less experienced and I asked a question - I got told that I should use the search function to find the answer and not to ask a question that had been asked before... it really put me off using forums.

As for size, I agree - a few chooks could easily fit into your garden. I always say to people let them free range as much as you can as you will benefit from far healthier birds and eggs.

Alternatively, you might consider ducks? They are in fact very easy to keep and domestic ducks only spend 10% of their time in water so a small tub / sand pit is ideal for a couple. They won't scratch the ground up and keep pretty clean if you keep their water on hard standing to avoid mud. They can lay as many eggs as a good pure bred chicken and they are a good size....

Good Luck,

Tim