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BeemerBaz

BeemerBaz

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After a discussion with the wife yesterday I became a first time owner of three birds, a Ranger, Sussex Star & a Speckledy. All bought from a small place in Northamptonshire. I now have a nice coop and a 12 x 12 run to keep them happy. Shame the neighbours are not so keen !!

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That Looks lovely. Give your neighbours some eggs, theyll soon love em!!!!
 
Hi Beemerbaz, and welcome to the Forum. I'm sure your neighbours will love them once they see how beautiful they are (and when they start laying, those 3 breeds should be jolly good at it!)
 
Welcome to the forum - nice looking birds, and nice looking set up. Well done. That first egg is well worth waiting for. Shouldn't be too long by the look of those :D
 
Today I am going to prepare a more permanent location for the coop and run which is more shaded and away from prying eyes !

We live fairly rural, an estate of 40 houses surrounded by farmland and woodland on all sides. I am trying to protect them from predators the best I can but hope my 4 cats and a Jack Russell will be sufficient deterrent for any foxes etc. my garden is surrounded by a 6 foot fence, then the coop is inside a 5 ft high 12x12 run with netting over the top and the whole thing will be resting on garden slabs to prevent digging and also highlight any potential attempted attacks.

A couple of further questions I have (apologies if they have been asked a million times before)

Do I need to put them to bed at night or should they find there own way in ?

Is it advisable to always lock them away at night ?

Do I need to worry about the ground where I site the coop if it was previously a nettle and weed bed ?

Should I try to treat them like a household pet so they feel comfortable being picked up or herded ?

That's all for now !

PS. Anyone in the Oakham area of Leicestershire that might like to compare notes one day ?

Many thanks

Barry
 
Hi Barry, Keep putting them in they will eventually get the message. I personally would lock them in at night. Check regularly round the slabbed area
for any sign of rats. I have slabs just round the outside of the run to stop the fox digging. My coop originally stood on slabs but a rat took up residence underneath the slabs so I removed them and put legs on the coop. So now the whole floor area is visible which is a great help and also gives the chooks more floor space. I do not think the ground is a problem they will arrange it to their liking anyway!! Hope this helps. Good luck! :)
 
Moved the coop and run today to an area out of view of miserable neighbours. The new area is far dustier than the previous and the chickens seem to be enjoying it a lot more. Is it just me or do they prefer dustier land to a more grassier base ?
 
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Here's the new site. Still needs work around the base but I think it's acceptable. It's even got a chair in for those moments when I want to sit and talk to my chickens !!
 
It's such a shame that people are so intolerant of folks keeping a few hens in their back garden!! Lovely, healthy looking birds in a nice set-up BeemerBaz, Good luck and more power to your chicken-keeping Elbow!!
Chickens love to scratch and dust bathe in dry, loose soil, but they also love to forage amongst grass, I expect the new drier conditions have piqued their interest, but within a few days they'll be eager to feel grass beneath their feet once again!! the grass is always greener as they say!!
 
That's a lovely run, lucky girls. What are the neighbours worried about? It's not as if you're keeping a cockerel, or even very many chickens, and the area is extremely tidy and clean.
 
Honestly, some people moan about anything! We are very lucky because our neighbour is fascinated by our girls and loves to watch them clucking round the garden. Probably, if it wasn't your beautiful girls, your neighbour would find another topic!

I love your set-up in the picture. I bet your girls use your seat as their favourite pooping spot!!!!
 
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