After my failed attempt at keeping my chickens...
11 June 2009, 02:46 PM
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13 June 2010, 08:56 AM
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how you getting on with them? we have just bought a chicken coop
going to make a nice runf or them, we were considering ex battery hens as its a nice thing to do but a friend said no go to a breeder get some nice quality hens prob a tenner each but he says well worth it, as your more experianced than me any views on that?
going to make a nice runf or them, we were considering ex battery hens as its a nice thing to do but a friend said no go to a breeder get some nice quality hens prob a tenner each but he says well worth it, as your more experianced than me any views on that?
13 June 2010, 06:56 PM
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Funny this thread popping up again as we have started looking at getting some again outself.
Just need to buy the coop a farm nearby sells all the food etc and their chickens are £7 each.
We are looking at http://www.waltons.co.uk/chicken-coops but cannot decide which one to get as we only want 3 chickens for now but still want to be able to add more if needs be.
Just need to buy the coop a farm nearby sells all the food etc and their chickens are £7 each.
We are looking at http://www.waltons.co.uk/chicken-coops but cannot decide which one to get as we only want 3 chickens for now but still want to be able to add more if needs be.
13 June 2010, 07:13 PM
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we bough this one today from someone local to use gave £50 for it
http://www.waltons.co.uk/chicken-coop-4
how the hell can they say up to 8 chickens?? only two roosting sections in there
we was only thinking we would only want to put 3 in
were also cagine off an area around the coop so they have more space
http://www.waltons.co.uk/chicken-coop-4
how the hell can they say up to 8 chickens?? only two roosting sections in there
we was only thinking we would only want to put 3 in
were also cagine off an area around the coop so they have more space
Last edited by apples24; 13 June 2010 at 07:15 PM.
13 June 2010, 07:24 PM
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We have 4 random bantams in our garden, who lay regularly, have their own covered run. they are allowed out into the garden for some supervised (cats) forageing once a day and on friday we hatched our first chick pics to follow 
) 
13 June 2010, 10:49 PM
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15 June 2010, 08:28 AM
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well in the end were getting a few from our local farm, a couple rhode island reds and a maran as the daughter wanted a speckly one lol, picking them up thurs
Last edited by apples24; 17 June 2010 at 08:39 PM.
17 June 2010, 08:43 PM
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well the girls are here, wife brought back 4 3 rhode island and the maran, however she took the maran back v noisey and was vicious to the others so we have 3
wow there so friendly only just started laying, we had an egg this eve but no shell so i presume there really just starting to learn to lay and laying to early, we are giving them some oyster shell just incase
but amazing things very comical, had to shimmy them up the ramp to bed just now as i presume they dont know whats what till they get used to it, have to keep them in the coupe for good few days aparantly till they get settled then we can let them roam the garden for an hour or two while were int he garden.
looking forward to some nice eggs in the future, next door have already asked to buy some lol
wow there so friendly only just started laying, we had an egg this eve but no shell so i presume there really just starting to learn to lay and laying to early, we are giving them some oyster shell just incase
but amazing things very comical, had to shimmy them up the ramp to bed just now as i presume they dont know whats what till they get used to it, have to keep them in the coupe for good few days aparantly till they get settled then we can let them roam the garden for an hour or two while were int he garden.
looking forward to some nice eggs in the future, next door have already asked to buy some lol
17 June 2010, 09:13 PM
#56
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well the girls are here, wife brought back 4 3 rhode island and the maran, however she took the maran back v noisey and was vicious to the others so we have 3
wow there so friendly only just started laying, we had an egg this eve but no shell so i presume there really just starting to learn to lay and laying to early, we are giving them some oyster shell just incase
but amazing things very comical, had to shimmy them up the ramp to bed just now as i presume they dont know whats what till they get used to it, have to keep them in the coupe for good few days aparantly till they get settled then we can let them roam the garden for an hour or two while were int he garden.
looking forward to some nice eggs in the future, next door have already asked to buy some lol
wow there so friendly only just started laying, we had an egg this eve but no shell so i presume there really just starting to learn to lay and laying to early, we are giving them some oyster shell just incase
but amazing things very comical, had to shimmy them up the ramp to bed just now as i presume they dont know whats what till they get used to it, have to keep them in the coupe for good few days aparantly till they get settled then we can let them roam the garden for an hour or two while were int he garden.
looking forward to some nice eggs in the future, next door have already asked to buy some lol
The Maran was probably just sorting the pecking order out, chickens can be vicious little buggers to each other, if you feed them proper layers pellets they should come good on the eggshell front, failing that feed them mashed up eggshells in with their feed, it will help just as good as the oyster shell.
19 June 2010, 12:27 AM
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we have layer pellets looks like short brown strips? oyster shell and corn, what amounts should we be feeding them daily for 3 hens?
had two eggs today upon our return from lego land
i cant believe how relaxed chickens/hens are you can do whatever you like, yes they try to escape when open coupe but even then i feel we could catch them if need be however ours are not clipped and we have been told to keep them in coupe/run a good few days before letting them loose, they took themselves to bed tonight so all we had to do was close the door
had two eggs today upon our return from lego land
i cant believe how relaxed chickens/hens are you can do whatever you like, yes they try to escape when open coupe but even then i feel we could catch them if need be however ours are not clipped and we have been told to keep them in coupe/run a good few days before letting them loose, they took themselves to bed tonight so all we had to do was close the door
19 June 2010, 10:18 AM
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one of them is being a right git to the other two this morning, not letting them out the nesting box chasing them around hopefullythat will sort itself out today
contemplating clipping there wings and letting them roam the garden for couple hours
contemplating clipping there wings and letting them roam the garden for couple hours
22 June 2010, 01:57 PM
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we need to make a run or a bigger coop type thing looking for inspiration as cost has to be low, at the mo there roaming the garden happily but there messy buggers lol ideally 6ft square
22 June 2010, 03:42 PM
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Yes, they will do that, just trying to establish their pecking order, they'll be more restless and aggressive if they're bored, a good tip is to hang some stinging nettle's or lettuce leaves from the roof of their run, it'll give them something to play with and eat, it will also provide stimulation for them
P.S. I personally would'nt clip their wings, if they're out and about free ranging. If a fox was to come along they'll have a much better chance of escaping to somewhere high if their wings are not clipped.
Last edited by shaunywrx; 22 June 2010 at 03:45 PM.