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Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
+5
Dandelion
Wilhelm Von Rhomboid
Leanne
Compostwoman
Sparhawk
9 posters
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Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
As you all may have seen, Lady S, in a moment of light headedness in our local one night recently, announced that she had never said we couldn't have chickens. Which was something that I'd not really looked into as I thought she had.
Any way I thought I would start this thread as we are complete novices at this & there aren't that many opportunities to follow something like this, so it may prove useful for somebody else. I also know that there are some great people out there who burst at the chance to share their experiences & offer wonderful advice...
I will take a couple of days to put some posts on to tell you where we are up to at the moment, & then update as we go along the way, hopefully ending up somewhere around the last week in August with 3 or 4 ex battery hens becoming resident in the parish of "Sparhawk Towers"...
Who knows I may even be able to pursuade YSS to take some photes along the way...
Any way I thought I would start this thread as we are complete novices at this & there aren't that many opportunities to follow something like this, so it may prove useful for somebody else. I also know that there are some great people out there who burst at the chance to share their experiences & offer wonderful advice...
I will take a couple of days to put some posts on to tell you where we are up to at the moment, & then update as we go along the way, hopefully ending up somewhere around the last week in August with 3 or 4 ex battery hens becoming resident in the parish of "Sparhawk Towers"...
Who knows I may even be able to pursuade YSS to take some photes along the way...
Sparhawk- Posts : 1787
Join date : 2009-11-15
Age : 56
Location : Isle of Wight
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Photos would be very good.
Also, I, Badger, Billy, Dandelion and Jelly keep chickens and I know a few other members do as well so between us we can probably come up with answers to any questions you might have (or more questions!)
I know a few of us have kept ex batts as well.
Also, I, Badger, Billy, Dandelion and Jelly keep chickens and I know a few other members do as well so between us we can probably come up with answers to any questions you might have (or more questions!)
I know a few of us have kept ex batts as well.
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Once "we" had decided, the first thing I did was tell as many people as possible, the main reason being the more people that know the more difficult it is to about turn...
After we had announced that we were going to go for it, we looked for an area where we would be able to put them & talked about just why we wanted them.
We then decided that we needed information, lots of information, & visited the internet, ebay & the local charity shops to buy books to read up on things & work out just what would be possible to fit around our lives...
After we had announced that we were going to go for it, we looked for an area where we would be able to put them & talked about just why we wanted them.
We then decided that we needed information, lots of information, & visited the internet, ebay & the local charity shops to buy books to read up on things & work out just what would be possible to fit around our lives...
Sparhawk- Posts : 1787
Join date : 2009-11-15
Age : 56
Location : Isle of Wight
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
exciting! I keep hens too, and have had ex-batts in my time, although none of my current girls are , they are all home hatched birds (by my sister) Looking forwrd to following your journey to hens!
Leanne- Posts : 39
Join date : 2009-11-22
Location : Dorset
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Leanne wrote:exciting! I keep hens too, and have had ex-batts in my time, although none of my current girls are , they are all home hatched birds (by my sister) Looking forwrd to following your journey to hens!
Sorry Leanne, I missed you off my list and Nick B, and GB and probably a few others as well comes with posting when tired.
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
I have geese in my back garden today. They were in my kitchen earlier. Bad planning of animal movements this week. Pesky things.
My advice would be: don't go OTT with the 'need lots of information' bit initially. it is easy to make oneself unduly nervous about acquiring livestock by reading too much (often conflicting) information. As long as you have covered secure shelter, food and water, you are not going to go far wrong. Anything else you will pick up along the way. Let them out and feed them in the morning, feed them and put them away at night.
My advice would be: don't go OTT with the 'need lots of information' bit initially. it is easy to make oneself unduly nervous about acquiring livestock by reading too much (often conflicting) information. As long as you have covered secure shelter, food and water, you are not going to go far wrong. Anything else you will pick up along the way. Let them out and feed them in the morning, feed them and put them away at night.
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Likes the sounds of that!!!
Sparhawk- Posts : 1787
Join date : 2009-11-15
Age : 56
Location : Isle of Wight
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
It really isn't difficult, Spar. As long as they stay healthy, that is - which is why watching them to get used to what a healthy hen looks like , also picking them up so you know what they feel like etc is such a good idea so if they do go off colour, when youwatch them for a bit in the morning you can spot it.
A drop of prevention and all that
A drop of prevention and all that
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Wilhelm Von Rhomboid wrote:
My advice would be: don't go OTT with the 'need lots of information' bit initially. it is easy to make oneself unduly nervous about acquiring livestock by reading too much (often conflicting) information. As long as you have covered secure shelter, food and water, you are not going to go far wrong. Anything else you will pick up along the way. Let them out and feed them in the morning, feed them and put them away at night.
Completely agree - I read a couple of books and could tell you about all kinds of chicken diseases. So far mine haven't had any!!
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Dandelion wrote:Wilhelm Von Rhomboid wrote:
My advice would be: don't go OTT with the 'need lots of information' bit initially. it is easy to make oneself unduly nervous about acquiring livestock by reading too much (often conflicting) information. As long as you have covered secure shelter, food and water, you are not going to go far wrong. Anything else you will pick up along the way. Let them out and feed them in the morning, feed them and put them away at night.
Completely agree - I read a couple of books and could tell you about all kinds of chicken diseases. So far mine haven't had any!!
AFAIR, you also went on a very good chicken keeping course where you got to handle birds and look at all sorts of stuff to do with them ( and eat cake!)
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Now, just a moment. Where do I sign up for this poultry rearing course, and CAKE?!
Sounds fab...
Sounds fab...
mr_sfstk8d- Posts : 584
Join date : 2010-12-01
Age : 46
Location : Peoria, IL, US
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
mr_sfstk8d wrote:Now, just a moment. Where do I sign up for this poultry rearing course, and CAKE?!
Sounds fab...
Sorry Mr S, unless you want to pay for my air fare over the Pond.....
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
As Billy said, it's not too difficult. I started with an Eglu and 2 hens, have progressed since then to Cluckingham Palace and at one point had 7 hens (just got 3 at the moment)
They can be noisy sometimes, not as bad as a cockeral but 3 or 4 chickens deciding to have a squawk at 4am coz they've been spooked is LOUD! Get onside with the neighbours, a few eggs and letting kids in to have a look has worked wonders with mine. I've even had teenage lads asking shyley if they could come in and see *
Make sure you keep them away from any precious plants as they will eat them.
Oh and even after almost 5 years of having my chooks I still get excited when I go to see how many eggs there are and if you're feeling down, the sight of 3 or 4 chooks running towards you when they think you've got food puts a huge grin on your face.
*cue comment from Billy
They can be noisy sometimes, not as bad as a cockeral but 3 or 4 chickens deciding to have a squawk at 4am coz they've been spooked is LOUD! Get onside with the neighbours, a few eggs and letting kids in to have a look has worked wonders with mine. I've even had teenage lads asking shyley if they could come in and see *
Make sure you keep them away from any precious plants as they will eat them.
Oh and even after almost 5 years of having my chooks I still get excited when I go to see how many eggs there are and if you're feeling down, the sight of 3 or 4 chooks running towards you when they think you've got food puts a huge grin on your face.
*cue comment from Billy
AngelinaJellyBeana- Homemade Moderator
- Posts : 1328
Join date : 2009-11-10
Location : Oop North
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
Oh and even after almost 5 years of having my chooks I still get excited when I go to see how many eggs there are and if you're feeling down, the sight of 3 or 4 chooks running towards you when they think you've got food puts a huge grin on your face.
A neighbour recently told me that scientists recken that there is a link between chickens and dinosaurs, in the structure of their legs and the way they run/ran. So every time now that ours come rushing over to frisk us for food I imagine what it would have been like to have a giant raptor rushing out of the bushes towards me looking for food.
(I don't get out much....)
A neighbour recently told me that scientists recken that there is a link between chickens and dinosaurs, in the structure of their legs and the way they run/ran. So every time now that ours come rushing over to frisk us for food I imagine what it would have been like to have a giant raptor rushing out of the bushes towards me looking for food.
(I don't get out much....)
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
I call my chickens lizards with feathers
Chickens are MUCH easier than books and the like make out, just secure shelter, water and food are what you need to start with.
And no mater what you start with, by week 8 you will have another entire plan for all of the above for the future
Chickens are MUCH easier than books and the like make out, just secure shelter, water and food are what you need to start with.
And no mater what you start with, by week 8 you will have another entire plan for all of the above for the future
GB- Homemade Moderator
- Posts : 3256
Join date : 2009-11-14
Location : Cumbria
Re: Sparhawks "We've decided to have chickens in the back yard thread..."
If I can absorb enough information to care for them then anyone can.
I started with 3 in an eglu ago four years and now have 31 (I think)
I started with 3 in an eglu ago four years and now have 31 (I think)
bronze- Posts : 90
Join date : 2010-11-26
Location : Norfolk
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