Does anyone keep chickens??

littletort · 27-04-2010, 10:34 AM

Just wondered if they are easy to keep? we'd love some just as pets and for their lovely fresh eggs!! Do you need a lot of space for them???

Herpard · 27-04-2010, 12:36 PM

Hi,

I keep 2 Hens in a Eglu Chicken Coop

I'd say they are easy to keep and fun too,But they can be quite noisy(and they can smell if not cleaned out regularly)

Just take a look at this Video of one of my Hens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG-Ylz_C-xc

I'm not sure on the space as my Eglu is about 9ft long and the widest part is 5ft.

If you are planning on getting some I'd ask your local council first to see if you can keep them!

I know a good chicken Forum if you're interested?

Oh, We did get our chickens not only as pets but for their eggs too,when i ate the first egg i found myself forcing it down,I don't know why but we just can't eat our hens eggs without feeling sick....I can't eat eggs at all now lol

Maddy234 · 27-04-2010, 05:58 PM

I used to have about 30 when we had more land. Now I just board other people's, we have 3 lovel girls here at the moment. They can small & their grain can attrack rats. They can also wreck a garden, they will eat all the grass to dust.

On a good note they make fantastic pets with great personalities and the eggs are fantastic.

More space the better however my view is it is better to have them in a run than buy battery eggs. You can always let them out for a run in the garden when you are there.

There is also the commitment of letting them out ever morning and putting them in at night.

Jemma1 · 27-04-2010, 06:44 PM

We keep chickens

We have 4 ex-bats and 2 bought from a farm.

Great personalities, and easy to keep providing you have somewhere dusty/ dirty where you dont mind being wrecked

Funny things, who will follow you around, and will jump onto your lap and perch on your arm if you sit down!

Produce lots of yummy eggs, too!!

Jazzotang · 27-04-2010, 06:45 PM

We have 3 ex bat hens and they are hilarious, i must admit they do wreck a garden amazingly quickly. I would not be without them though now mess or no mess although i get up at 5 am in the summer to let them out!

TortMad · 27-04-2010, 08:06 PM

I currently have 8 ex batts and 3 "proper" hens which I bought from a specialist breeder and have been keeping chooks for a few years now, mostly ex battery hens.

I agree with the statements as above, though I do successfully keep a grassed area in the part of the garden that they are kept in, I also have very few plants in there, but lovely fat hens lol.

My garden is rather substantial in size and the area where the hens are kept is rather large so I can manage to sustain a lawn and 11 free range hens, they don't get to play out in the main part of the garden as much as I think my girls are great, I also enjoy growing my own veg and having flowers

Where as they are easy to keep, you must be prepared to let them out in the morning and tuck them safely in at dusk. I would also suggest if you do go ahead, unless you have no neighbours, to stick to girls only

littletort · 30-04-2010, 10:59 AM

Thats great everyone thanks for your advise, we dont have a massive garden but live opposite a farm so might even ask the farmer if he'd rent us a section of land for them, do they lay eggs everyday? is it like 1 hen=1egg per day?? or doesnt it work like that?? i like the idea of rescueing ex battery hens?? sounds rewarding, do they still lay eggs or are they kinda retired?? now a really stupid question.... do you need a cockrell for them to lay eggs?? im guessing its them that make all the noise right???

Herpard · 30-04-2010, 11:09 AM

Hi, no you don't need a cock for them to lay eggs!

My hens (same breed as ex-batts) don't lay every day some times they miss a couple of days and when they moult they don't lay at all!

One of my Hens (Lady Lay) some times lays 2 eggs in one day!

Ex-Batts can/do still lay after being "retired" but apparently they can become food aggressive as they would of had to fight for their food

There is even a special food for ex-batts too.

If you do go for ex-batts you will have to be prepared for the state they come in and they might live anywhere from a couple of days all the way to a couple of years after being rescued

I think i read somewhere that the average hen stops laying after 2-3 years? and they can live 5+ years

Torterra · 30-04-2010, 04:26 PM

I looked at your videao, Cute chicken, soo lovely. You lucky you can have them.

. They look healthy and happy.

Maddy234 · 30-04-2010, 05:27 PM

hybrids like your battery Hens are bred to lay all year round. Soon as they stop laying then generally go over soon after. Pedigree/ pure breds tend to stop laying in the winter and live longer

27-04-2010, 10:34 AM	#1
littletort Member Incubating Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Derby Posts: 203	Does anyone keep chickens?? Just wondered if they are easy to keep? we'd love some just as pets and for their lovely fresh eggs!! Do you need a lot of space for them???

27-04-2010, 06:44 PM	#4
Jemma1 Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: May 2009 Location: Southampton Posts: 1,573	We keep chickens We have 4 ex-bats and 2 bought from a farm. Great personalities, and easy to keep providing you have somewhere dusty/ dirty where you dont mind being wrecked Funny things, who will follow you around, and will jump onto your lap and perch on your arm if you sit down! Produce lots of yummy eggs, too!! __________________

27-04-2010, 06:45 PM	#5
Jazzotang Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: near Canterbury Kent Posts: 610	We have 3 ex bat hens and they are hilarious, i must admit they do wreck a garden amazingly quickly. I would not be without them though now mess or no mess although i get up at 5 am in the summer to let them out! __________________ Jazz Panzer and Shermans personal assistant!

27-04-2010, 08:06 PM	#6
TortMad Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2,639	I currently have 8 ex batts and 3 "proper" hens which I bought from a specialist breeder and have been keeping chooks for a few years now, mostly ex battery hens. I agree with the statements as above, though I do successfully keep a grassed area in the part of the garden that they are kept in, I also have very few plants in there, but lovely fat hens lol. My garden is rather substantial in size and the area where the hens are kept is rather large so I can manage to sustain a lawn and 11 free range hens, they don't get to play out in the main part of the garden as much as I think my girls are great, I also enjoy growing my own veg and having flowers Where as they are easy to keep, you must be prepared to let them out in the morning and tuck them safely in at dusk. I would also suggest if you do go ahead, unless you have no neighbours, to stick to girls only __________________ Lea 2.1.0 testudo horsfeldii 0.2.0 testudo graeca ibera 2.0.0 geochelone pardalis babcocki http://www.thehenshouse.co.uk/

30-04-2010, 04:26 PM	#9
Torterra Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: England, SE Posts: 1,396	I looked at your videao, Cute chicken, soo lovely. You lucky you can have them. . They look healthy and happy. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1.2.0 Geoshelone elegans (Indian Star) 1.2.1 Kinosternon Bauri (Three Striped mud turtles) 0.0.2 Sternotherus Carinatus (Razorback Musk Turtle) http://kinosternon-baurii.blogspot.co.uk/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

27-04-2010, 12:36 PM	#2
Herpard Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Norton Canes, UK Posts: 2,330	Hi, I keep 2 Hens in a Eglu Chicken Coop I'd say they are easy to keep and fun too,But they can be quite noisy(and they can smell if not cleaned out regularly) Just take a look at this Video of one of my Hens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG-Ylz_C-xc I'm not sure on the space as my Eglu is about 9ft long and the widest part is 5ft. If you are planning on getting some I'd ask your local council first to see if you can keep them! I know a good chicken Forum if you're interested? Oh, We did get our chickens not only as pets but for their eggs too,when i ate the first egg i found myself forcing it down,I don't know why but we just can't eat our hens eggs without feeling sick....I can't eat eggs at all now lol

27-04-2010, 05:58 PM	#3
Maddy234 Junior Member Egg Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 31	I used to have about 30 when we had more land. Now I just board other people's, we have 3 lovel girls here at the moment. They can small & their grain can attrack rats. They can also wreck a garden, they will eat all the grass to dust. On a good note they make fantastic pets with great personalities and the eggs are fantastic. More space the better however my view is it is better to have them in a run than buy battery eggs. You can always let them out for a run in the garden when you are there. There is also the commitment of letting them out ever morning and putting them in at night.

30-04-2010, 10:59 AM	#7
littletort Member Incubating Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Derby Posts: 203	Thats great everyone thanks for your advise, we dont have a massive garden but live opposite a farm so might even ask the farmer if he'd rent us a section of land for them, do they lay eggs everyday? is it like 1 hen=1egg per day?? or doesnt it work like that?? i like the idea of rescueing ex battery hens?? sounds rewarding, do they still lay eggs or are they kinda retired?? now a really stupid question.... do you need a cockrell for them to lay eggs?? im guessing its them that make all the noise right???

30-04-2010, 11:09 AM	#8
Herpard Senior Member Adult Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Norton Canes, UK Posts: 2,330	Hi, no you don't need a cock for them to lay eggs! My hens (same breed as ex-batts) don't lay every day some times they miss a couple of days and when they moult they don't lay at all! One of my Hens (Lady Lay) some times lays 2 eggs in one day! Ex-Batts can/do still lay after being "retired" but apparently they can become food aggressive as they would of had to fight for their food There is even a special food for ex-batts too. If you do go for ex-batts you will have to be prepared for the state they come in and they might live anywhere from a couple of days all the way to a couple of years after being rescued I think i read somewhere that the average hen stops laying after 2-3 years? and they can live 5+ years

30-04-2010, 05:27 PM	#10
Maddy234 Junior Member Egg Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 31	hybrids like your battery Hens are bred to lay all year round. Soon as they stop laying then generally go over soon after. Pedigree/ pure breds tend to stop laying in the winter and live longer

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