Help ! and I haven't even started yet

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Newbury Novice

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Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« on: March 18, 2011, 09:40 »
I want to keep a few chickens in my back garden  I have been doing my research and my family are all for it. I see only one problem - what do to when I am not here. I have the occassional weekends away and holidays like every one so would need to rely on someone to pop in daily and keep an eye on the hens in return for the eggs of course.

 How does every one else manage it- neighbours( that may be difficult) or other local chicken fans - does anyone have any suggestions to help .

THANK YOU  to everyone with your suggestions. Next stop a course and then an attempt to sort out a local network. I'll keep you posted
« Last Edit: March 22, 2011, 17:05 by Newbury Novice »

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joyfull

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2011, 10:11 »
I have a friend (well a choice of two) plus a son who will come over. As these all have to travel besides eggs I do offer a small financial payment to cover fuel costs (except for the son who gets cat and chinchilla sitting in return). I don't begrudge paying as I also pay for my dogs to go to a good kennels.
I do also offer to chicken sit for close friends (free - and not for eggs in return as I have plenty from my own girls) just because they are friends  :).
Well done for giving this some thought in advance.
If your girls will be in a secure fox proof run then they should be ok being left in summer for a day or two - just make sure they will have plenty of water and feed (several drinkers and a large feeder).
Staffies are softer than you think.

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CWatters

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2011, 11:29 »
We've had chickens for awhile now. Not usually a problem finding someone to check on them when you go away - especially if the neighbours have young children. Tell them not to bring their dog!

Main surprise is the amount of damage they can do (the chickens I mean). We started with a small chicken run of the type found in many garden centers and let them out into an area behind our house in the day time. The ground under the run quickly became a mess and three chickens stripped an area of lawn the size of half a tennis court back to bare earth. If you don't want your whole lawn trashed you should plan to build an enclosure of some sort to limit damage to that part of it.

We've now done that on our paddock. I used 3" x 8 tall foot fence posts (6 foot tall once hammered in) with 3" x 1.5" across the top.  One problem was finding chicken mesh wider than 1.8m. Would be great if there was a source 2.4-2.5m wide so there is enough to form a 2m fence and a 0.5m skirt stapled to the ground. In the end we opted for a narower roll for the fence and added a seperate layer of heavier duty rabbit mesh on the bottom 0.9m and skirt. Makes it more fox proof as well. If you cut the grass short, and then staple the skirt down with wire hoops the grass quickly grows up through the skirt and knits it into the ground so you can mow over it.
 
Main problem at the moment is the number of pidgeons and blackbirds that we are feeding. Think about making the fence tall enough so that you can stand up in it if you put mesh over the top.

Mesh comes in different weights so check what you are paying for. The heavier weights last longer. Some people say you have to use weld mesh but that's pretty expensive.

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bantam novice

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2011, 11:32 »
Well done for thinking about this in advance!  I agree with Joyfull here.  A day or two in a secure fox-proof run would be OK.  You could find out if there are any fellow chicken keepers close to you who would keep an eye for longer periods or suss out if there are any neighbours who would do it for free eggs.  Good Luck!  :)
11 bantams (and counting!) 2 dogs 1 cat

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helens-hens

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2011, 12:39 »
I think a day or 2 in a foxproof run should be OK but what about the pophole? If you can get a hen house with a vertical opening pophole then there is the option of buying 1 of the automatic gadgets which open & close them.

I have a horizontal opening one so this isn't really an option. Do others think it is OK to leave the pophole open for say just 1 night when spending the odd night away (not in winter obviously)?
Helen

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joyfull

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2011, 12:46 »
in summer and so long as they are out of the direction of prevailing winds and in a foxproof run then yes they should be ok for a night.

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feelingbroody

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2011, 17:00 »
We have a really nice enclosed run which in the warmer nights we leave the pophole open all through summer, the girls are in an fox/rat proof run out of winds, sheltered and they can get up when they want to. I hate the thought of them in the house cooped up on a warm sunny morning, it gets light at six am now, so I am getting up to beat sunrise everyday to let them out, so roll on warmer evenings....

as for people to look after them when we go away we have a lovely neighbour who does a fabulous job and enjoys talking and fussing the chooks as much as I do and the girls give her eggs everyday for looking after her.

They really bring a pleasure into your life that you cannot have thought a mere hen would bring. Good luck if you decide to go ahead and at least you have this wonderful site to gain knowledge from the others who have had more experience than us mere mortals lol

Broody :)
if wishes were changes.......

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hillfooter

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2011, 17:31 »
I'd echo the idea of an auto pophole opener & closer.  It will make the job of locking them in at night a whole lot easier for your helpers, then they'd only need to pop in once a day just to collect eggs and check everythings OK. 

The alternative is to have an absolutely secure run which is expensive and would need to be a totally enclosed cage using weld mesh.  Don't go for the cheap chicken wire option unless you aim to protect it with an electric wire at ground level to prevent digging and high up to prevent climbing and foxes chewing it.  If you use a high fence then you don't need to enclose the top if it is electrified against being climbed.

HF
Truth through science.

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Fisherman

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Re: Help ! and I haven't even started yet
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2011, 19:41 »
I had the same thoughts some 18 months ago so: -

Firstly a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on the hens and to collect eggs.
A secure fox proof run.
An auto pop hole opener.
A treadle feeder (for 6 hens for at least 2 weeks).
An auto drinker (for 6 hens for at least 2 weeks).

I have read on various threads that layer pellets can go damp and be a problem after a few days but not in my experience. Freezing temperatures have been far the worst problem causing the drinker to ice up.

In summer months with the above in place you could easily manage a week or two with little intervention but I must stress the birds MUST be checked daily or at least every other day to ensure all is OK.

 



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