[slikk]

Hi all, this is probably a silly question, but here goes anyway!
We are about to get a couple of chickens and our garden is on two levels. There is a walled garden directly outside the house which is covered in shingle and measures some 12m x 3m - will this be okay for the chickens to roam over?

Thanks in advance for your help

[helens-hens]

I can't see a problem with that though bear in mind that a) they will poo in it and b) they will create a bit of a mess when they are scratching around.

A small part of our garden has little pebbles and I must admit I try and stop them getting to it because they make quite a mess but they make a beeline for it every time - must be lots of interesting bugs and things underneath the surface!

[MrsTruper]

Hi, I let my chooks out in my gravel alleyway (none of my nice plants in there!).  Been doing it for 10 months with no ill-effects.  Every so often I just give it a sweep with a broom to even out the gravel again.  The poo seems to disappear. I noticed my chooks did scratch up the weed membrane under the gravel, so I just got rid of it anyway as the weeds now are pecked away before they get very big!

[mr tibbs]

hi
ive got 5 chooks on 20mm pea gravel with weed membrane and i have
had no trouble at all .you dont need to dress their beaks or claws either.
i just have to hose down every now and then.

                                                         cheers tibbs

[slikk]

Many thanks for the help. Guess it's all systems go then.

[Sassy]

it is usually advisable to get 3 chooks so that if anything happens to one the other is not on her own, this gives you time to sort replacements out. Not of course that anything will happen

[MrsTruper]

Yes, I second getting min. three chooks.  I have two from Omlet as that is the minimum they sell (didn't know at the time it is ill-advised).  It really should be three.  I ended up with one top hen and one very pecked bottom hen. A least if you have three it will spread out any pecking and bullying.

[OpiumEater]

I started with three, and have just lost one to a fox attack.  Don't know whether to get another when they recover, or wait till I'm down to one and bring in two new ones to stop the current two ganging up on the newbie.

Am missing my little Dorcus and her white eggs though

[slikk]

Ahh, thanks for that, three it is then!