[dave_p]

Hi all,

I work as a researcher for the BBC on Gardeners World and we are keen to find out lots of facts and figures on chicken keeping.  Such as - how many back garden chicken keepers are there in the UK?  How many more are there than ten years ago?  What's the most popular breed? What celebrity chicken keepers are out there?

Thanks in advance!

[John]

The questions asked here show why Gardeners World isn't the program it once was. Oh, got to have a celeb - and why do any research yourself when you can get others to do the work for you?

[matilda duck]

John we'd rather have you fronting Gardeners World!!!!  At least you talk to REAL people. 
We havn't all been gardeners for years, we havn't also  got £££££ to throw at our gardens just to make it look good.  Most of us on here do it because we love what we do. 

The next question is why chickens???  Chickens are no good for gardens every chicken owner knows that!!!!!   We have our chickens because we love them, but not for the garden!!!!!  Ducks are better for the garden!!  Is this  show also jumping on the chicken bandwagon??

Sorry rant over...

[Caralou]

Garden, what garden I agree MD - as can be seen on the photos on the blog!!!?!?!? Mine went the day the chooks arrived and now resembles a post-festival field  .  I now have a terrace for my decorative plants and an allotment for my veg. But the chooks are worth the lack of garden any day. I love them to bits 

[wildwitchy]

How true is that about the garden. I started to have a lovely garden. My roses were my pride and joy (they are just brown sticks now-the chickens have eaten the buds  ) & the garden - I've given up - it belongs to the girls now. My husband went bonkers because i forgot to pick up off the floor his prized japanese maple - it isnt anymore. lol lol. 

[matilda duck]

And another thing.......why celebrity chicken owners???  Do they keep them any different to the rest of us!!!!  I THINK NOT!!!!!!!!!

[Roll Roll]

Hi Dave,
 what are you trying to do by your research? Encourage more people to get chickens?

[poppies]

I'm sick of all this celebrity hype first it was pigs and allotments and now chickens , they  seem to think they are experts over night , we have been doing this for 20 odd years but whenever I log on here i pick up tips so who needs  big headed celebrities in their sterile little worlds telling us how it's done -  sorry about rant but I do it for fun/lifestyle not money

[Roll Roll]

 :)The only celebrity chicken keepers I can think of are Colonel Sanders and I'm sure Basil Brush has had more than his fair share of chicken's over the years. Good luck getting an interview.

[too many girls]

the fox ate Jeremy Clarkson's chickens the same way he ate mine, he's a celebrity but was just as upset as i was...............................

[Aunt Sally]

GW has been so dumbed down that it's a waste of time watching it  

Gardeners Question Time on the other hand is worth a listen every week.  Real gardeners talking to an audience or real garden enthusiasts

Do you garden in any serious way Dave ?

And did you get permission from this site's owner to use these forums for your research ?

[Roughlee Handled]

I feel negativity toward GW, it may be a hunch but something tells me that your not happy with the program and your not going to help them. 

On a serious note I would like GW to broadcast the reasons why people should not get chickens
1. You can not go on holiday unless you have a trusted freind.
2. They need attention twice a day.
3. You need to be able to kill the birds you have or you must be able to pay £30 -£40 for a vet to put it down.
4. Most Hybrids will only produce eggs for 2 years max, but can live to 9 years.
5. ......... I have not got time to write any more as I am  being audited today.
Please post more reasons.

[Caralou]

6.You need to provide good quality housing, that can be quite expensive as an initial outlay;
7.You have to give them daily/weekly check overs and learn to recognise when they are unwell, which involves spending time with them and getting to know them - they are harder work than my cats;
8.At least half an hour a day for cleaning and feeding is required;
9.As mentioned before, they will destroy the garden if free ranging so you need to decide how to keep them and to make sure they have plenty of space and activity;
10..... next person with other reasons to consider 

[andreadon]

11. you need to be able to give the house a thorough deep clean every month.
12. you need to keep on top of worming etc and other medicinal requirements
13. I wouldn't even trust my favourite friends from point 1 as they don't understand quite how much they need looking after.
14.  you have to get up at dawn to let thme out in the morning (in summer that's stil lthe middle of the night)
15. you can't be lax when it comes to letting them out in the garden, or even in their run - one false move and the fox will be off with them.

next!

[matilda duck]

I feel negativity toward GW, it may be a hunch but something tells me that your not happy with the program and your not going to help them. 

Stuart what are you trying to say??? US??  
 I'll have you know we are very friendly!!!    We would love GW if John was doing it ...but he's NOT   Take note......

16- You have to be prepared to pay expensive vet bills if you have a number of chickens.
17-If MR Fox does get them you have to be prepared for dealing with the heartache.



Celebrities Probably Don't look after theirs, they get the house keeper to!!!!!!!

NEXT....