interested in keeping chickens

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dankay123

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interested in keeping chickens
« on: October 22, 2012, 13:51 »
im interested in keeping chickens on my allotment. i have a full time job and a young daughter so would like to know how much time i would need to allow for feeding, cleaning and maintenance. i would only want to keep 2-3 to start with as i dont feel the need for loads of eggs just interested in keeping hens and other game birds

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arugula

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Re: interested in keeping chickens
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2012, 14:10 »
Having just seen your mouse thread, chickens eat mice. :D
"They say a snow year's a good year" -- Rutherford.

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dankay123

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Re: interested in keeping chickens
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2012, 14:42 »
haha. on a serious note that mouse is gonna get it.  :lol:

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joyfull

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Re: interested in keeping chickens
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2012, 17:19 »
first of all on allotments you can only keep hens and rabbits not other game birds.
As for their care unless you have an auto pop hole opener you will need to get to the allotment in the morning to let them out and then check their feed and water. Do not leave the feeders out all night unless your run is rat proof otherwise you will be feeding Roland Rat and all of his relatives every night. If a small run then daily poop picking is best. In winter their water can freeze so you will need to make sure that you have a way of trying to prevent this or be able to sort it out during the day.
Then towards the end of the day you will need to collect their eggs, give them a treat of mixed corn if you wish and then wait for them to go to bed, put their feed away - you will need a secure container for this - I use old metal dustbins.
At weekends most people clean their birds coops out so time doing this can depend upon what style of coop you have.
Do you have somebody who can look after your birds when you go on holiday?
Staffies are softer than you think.

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nerdle

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Re: interested in keeping chickens
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2012, 08:36 »
I know someone who keeps chickens at the allotment he shares it with a friend who lives next door to it.  He would find it too much otherwise - vital for holidays/illness.  You are wise to think ahead.
One grandma and 4 baby Pekins.

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steelman

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Re: interested in keeping chickens
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2012, 14:59 »
Hi Dankay..
I started with a few on our allotment.. I now have almost 50 after just over 2 years! You need to think long and hard about it. I share all duties with my brother, it would just be too much otherwise. Its not only holidays that you need to cover.. Paddling about in the mud on my way to work at 6am in the pitch dark is not fun believe me.

We have a clean out at weekends, but depending on your coop size, 2 or 3 hens won't necessarily mean you have to completely clean out EVERY weekend. It was mentioned about water above, be prepared to have to carry water carriers up when it is very cold. Our taps on the allotment are sometimes frozen for days on end.

But in summer, when its sunny ( when?) I spend many a happy hour up there and enjoy it no end. Could you perhaps join with another interested party on your patch to possibly share duties/costs/eggs??
C



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