[feelingbroody]

Hello everybody, I am looking forward to getting my coop in the next few days or so and wondered what top tips could the expert poultry keepers out there offer me?
I have kept lots of birds in the past from parrots to quail but never hens so any help would be most gratefully appreciated and taken on board.

I have not yet got my hens so again any help as to what breed etc, I quite like bantams too and the thought of a lovely black and white speckled hen is really appealing .Thank you all for your help in advance

[themagicaltoad1]

Hi and welcome to the madhouse henhouse. There are so many different breeds to choose from it's really a matter of personal choice, availability and price. Just remember to buy or make a coop much bigger than you originally planned because you're bound to want more once you realise how much fun they are to keep.

[feelingbroody]

Thank you, I think I will fit in well here as my husband says I must be mad to want the chickens    The main reason I would like to keep the hens is for the lovely taste of home grown eggs! and of course somewhere to recycle all kitchen left overs ( Is there anything that you must not give to the hens?? and the pest control bonus somewhere to deposit all those slugs and snails. So in terms of breed I am not really bothered as long as they have a nice gentle disposition and provide me with their lovely eggs.

[uba]

Hi Broody,

Your husband is right, they are all mad here!! hehe

I'm a newbie too btw so no tips from me just a warm welcome

[GrannieAnnie]

MAD?    US?     How Very Dare you??    :blink:

Hi from me too!!!!!

As to what breeds?  Well, where to start?

large fowl, small fowl, bantams and tiny things like Sablepoots?
colour,  black, white, brown, lavender, speckled, laced, one colour, 2 colours, mixtures?
egg colour, white, brown, blue, green, olive, light brown, dark brown.
egg size, large medium, small

The list is endless  but this is a good place to start

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19629.0

and

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=31331.0

[feelingbroody]

Hello folks and thank you for your links grannie annie and OMG my head is spinning!! I am going to check out one of the breeders locally that are registered on here and see what he has and wont be sucked in for a pretty colour Will let you know how I go on. I am now armed with books and a surge of interest to learn. My coop and run are being delivered this weekend so I will keep you all informed of the next stage......the new addition to the family

[joyfull]

Annie forgot in the egg colour to include plum colour laid by the croad langsham 

[GrannieAnnie]

No one is perfect Joy!   

[calamityjane77]

Welcome

the only advice I can offer is to stay on this site  The people on here are so lovely and helpful I feel like I have joined a rather large chicken loving family 

[themagicaltoad1]

Pictures of your new additions are compulsary too

[feelingbroody]

  yes of course I am just about mastering this site but will try to upload photo's for your approval, gosh I hope I just buy the right ones. I have a 18ft narrow run with a 2metre hen house, so I was just thinking about two hens would this be sufficient space  

[hillfooter]

My top tip would be to get a good reference book so you will always have something by you to refer to.  If you know next to nothing about chicken keeping Katie Thear's evergreen "Starting with Chickens" is simple and has some sound advice which if you follow you won't go far wrong.  It's not the most comprehensive and is not particularly well layed out but it is good for beginners and not expensive on Amazon.  I've heard there's a Haynes Manual on chicken keeping which I've seen good reviews on which sounds a better reference book for any keeper.  This site is very useful and has many experienced and knowledgable keepers but remember that chicken keepers all have their particular passions and hobby horses and many times it's not consistent and you need to select the advice which best suits you and makes most sense.

Another top tip would be to keep the nutrition very simple and don't include lots of speciality feeds and supplements.  If you read the advertising blurb there's endless potions you can spend money on but there's lots of quackery too.  Feeding a staple diet of good quality layers pellets from a reputable feed manufacturer which shouldn't cost you more than say £7 - £8 for 20kg with a handful or poultry corn in the EVENING only is best.  keep household scraps to no more than 5% of their total feed and make sure it's cooked well and fresh.  If you have no grass then greens are OK hung up in their run.

Similar things can be said about "feed store" cures for common ailments.  Most are ineffective.  Particularly useless is a Red Mite Powder which you will see in a white cardboard tub and is sold everywhere as an organic treatment.  The reason there aren't effective treatments sold over the counter is that virtually all effective medications and pesticides are regulated and controlled by the veterinary or pesticide professions and you are best seeking advice from either these sources or experienced keepers rather than buying expensive herbal powders and sprays.

Birds to get, hybrids if you want lots of eggs and don't want to engage in the social side of the hobby such as showing, choose one you like the look of they all should lay well.  Don't get over hooked up on temperament most keepers over ascribe characteristics to given types but the particular strain (not breed) and how you treat them is just as important in determining how they will react to you.

Get Pure breeds if you want to engage in the wider aspects of the hobby such as showing.  They also make great pets and generally live longer and lay better into old age (over three years).  Pure breeds are like pedegree dogs and hybrids like mongrels if you want to think of them in this way.  Ensure if you buy pure breeds thay are easy to keep, hardy in our climate  and don't need a lot of pandering to.  There are several spectacular looking birds which are primarily breed for showing and won't lay much and need to be given special treatment in cold or wet weather.  Most native breeds are hardy.

Get Ex bats if you want to rehome birds and give them a better life in their last few years but expect more health issues and vet visits and you will be lucky if they go much beyond 2 years after an intensive laying life.  Getting ex batts is an act of mercy but is not without it's traumas as well as rewards.  I personally wouldn't mix ex batts and pure breeds.

Best of luck
HF

[feelingbroody]

Hi HF

Thank you for your reply, it was really helpful! I was offered some ex batts today and although I am so so sympathetic to what little life they have already endured I really don't feel that I could cope with the associated problems that everyone seems to say can go hand in hand with them, maybe when I am not such a newbie I may feel more confident, in the meantime I am going to see a local breeder of all things chooky and see what takes my eye.

I love the various breed of bantams but am told the egg production is not as good as a the larger breeds so I am heading in that direction, for now anyway!

I am so impressed with the knowledge of the members on this site and how helpful people are. To spend the time to answer others queries is truly a wonderful kind thing there is nothing better than to impart knowledge!

Thanks again everybody, you to HF and will let you know when the chosen ones arrive, (was going to be today but the run is not finished and I do want the Hilton to be ready for the girls when they arrive- strawberries on their beds as a welcome home treat  )

Bye for now
FB

[feelingbroody]

HF

Sorry forgot to say in the last post I got the book you referred to and yes it is fabulous!!

[uba]

Oh yours is the 'Hen Hilton' then is it ?

We are going with 'Cluckingham Palace' for ours hehehe