[muntjac]

i believe you if the eggs are not frozen or chilled to below 5 c they will hatch its natural for chickens to leave eggs until they have layed the whole clutch

[littleorchard]

Amen muntjac to top post!

I used to have a banam who didn't like to lay in the hen house and used to wait until we let them out into the garden, pegg it up the path as fast as and lay under an old table in the shed in an old plastic dog bed!!

They don't take much looking after and are real characters.

(Any old plastic dog beds make great nesting boxes!)

RIP Ethel... one little banham with lots of character!

[Lost in France]

The most fantastic thing my little silkie bantams have done is to rear a pair of peacocks! Between 5 of them they took it in turns (and sometimes all together), to sit on the 5 peacock eggs...what a strain as they are big and my girls are little! Anyway 2 actually hatched and the hens treated them as if they were their chicks..even when they were enormous they called to them if they found a juicy titbit! Eventually the peachicks were so big we had a job to get them into the henhouse with their "mums"! Now they roost high in a poplar in the garden but spend most of their day in the hen run. It is so lovely to watch them all esp the little mums still letting the peacocks eat first!
If I could work out how to post a photo, I'd show one of the peacocks inside the hen arc!!

Judi

[muntjac]

go to welcome forums and the photo help is there judi

[lannie]

i have very small back garden with a pond .would love to have some chickens but only if i can be fair to then. i have looked at chicken coops about 5ft long thats with the run.Would like about 3 hens. would this be fair to keep then in because im worried about then falling in the pond if they where allowed free range ?

[muntjac]

they wont fall into the pond .. and if they did thye will get out no worries .chucks can swim  put aslope at one end to allow any chucks or hedgehogs to get out  the coop will be fine for then

[lannie]

thankyou muntjac  I should have said the pond is about about 3 foot of the ground So its not accessible to wild life but thank again never knew chooks could swin

[peachesandclive]

Hello,
So, I've got a little hen house and run (ex-rabbit hutch) - both fox-proof.
What I need now is a list of essentials before I get my hens. What do I actually need?
Very eggcited hen keeping newcomer,
Peaches

[kooringa]

Firstly work out how many chickens you can keep in your hen house, and decided what you want the chickens for. Sounds a silly question - but do you want them primarily for laying eggs - if so hybrids lay the most.

If you hen house is not very big - then bantams are great.  It you click on the  link to my blog and under categories on the right hand side you click on chickens to see my 'set up' and all the breeds of bantams I have to get an idea.

Just a quick basic list of equipment

Feeder - for their pellets
Drinker - for water

The above can either be purposely made one from pets shops or off the internet or improvised ones like baking trays, bowls etc.  I would recommend the 'fountain' type feeders and drinkers which are very cheap and easy to clean - made of plastic.

Food - layers pellets or mash - where you get your birds from with advise you on what they have been eating and what to buy.

Bedding - I used Aubiose or Hemcore - £7.25 a bale and lasts for months.

All the other 'extras' can be bought later as and when you need them.

[peachesandclive]

Thanks for that.

I've read about the need for oestra, grit, mite powder and other technical sounding stuff. How much, how often...?

[kooringa]

When they are point of lay - then you did need to have grit available to them.  Mine free range - and I do have grit in a pot for them all the time - they seem to get all they need from the garden, gravel paths, flower beds etc.

I can give you - and  lots of others on here - lots of information on feeding,  etc.  When you get them - your breeder/supplier will give you information on feeding your birds - depends on the age you buy them and I am sure will be able to supply you with the pellets or mash or chick feed again depending in their age and what they are currently being fed on.

Thought I would just go with the basic needs. Then once you get them can add others if necessary.

I wouldn't stock up with lots of the expensive tonics etc until you feel you need them.

[peachesandclive]

Thanks for that. Very helpful.

It is actually the plan to collect hens later today or tomorrow - my husband is, as I type, sorting out the henhouse with a perch and nesting area. We have a large off-ground rabbit hutch and an attached 8ft run. We're getting 2 or 3 from a farm from a lady who breeds chickens to sell so I imagine she'll tell us all this anyway. Still, I don't want to sound like a dimwit when I get there!

I am now fretting over how they'll cope in the cold. I know this is ridiculous - but I personally wouldn't fancy sleeping outside on a branch... :roll:

[kooringa]

They will be fine - mine are out all day in all weathers (their choice) and go in to roost when it is dusk and sleep with the door open in all weathers - you can see that too on my blog.

Don't forget - they are walking around with their own duvet on - and are well dressed for all weathers!

[jimroden]

Chooks are perfect pets

But there not pet's are they realistically there a food source. just as munty has said they are were game birds that people now look after in their yard or allotment what ever but they are not pet's. They are a source of food whether it be egg's or them. I intend having 12 chickens 9 for eating and 3 for laying as we tend to eat more chicken than the egg's .

Jim

[Aunt Sally]

My chooks are pets Jim   :!:

They do lay eggs but when they stop I'll still look after them and enjoy them.  I even arranged for one of my hens to have a hysterectomy, but I decided she was too weak and had her put to sleep by the vet, and burried her in the "forbidden" flower bed :cry:

That sounds like pets to me