[Biscombe]

We are toying with the idea of getting some chickens, but we would have to keep them in some sort of a pen because I don't want my veggie patch ruined!! This could be quite difficult because of all the trees on the land which the chickens could get into and escape!!!!

Another problem is foxes which are a big problem for chicken keepers in this area! foxes have been know to kill in broad daylight! Someone told me that if you keep a pig in with your chickens, the foxes won't come near! is this true? I've always fancied getting a pot bellied pig so this could be the answer!!

We also have rats that live in our knarled old olive trees, could this also be a problem

What are your thoughts!!?? sorry for all the question!!

[Jellyhead]

Rats most certainly are a problem. I lost 3 lovely 2 month old chicks to rats recently. They got in the coop and caused havoc 2 nights running. The problem has been dealt with and my flock are all fine now but it is very distressing seeing the aftermath of the bast****.

[muntjac]

kill the rats . ferget the pig and get a big ostrich. the trees will be great roost sites for the birds if you enclose em

[dawninspain]

We started with our chickens about May. Began with 5, now have 14 and are getting probably 3 more and a cockerel on Friday. Ours are in our fenced vegetable plot and we have stapled chicken wire to bamboo sticks which we just stick in the ground to make a temporary outside run around their house which we can change around when ground becomes free of veg. They are quite adept at finding tiny gaps to escape through and need watching carefully. We actually had to buy lettuce for a couple of weeks recently because of the damage they caused. Probably in the winter we will fence off the veg rather than the birds and leave the chickens the rest of the space.

In the hot weather egg production was right down to about 50% but is now almost back to normal. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the winter as we have longer days than an English winter and more bright sunshine.

We have no foxes around here but we do have rats (which were around before we had the chickens) - they live in dry stone walls in the garden and we bait their holes regularly with poison which seems to keep them under control. Our neighbours cat (semi-feral) is very interested in the chickens and has progressed from watching at a distance to lying in the run within a foot of the chickens. One of the more dominant ones chased it off but when we were offered a free cockerel the other day we decided that it would be a good idea as a cat might be more wary of him.  He apparently is lazy and gets up late and crows in the afternoons so hopefully we won't get complaints!  We are also thinking that it might be good to let a hen go broody and raise some chicks to bring on for the table.

Good luck Biscombe. Keeping chickens is great.

[muntjac]

dont forget to change the rat poison brand every few weeks