[TheWhiteRabbit]

Hi there,

Our allotment committee are considering a communal chicken area, where those that want to can have a chicken coop and keep a few chickens. We're in the fortunate position that we aren't council run - the land is private so we don't have any council based issues.

Does anybody on this forum have any experience of a communal chicken area? If so, how does it work? Do you have any photos? What problems have you encountered?

Many thanks,

Giles

[snow white]

We have a chicken co operative where there are six members who look after the chickens on a rotational basis.  There have been some initial issues with people forgetting to let them out in the run or putting them to bed.  Someone left the pop  hole open once and a stoat got one.  But I don't think you are talking about that sort of set up.   As long as people realise what is involved with looking after chickens and can go up at least twice a day in all weathers or arrange for someone else to,  it should be ok.  I keep chickens on my plot as part of my crop rotation.  I am up there two or three times a day.  It works for me.   

[Oakdalebirds1]

i recall watching River Cottage once and he organised local residents to garden on some waste land , they had chickens ! could be worth looking on his web page

[Sassy]

Could be really good with the right rules! eg you could not have people adding stock at will!

[grinling]

it would be good to have rules about numbers, ringing their chooks legs with 1 colour to identify; adding to stock.
You could do with all owners knowing about diseases and how to treat and cull.
You will also need landowners permission.

[ANHBUC]

You would need a strict policy on what to do about ill birds and vets bills.  A vet fund might be a good idea so that it does not fall to one individual to cough up if the need arises.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Thanks for all the thoughts so far. It's privately owned piece of land so we only need to have the committee agree to it.

If we do manage to get the go ahead, I'll post something up with photos so others can see what we did and how we went about it.