[new chooks]

Hi,
we are just starting out into the world of keeping chix, we have an area of unused garden under our apple tree that we think will be just right for keeping a few chix. We just sent of for the coop building instuctions and already have been given a local supplier to get our chooks from. Any advice or tips would be very welcome. We do have a large garden but we live on an estate, so we are hoping this won't cause any problems.
We are very new to this although it is something we have always wanted to do. Please any tips or things we shouldn't do?   :?

[Aunt Sally]

Hi new chooks,  Welcome to the forums

Lovely to hear your getting some chook.  

If you're on an estate make sure you don't get any cockerels  :shock: Buy point of lay hen then you'll be OK.  Even on an estate there will be foxes about, during the daytime too, so make sure you have a foxproof run for them.

With chooks in the garden you'll have a fun time  :!:

[richyrich7]

Hi and welcome    chooks are a wonderful addition to the garden all those lovely eggs, we have a great section on Poultry information written by some very knowledgeable peeps like Aunt Sally, start of with "Muntjac's keeping chickens just the facts".... thread.

If your unsure on anything then don't be afraid to ask  

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi newchooks and welcome.  Would you mind sharing with me who that supplier is you mentioned?  Its just that I had an enquiry from someone in Dorset the other day who wanted to buy some of my POL's, but I'm to far from Dorset?   Thanks

[PJM]

Welcome to the forum. I live in the middle of a large housing estate, in a city centre, and have had no problems with my chooks and neighbours, in fact you will find they become of interest to most others. A neighbour of mine has now built a coop and run of his own, so get your chooks and enjoy them. No cockerels though, one of my hens! turned into a very handsome cockerel and sadly had to go.

[new chooks]

Hi new chooks,  Welcome to the forums

Lovely to hear your getting some chook.  

If you're on an estate make sure you don't get any cockerels  :shock: Buy point of lay hen then you'll be OK.  Even on an estate there will be foxes about, during the daytime too, so make sure you have a foxproof run for them.

With chooks in the garden you'll have a fun time  :!:

Had already decided cockerels out, What do you mean by foxproof? We do have foxes about but thought they would only be about at night, so this is our first point on the learning curve. Any more foxy info please? We are so excited, waiting for the chick coop plans at the moment.
 

[new chooks]

Welcome to the forum. I live in the middle of a large housing estate, in a city centre, and have had no problems with my chooks and neighbours, in fact you will find they become of interest to most others. A neighbour of mine has now built a coop and run of his own, so get your chooks and enjoy them. No cockerels though, one of my hens! turned into a very handsome cockerel and sadly had to go.

Yeah but you've not met our neighbours!  :roll: But have run it by them and no complaints so far! We are all excited, waiting for chicken coop plans before we can start.  

[Aunt Sally]

Foxes are mainy about at night but when the need food - winter time, when they have cubs - the wil ook for food during daytime too, so anywhere that your hens are during the day time needs to be foxproof to.  Weldmesh rather than chicken wire, buried weldmesh into the ground or a skirt of some kind, electric fence,  There's lots of ways to do it  

There will be lots more advice here for you.  All the chicken keepers here have to address the problem.

[new chooks]

Thanks to everyone that gave us advice so far , more is needed if you read on.
Just thought I'd give you an update. The Coop plans arrived yesterday and was built today. We now have a lovely desres for our chooks. Bunny tried out the enclosure and it got the thumbs up. At this point I might ask do rabbits and chix mix? :?  It was built for the chix but seems a lovely big space to let the bunny run, will it get hen pecked?
The idea was to have everything ready and then look around for some chooks but destiny took a hand and we noticed an advert in the local paper free range chooks for £1, just thought I'd give them a call and turned out was the chix farm about 1/4 of a mile away and before I knew it had arranged to pick up 4 in the morn.
He tells us they are 18 months old, didn't ask why he was selling them, not very sensible I know :roll: , should we be wary, are they maybe ones that don't lay well :?:
Anyway then it was of to the local animal feed shop where I got totaly ripped off buying the feeder and drinking thing :x , but had to have them ready for the chooks.
So that's it just waiting for their arrival.

[babe]

He tells us they are 18 months old, didn't ask why he was selling them, not very sensible I know :roll: , should we be wary, are they maybe ones that don't lay well :?:
.

they are just last years POL's, they will still lay lots of eggs, just not enough for greedy gits to keep them longer.

they sell them to us softies and get new ones in. but if they are warrens, (normal orangey colour chooks) you will have so much to laugh at, as they will follow you around, climb on your lap and eat out of your hand.

[Foxy]

hi there! Have no idea about rabbits and chooks! :shock:
I think it is quite common for commercial free rangers to sell their birds cheaply. They are no longer profitable to them, that doesn't mean to say they have finished laying. They may be a little bit scruffy, with a few feathers missing and probably moulting. You may have the opprtunity to chose your own, if you do look for the ones that look bright eyed with healthy red combs and clean bottoms! Mucky bottoms may indicate a poorly bird. Our neighbours buy birds like this and have no problems at all but lots and lots of eggs! Good luck!  

[richyrich7]

18 months old is about the age they get rid of, they've been laying for a year  and become less productive it their 2nd year and so on, so are not so viable for the egg producers, as they may not lay everyday, but for home use they should be fine  

Not sure I'd mix rabbits and chooks the rabbit may get pecked a bit depends I suppose on how big it is the bigger the better. Not sure if they can pass diseases between them or not to be honest, but the hens will eat the bunnys poo ..........Yummy raisins   :shock:  

[new chooks]

Thanks for that Richi, is umm bunny poo good for chickens? I had kinda thought that about the chix so looks like we got ourselves a bargain, any questions we should ask or things we should lok for when getting the chooks?

[new chooks]

Thanks babe and foxy,
sorry only just saw your replies, :oops: new to forums as well as chix,   yes think he said they are warrens (it was on a mobile that kept loosing signal he was so nearby I should have walked round and asked). Will let you know tomorrow!

[babe]

Thanks babe and foxy,
sorry only just saw your replies, :oops: new to forums as well as chix,   yes think he said they are warrens (it was on a mobile that kept loosing signal he was so nearby I should have walked round and asked). Will let you know tomorrow!

s'alright... this time.

HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE ME!!!