Chicken Virgin.

Beegly.

I'm sure this kind of post has been made many times in the past...but as I am new to this community and having looked through a number of pages, I haven't yet spotted one which I could add to...Hence, my new heading..please bear with me yea.

Unless you are a 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' fan...Beegly is robot talk for Hello, How ya doing, Good Morning etc......

I am partially physically disabled, my partner Vonnie is confined to an electric wheel chair. However, we do have non-dis grown up lads in the house. Who will help and assist us.

Vonnie wants to have a couple of Chickens...as we all like a fresh eggs and she would love to have them anyway.

We will be siting the chicken coup at a level where she can access it on the days she is well enough.

So my questions are very basic.

1) What breed is best?
2) Chicks or grown birds from a dealer or market? ( we are in no rush)
3) Do we let them wander around the back garden (no plants in it) which is fenced in, or would a movable pen about 20 feet by 6 feet...or smaller as I do not know what is required be the best thing?
4) Are two chickens happy or should it be three or four?

I have genned up on feed etc and housing which sorts out some of the problems involved with keeping livestock. We also have no problems with the council as we are in the country.

Pests and diseases I can look into of course...it's just the basics as my questions above. Much better getting feedback from peeps on a forum who have experience rather than reading books and wondering.

Thanks in advance.

s'mae! Hello!

I'm just outside Llanelli though am English, so just learning Welsh

I am new to chicken keeping too (so no great advice from me), got our first 2 girls last week. We got hybrids (either Bovan Nera's or Black copper marans - not 100% sure)!
they are at POL (point of lay) so fingers x'd we should have eggs in the next few weeks.. waiting patiently.

They are lovely animals, and I must say low maintenance compared to a lot. once you have everything right of course.

We have 2, and they seem happy together. they were in seperate runs at a local feedstore so weren't best buddies or anything but get on well all the same. They both have differnet voices, markings and even characters! which is lovely for both myself and our daughters.

Wish you good luck in your planning and hope to see you around here, and pictures in due course!

I'd go with Warrens too esp first time they are a lovely friendly brown hen, and they will lay like maniacs for you, won't go broody as that's been more or less bred out of them, they are quite economical to keep in the way of food etc some breeds eat more than others.
If you can let them wander then they will be "happy as larry" even penned up  in the size of pen you mentioned they would have ample space,

I've never had less than 3 hens so I'm not sure about just two but Aunty keeps a couple very successfully, ask your self how may eggs you eat in a week, we've found we now eat about twice if not three times as many now we have lovely eggs, cakes are wonderful with fresh eggs.  

 Just thinking about getting another 2 myself  :roll:  

Beegly,

Welcome to the Forum.

I'm 3 months in to chicken keeping and am already incubating eggs for some more!

We have 3 chickens as we didn't want one to die and be lonely (well that's what my kids said).

I would say they are brilliant pets and if you've the help you need you should be fine with keeping them.  They only time they need involvement is letting them out early in the morning and shutting them in to bed at dusk.  Also egg collecting is important if you don't want to encourage egg eating from your chickens.  So we do that about midday.

I would also encourage you to let them roam free if you're not too worried about your garden.  We've just penned ours off because they were trashing things too much and it was causing World War 3 between my OH and me (he didn't like the poo everywhere, surprisingly! :shock: ).  However, I really miss them being free range as I would go and sit in the garden and they would come and sit next to me for a little sun bath.  They are lovely sociable pets and if you want to enjoy them that way it's great to let them roam free.

Good Luck!  

So don't worry, there will be plenty of pics...you will probably become bored.

We don't do bored