[momo32]

I have decided it would not be a wise decision to get a rooster! I will get 3 hens to start with and see what happens from there on....

I dont fancy getting ducks unfourtunatelly I have always favoured chickens over them for some reason !

I am still not sure if I am going to build my coop or buy one or buy a shed maybe......will make the wired run and will use the materials suggested.

Thanks very much everyone for your help, helped me out a lot !

If you have any more suggestions, by all means keep them coming. I am sure I will have more questions to ask anyway

[peggyprice]

Sorry momo, didn't mean to hijack your thread onto ducks  :oops:

You're doing exactly the right thing asking as many questions as you can now (and listening to the answers as well by the sounds of things   ) - I've learnt so much from the people round here, there's no substitute for learning from others' experience  

Keep us posted    

[violet]

I have asked questions about the idea of ducks in the past (worried that they make far too much mess) but now.... they sound (and look) so lovely... wish I had not read this thread now! :roll:

[momo32]

Dont worry peggyprice    I dont mind reading finding out new things about ducks either !

Thanks for the help everyone, I will hopefully get everything sorted in the next few weeks and will keep you all updated  

[peggyprice]

I have asked questions about the idea of ducks in the past (worried that they make far too much mess) but now.... they sound (and look) so lovely... wish I had not read this thread now! :roll:

We can share a lift over to Kate's ... there's two for you, two for me, and two for someone else ...    

[momo32]

I am going to get 3 hens to start with but after a while I think I will be getting more.....maximum number of chickens I will have will probs be 8.

What size of coop do I get?

I am goingt to get a coop that is raised from the ground.

And what size of run do you suggest I make or maybe just buy?

Thanks people  

[GrannieAnnie]

If you just think of the general rules, 1 chicken needs at least 1sq foot of house and 1sq metre of run, but the more you can give them the better.  Make the fencing round the run as high as possible, and some people cover the tops of theirs in netting too, but we don't s it would cost us a bomb, with the size of our runs!! lol

Our 10 layers are in what used to be the 5ft x 4ft £99 shed from B&Q which hubby made into a lovely coop and the girls have loads of room in it plus 3 perches and their posh nest boxes.  There is room for another 10, but 8 more would be enough for me!

[momo32]

Thanks for the help GrannieAnnie

Ive looked at chicken coops on the internet and some have the run under the coop, some have the run beside the coop....what one is better?

And is price related to quality? The dearer the coop is the better?

 :o

[GrannieAnnie]

Well I think that if you have the run going under or partially under the coop, its better for a small garden as you are saving a bit of space, and generally what you pay for is what you get, so pay more and you should get better quality, but it isn't always that easy.  I'm lucky as my Brian is a carpenter, and he makes most of our coops from scratch, or we get something for free, like the one I just mentioned, then he makes it stronger.  

As an example, here is a large ark made by someone we know, and I'm going to put some pics on my blog to see if I can sell any for him.  It ideal for a small garden, but giving the chooks a goodish run space!

[/IMG]

or there's the big square ones where you can actually go inside the run yourself, but with this ark, you don't have to go inside to do anything.  It's a very personal thing......

[momo32]

That is what I am thinking of getting.....

http://www.ideas-4-pets.com/pages-popup_image/pID-2473/index.html

Is that any good ?

Sorry dont know yet how to post an image, tried but failed !

[momo32]

Wish I could make my own coop GrannieAnnie!!!

I am useless when it comes to woodwork  :cry:

[Vember]

That look fantastic

Lucky hens  

[momo32]

Need to save up before buying it tho need to save up a lot actually cause all of this will cost me a bit but I am not fussy I am looking forward to having some chickens    going to be good fun and a challenge !

[momo32]

Another thing that I have just thought of...

What do chickens eat?

I know they eat grass but is their any special food that I need to feed them and can I give them fruit and veg to eat?

Thanks

[Kate and her Ducks]

I have asked questions about the idea of ducks in the past (worried that they make far too much mess) but now.... they sound (and look) so lovely... wish I had not read this thread now! :roll:

We can share a lift over to Kate's ... there's two for you, two for me, and two for someone else ...    

Got some white campbell ducklings looking for homes, more hatched than my aunt has room for    

In the meantime this is Daisy showing off her emerging green feathers