[woodsmoke]

I have read and read books and trawled through websites and am besieged with so much info I am dizzy!  Do I really need to go on a course?  Can keeping two or three hens be that difficult?  Small urban garden, have checked with council, fancy an ark with run underneath, don't want to pay the earth but realise get what you pay for too.  How easy is it to transport hens by car in boxes?  Will three hens keep a three person family in eggs for most of the year?  Do you have to clip their wings (6 foot fences)?  All these possible illnesses - if kept in good hygiene and well fed - how likely?  Will they destroy my lawn and garden?  How long does a pol bird live?  Pandt poultry - any recommendations?

[adi]

3 weeks ago i was where you are now, i've since got three warrens for my garden and have had little trouble so far. This forum is a real help. I carried all three in a large cardboard box in the car with no problems. I clipped their wings ( just one not both) and they still managed to get onto the 6 foot fence around the pen i had built. ( it now has a large net over the top) As for eggs, mine are'nt laying yet so cant help you there, but i can tell you they will ruin the grass if you don't move the run around and will also eat your plants if they get a chance. I thoroughly recommend the hobby, my three now come running when i approach like you'd imagine a dog would. maybe something to do with the corn i usually have. I've only had them 2 weeks now so still learning but well worth the effort. Hope that helps you.
adi.

[too many girls]

I have read and read books and trawled through websites and am besieged with so much info I am dizzy!  Do I really need to go on a course?  Can keeping two or three hens be that difficult?  Small urban garden, have checked with council, fancy an ark with run underneath, don't want to pay the earth but realise get what you pay for too.  How easy is it to transport hens by car in boxes?  Will three hens keep a three person family in eggs for most of the year?  Do you have to clip their wings (6 foot fences)?  All these possible illnesses - if kept in good hygiene and well fed - how likely?  Will they destroy my lawn and garden?  How long does a pol bird live?  Pandt poultry - any recommendations?

get them, you won't regret it

[dizzylizzie]

 hi, i think you have to do loads of research.....speak to anyone and everyone...read loads....read this forum, then go for it....im getting my girls in 13 hours and im so excited! im very nervous also, but i know there are a lot of experts on here that can help with problems! good luck x

[Hopton Mitch]

Lizzie,

I've put collection of my girls off until Sunday afternoon to give me another day to get the infrastructure of the run put in place but I know what you mean I'm both excited and nervous. Good luck for tomorrow.

Mitch

[snowflake]

Keeping hens is no different from keeping cats, dogs or parrots.
Well ok hens live outside. but provide good dry housing, fresh food and water daily.
hygine is the key.
 dont over feed them, greens are good for them, just a well ballanced diet.
how long do they live? well like all animals some live a couple of years and some live longer. Just depends on the hen I have one who is 6-7 years now she seldom lays but is so cheeky shes a sort of warren someone gave me her our rosie. She was a laying machine.
read up on lice and mites then read up on illness as a lot of vets dont know about hens, so your knowledge may save a hen, you can buy a lot of products online or at farm shops.
but best of all enjoy your hens they are so much fun and the eggs you wont want to buy shop eggs again.

[IMOmimey]

Start off simply, believe me, IT'LL GROW. I started with a coop, surrounded by a chicken wire run, a dog bowl for layers pellets and a proper waterer.

 As I had the money, and saw the need, i extended the run, then put seethru corrugated sheeting over it, more so I didn't get wet MYSELF as i was out with them. I discovered that the cheaper red/white feeders and waterers were useless, replaced them with 4l green and white ones (with legs and a carrying handle) etc etc.

 I learned as I went along, and have loved every minute of it. I now breed them, and last count had 129 (incl all the new chics).

I now love getting up in the morning, taking my cuppa (and ciggy...naughty girl ) out to watch the flock before heading out for my 8 hours work.
(NB don't let anyone leave cig stubs where the chickens can get them...1.they could choke/get stuck in their crop and, 2. the nicotine filtered into them is poisonous)

I've never regretted it, and would recommend it to ALL, especially for those with children/grandchildren. 

GO FOR IT, and enjoy

[jo40]

Hello Woodsmoke

I have found that this forum has been the most informative friendly source of learning.

I have, however, learnt the biggest lessons through experience - my son was given a struggling chick, why I accepted it I really dont know Id always been determined to be sensible and buy healthy birds from good breeders, but the 'Arrh' thing got the better of me.

She is still with us - but I now know all about worms, chicken lice, impacted/sour crop and vets bills!

I know for sure that without this forum she would not have made it as I wouldnt have been able to identify and sort out the problems quickly enough.

I am a more competent chicken keeper than I was 2 months ago, I have a long list of how I will do things differently in the future, but mostly, I dont worry so much now as Ive learnt that I can do it! Even the yucky lice stuff

And if our little 'runt' maggie doesnt make it  (she seems to be doing ok at the moment, but vet has warned she may always be prone to ailments/infections) she will always be the most valuable chicken Ive had because Ive learnt so much from her.

Jo 
1 sussex, 1 maram, 1 barnavelder, 2 buff orpington, 2 gold laced orpingtons and 1 welsummer (Maggie) 2 lavender araucana on the way

Oh and one more thing - I only intended on getting 'a couple'  I just cant seem to help myself, my oh and son are no better, talking about 'having a go with a broody (oh) and jersey giants (son)

Good luck and enjoy  

[themagicaltoad1]

Hello woodsmoke, just a word of warning, if you're thinking of getting one of those coops with the attached run that are very popular at the minute you might want to think about attaching a bit more run to it, even for 3 birds it doesn't give them much room, (I speak from experience!). Different birds produce varying amounts of eggs so read up on the type you want if it's eggs that are your main consideration. Ours are just pets really, one goes to sleep in my daughter's arms when she picks her up. They are great entertainment and easy to keep. We pick up the poo every day and give the coop a major clean out once a week and a neighbour will come in each day to let them out/ lock them in & feed them if we're away. Have fun and enjoy!

[Sassy]

Re illnesses etc. Don't forget that these probably seem more prevalent than they actually are when you read this forum. People contact the forum when they have a problem not when things are going well - otherwise there would be loads of threadsand all saying the same thing - I love my birds, spend hours watching them, eggs are better than shop bought, want more ....... etc!!

You would be lucky to get 3 hens that will lay all year round, even with hybrids but you never know. I have 2 layers for 2 people and give eggs away, but I suppose it depends on how often you eat eggs

[agingchick]

Hi Woodsmoke I've had my 3 hens for 1 year now I get too many eggs for 3 people but my family and friends don't mind . I converted an old shed and built a covered run but let them freerange until I realized my lawn couldn't cope during the winter dormant period so I extended the run and gave the grass a rest from them . they do scratch and dig A LOT but wouldn't be without them . I haven't had any health problems but I did buy them from a reputable dealer( they are meadowsweet chickens). I say go for it, you don't have to spend a lot and they are so much fun.
Diane

[joyfull]

I started out with 2 in June 08 have now got 20, they are just sooo addictive 

[too many girls]

i planned on getting 12 hens, just for pets and eggs, how many do i have now? including the ducks we didn't think we'd have..........................64 and counting.....................

[andreadon]

(don't forget that just because you'll have too many eggs for just the 3 of you, you'll want 3 hens to keep each other company and just in case something happens to 1....)

i've had mine for a year and a half now - started with 3 (went to 2 thanks to mr fox), got 2 more (ex-batts), lost one of those to illness and got another 3 pullets in may.  that's 6 in total!
they're brilliant pets to have and family and friends love having eggs as treats and pressies!

definitely give them as big a permanent run as space allows - better for the hens' welfare and better for the smell (we all recommend 2 sq metres per bird - so you'll need 6 sq metres: which is a run sized 2m x 3 m)
and give them shelves or tables etc, for fun and to shelter under...
have fun!
 

[Bruced]

If you want a combination of giving the chicks a decent amount of room, plus not destroying permanently a piece of your garden, we have found a solution that works for us. We have a run that gives the chooks 2sqm each (min recommended around here it seems) but leave the door open all day and they have a fenced off area to run in. We got 50m of plastic fencing and 10 metal poles, which we move every couple of weeks. We have a pretty large garden and allow 3 hens around 60sqm, inc some trees, budges etc but you could do the same with a smaller garden. We find that moving the border a metre or so can make a big difference to which piece of grass gets the most scratching as they tend to do a regular perimeter patrol. This also works for us because we have 3 kids, aged 1, 2, and 3 and isolatingh the chooks makes the garden more kid-friendly, otherwise we tend to get presented with chicken poo by the 2 year old, which is a bit unnerving.

Do your research and so long as you are prepared, you will find chickens great fun. A damn good way of researching is to loiter on this forum for a while but remember, mostly people are here with a problem and that can skew the picture a little.

One other thing - if you are looking for a regular supply of eggs for the family, remember that a chicken only has a finite supply of eggs and depending on breed may only lay for 2-5 years out of a 6-9 year lifespan.

Good luck!