[Henlady]

I have always wanted to keep chickens and I have spent ages deciding if I had time and the inclination to look after them and have finally commited.  I'm married with two teenage kids a mad spanial and two cats (both of which have brought dead rats home before now).

There are lots of birds around here, often see them coming onto the lanes around here but I'm not confident enough to let them free range if I'm not around.  So for now they will in in a run the my husband is going to enlarge for me, but when I'm around they can have the run of the garden.

If the run is done this week may get the hens next weekend if not 2 weeks after.  My daughter wants to help choose them, she would prefer little chicks but I want POL. 

I was thinking of getting 3 hens to start and adding 2 more later or would it be best just to get 5 to start with?  Any advice welcome.

[SUTTY1]

 In my relatively inexperienced opinion and assuming the housing big enough, i'd get the 5 now and get the pecking order sorted out in 1 go.
Hopefully rats wont be a problem with those cats about.
Good luck

[lucylou]

HI!  i  agree with Sutty, get all in one go.  have you decided what breeds you are going to get? it is so exciting deciding once youve got your girls you will be down in the garden with them at every spare moment, they are so funny - such good stress busters good luck
lucylou

[IMOmimey]

congratulations! and welcome 

[robinsnest]

Hi and welcome, personally I would go for three, if you get others later they soon sort themselves out. Three POL will give you at least 15 eggs a week if not more.

You will learn a great deal from them least of all the amount of destruction 3 hens can do in a garden  

Hens are wonderful creatures in a garden in spite of the damage they can inflict, I love mine (I have and could not imagine being without hens, so go for it and good luck ... but I would still start with three

[fastmonkey85]

Hi

You will love them to bits and you will find yourself not far from them if your at home. I would go for 5 straight away because I had no end of trouble with my hens fighting when I introduced my last 2 hens. It took weeks for them to sought the pecking order out good luck

[jackie]

hiya, i am quite new to chooks as well. i got seven all together in november, they are all different colours and breeds so we can tell them apart. we were thinking of getting more but to be honest i think its too much trouble because you have to put them through quarantine so they dont infect the other ones. i'm glad i got mine all together. either way, you'll love them, other than getting up early to let them out lol

[beulah59]

Chicks need extra equipment/care, don't they?

How many you get depends on how many eggs you can deal with ... will you sell some? And if you become dependent on having eggs, you might need to add a couple more POL in 18months/2 years time if they slow down.

[Henlady]

I think the run will be big enough, about 8sqm, but when we're around they will have the garden as well.

I like the idea of different breeds a) so I can identify them and b) if they have different coloured eggs I can see who is laying.

If we have 5 I want 2 light sussex, 2 speckledy and one nero but only one of each if I get 3.  They are going to be right outside the kitchen window so I can see them when I'm in there and everyone will walk past them to go out.  I thought that was better than tucking them away at the bottom of the garden esp as I know it will be me letting them out and putting them away.  Also it is the mildest part of the garden and rarely gets frost.

Got to clear out the old flower bed this week so we can set it all up.  I'd love to try and get some hens this weekend but I don't think it will happen that soon.

Has anyone used the rubber chipping instead of the wooden ones?

[Jeanette]

I would go for the 5 and get the pecking order over and done with. Italways upsets them when they are all living happily and then you add more

[jackie]

you say your gonna let them roam in your garden but dont forget they do really big poos! we've got decking and they keep coming up onto it to try and get in our back door. very messy. I'm trying to think of ways to allow them in the garden but not on decking.

[smiler43]

If you have the room I'd go for 5 to be honest after having a bad time introducing 1 which I don't think I'll do again go for it.  But beware as people have said be prepared for the poo and the mess they'll make of the garden.  We split our garden so we can rotate them round and during winter if it's very wet they stay in the run.  My hens are outside the kitchen too so I can keep an eye on them.  They are great but don't rush get things ready before you purchase.