[Lindeggs]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and about to become a new back yard chicken farmer!  I am setting up a coop and run, and then will get six lovely chooks to keep me supplied with eggs.  But first I have a lot of learning to do! 

I have a tumble-down shed in the back yard that I will turn into the hen house/dormitory.  I also have an area under some trees that I will fence off for a run.  The rest of the time the hens can wander around the back yard, eating grubs & greenery.

Sounds good in theory, but I know it's never that smple! 

[daisy1990]

welcome you will soon love your hens they are very compulsive!

[orchardlady]

Welcome to the forum Lindeggs. You will love keeping hens, especially free ranging birds..... I certainly don't want to put too much of a downer on your tumbled down shed idea but sheds are often not ideal. They can harbour pests such as red mite (possibly the nastiest little blood suckers ever that can make your hens life hell) and are much harder to clean than a purpose built hen house. Also I don't know what predators there are in New Zealand but make sure any house, shed or building you use will be robust enough to keep the predators out at night.

There are lot's of people her that are always full of excellent advice so ask away however silly the question might seem...no sniggering or jeering here!

[jinty1911]

Welcome!! This is a really good site for learning about chooks.  I have started reading  from page 600 odd to the present day.  Great site and people. 
Jiinty

[Lindeggs]

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone!  The more I learn, the more I realise how little I know! 

orchardlady, thanks for the tip about the shed.  It's actually not too bad - it has a concrete floor that will make it easy-ish to clean and the roof is intact and water-tight.  I would love to build a lovely fresh, clean structure but the budget doesn't stretch that far at the moment!  I will need to be super-alert to mites and pests in the woodwork though.

I anticipate my main predators are going to be rats and domestic cats.  The whole area with the shed inside will be fenced with chicken wire so I hope I can keep the predators out.  We are very lucky that we don't have foxes or other bigger animals here. 

PS Sniggering and jeering are fine with me.  I've had my vaccinations and I think I'm immune. 

[orchardlady]

It's unlikely you'll have any problems with domestic cats. A grown hen will see one off quite easily. I'm glad that your shed is not as higgrly piggrly as I thought. You will love keeping chickens and once they start to lay you'll never want to eat a shop bought egg again even if it's free range.

[compostqueen]

Hi there

Are you in north or the south island?  My sis and family have recently returned from a year over there 

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

It will probably help at some point if you can add your location to your profile (click your username, then follow links to edit forum profile), otherwise we'll probably assume you're in UK and any discussions or advice re. seasons and products may be inaccurate.  Ta

[Lindeggs]

Hi there

Are you in north or the south island?  My sis and family have recently returned from a year over there 

I'm in the North Island - in Auckland.  About a third of the whole population of the country lives in Auckland so I'm not a rare breed of fowl!

[Lindeggs]

Welcome to the site 

It will probably help at some point if you can add your location to your profile (click your username, then follow links to edit forum profile), otherwise we'll probably assume you're in UK and any discussions or advice re. seasons and products may be inaccurate.  Ta

Thanks for the tip, Yorkie.  I have now added my location to my profile.  Fortunately NZers speak the same language as the UK so I don't need to use Google translator to understand most of the advice!  P.S. I'm looking forward to keeping chooks on my section.

[compostqueen]

My sis was in the south and enjoyed the wide open spaces.  She's back now, her husband's contract having been completed, but her daughter really liked it and wants to return 

[Paul Plots]

Welcome to the site 

It will probably help at some point if you can add your location to your profile (click your username, then follow links to edit forum profile), otherwise we'll probably assume you're in UK and any discussions or advice re. seasons and products may be inaccurate.  Ta

Thanks for the tip, Yorkie.  I have now added my location to my profile.  Fortunately NZers speak the same language as the UK so I don't need to use Google translator to understand most of the advice!  P.S. I'm looking forward to keeping chooks on my section.

Knowing where someone is can make a big difference... not language wise but suggestions, products and equipment / supply sources. Even in these days of global markets and internet ordering shipping from the UK to NZ could be rather expensive and UK suggestions might be a waste of time for you in NZ.

Welcome to the site, by the way. Great to have friends "on the other side" / down under!! 

[Lindeggs]

Thanks Learner.  I agree - it's really useful to know where people are from.  In New Zealand we have a lot of endangered native birds so the biosecurity rules are really tough. Anything poultry-related can be very hard to import here.

Also of course it's important to know that as the northern hemisphere goes into winter, we are coming into summer! 

Compostqueen, the South Island does have some lovely wide open spaces.  I try to get down there as much as possible but most of the time I'm stuck in the overcrowded city!  So instead I will bring a bit of country to the town and get some back-yard chooks.   

[hillfooter]

Welcome Lindeggs,
We have a daughter in Wellington, (which for all the UK readers is in the very southern part of north island).  She's more into horses though.
Best of luck
HF

[alisonwo]

As a matter of interest Lindeggs, what breed of girlies do you have in your part of the world.  Do you know I have no idea if they are the same the world over, well yes I know they all lay eggs, very funny, but what breeds are they? alison