[CatherineF]

OK so they are coming home Thursday (well to the allotment) and I'm really excited!!

After finding out that the run attached to their coop that is coming with them is a bit undersized, I've ordered some mesh/plastic fencing from Ebay to give them the free range of the allotment.

So I have a few questions.  They are coming with bedding and feed, the area I want to put the coop and run is very overgrown with grass/weeds, will they like that or not?

Are there any plants that are poisonous?

My allotment is 50ft x 30ft I know my crops won't be entirely safe and things like the strawberry patch which is netted over anyway will that be enough to stop them?

What are other peoples experiences of keeping chickens on allotments, do your crops suffer much for it?

I read a thread on here about poo picking - I thought chicken poo was good for the garden, if they poo on the allotment I wasn't planning on picking it up - or should I?

[Lindeggs]

Congratulations on your new chickens!  I can guarantee you'll be as obsessed with them as the rest of us are, in just a few days!  

...They are coming with bedding and feed, the area I want to put the coop and run is very overgrown with grass/weeds, will they like that or not?

They will love it.  Let them have free run of all the weeds and they will eat them up, then turn over the soil searching for weed seeds!  Chickens are the best little garden assistants ever!

Are there any plants that are poisonous?

Yes there are.  Local people will be able to advise you better, but for me I had a lot of nightshades in the run before I got my chickens.  I started pulling them out but didn't get them all.  I was surprised (and pleased) to find that my new little pullets who were only about 12 weeks old at the time, ate all the weeds that were good for them and left the poisonous ones alone!

Of course if you leave them confined and the only greens left in their run are poisonous, they may over-indulge in them.  But in my experience, if they have plenty of choice, they will avoid the poisonous plants.

My allotment is 50ft x 30ft I know my crops won't be entirely safe and things like the strawberry patch which is netted over anyway will that be enough to stop them?

If your chickens can jump on top of the netting and press it down, they will eat everything they can get their beaks on!  I think you will need something much sturdier to protect your strawberries.

I read a thread on here about poo picking - I thought chicken poo was good for the garden, if they poo on the allotment I wasn't planning on picking it up - or should I?

Personally I never poo pick.  I just let the chickens dig it all into the garden beds.  But I am also surprised how much poo is produced by such small animals!  

I would suggest you work it out as you go.  If you're happy with them digging it in, then let them do it.  If you're finding the poo is a problem, pick it up and throw it on your compost.

[daisy1990]

Just one thing to add to the comprehensive reply above and that is beware of long grass- I presume if you have lots of weeds you will have long grass too.  If hens eat too much long grass it can give them sour crop (a condition which is very painful and distressing for them and which can ultimately kill them) so cut any long grass down before letting them loose!
Enjoy your girls

[CatherineF]

Thanks so much for your replies.

The run they have is fairly small for the 4 of them I think, it's 9ft x 3ft.  But will have to do until they are settled and can free roam round the allotment.

I'm very worried about transporting them home.  It is about 1.5 hour drive, plus we will then have to set up the coop/run (although most of it will transport in one piece so should be ok.

Now how is it best to do this, shoudl the coop be emptied and new bedding etc put in when we get home, or should I ask the current owner to leave their bedding etc in situ so the whole thing is still familiar when we get home?

I know that chickens can go down hill rapidly if under stress and stop eating/drinking etc.  Is it likely that the move could place extreme stress on them to the point of fatality and what can I do to reduce stress?

I plan to put them in the coop and shut them in for an hour or so before releasing them in to the run.

[JaK]

When you move the chickens, put them in a box (with bedding in) so it is dark and they go to sleep. When you get them home give them food and water straight away.
I would start them off with fresh bedding in the coop.

[CatherineF]

Even though theyre in a moving vehicle will they sleep?

Other than their layers pellets and picking up grubs on the plot, what treats can they have?

Also how long (just an average) would a 20kg bag of feed last 4 chooks?

I'm soooooooo excited 

[Lewjam]

Depends on age of the birds.

When they werel ittle (09 - 20 weeks) i got thorugh one sack for 3 brids in 11 weeks.

Now they are fully grown at 25 weeks im getting through 1 sack 4 - 5 weeks.

Dpends on breed and what else they will be eating.

Lew

[daisy1990]

different hens like different treats.  Just remember to give them only small amounts (one handful of corn between them all once a day is plenty) otherwise they dont eat their pellets (bit like children would always go for chocolate rather than a five a day!).  Our hens love mealworm, sweetcorn, cabbage, grapes and apples amongst other things
Let us know how you get on with the girls.  the best way to settle them in is to leave them in the coop undisturbed  overnight (once they have had food and drink) and dont keep checking on them, then let them into the run the next morning.  Difficult I know as we are always tempted to keep taking a peek!

[Jacinta]

It's good to put a chair for you to sit on amongst them/near them to get them used to you being their mam.  Give them healthy treats like dandelions while they get used to you, it gets them to come within touching distance quickly and they can pick bits as you hold them.  It's a big tempatation to give loads of treats but it's not good for them, so healthy things like broccolli, cabbage, sweetcorn and grapes is a good start but don't over do it.  Meal worms are great and they love them but they have a high fat content, try digging up real worms and watch them go crazy!  Mine fight over worms and steal them from each others beaks and tear around the place. 

You'll find that the food and water containers will get full of muck from them scratching around, if you can hang them up about 4-5'' that's best or put them up on bricks.  I add crushed garlic to my water as the dreaded red mite hate the taste of their blood if they do invade.  On the note of red mite, look up hillfooters slurry mix.  It's dead simple to make and is great stuff.  Get some diatom (many uses) and mix a small bowl with water to make a watery batter like consistency, add a squirt of poultry disinfectant and give it a mix, slap it all over the inside of the coop with a paint brush (especially the cracks and perch) and it'll dry to a white powder finish.  Any nasties that crawl across it with have their exoskeleton punctured and they'll shrivel up and die.  Re-apply every month or two and do the perch every few weeks.     

My 3 girls get through a 20kg bag every 6 weeks ish and a bag of corn goes a long way.  Shop around as prices vary hugely. 

Good luck.

[CatherineF]

I add crushed garlic to my water as the dreaded red mite hate the taste of their blood if they do invade. 

Is that crushed 'real' garlic (sorry brain blank couldn't think of a better way to describe it, or does powered garlic do the trick and do the chooks not mind the taste?

I have now been offered a shed as well    So after collecting the coop and run and chooks tomorrow, I will then be doing a shed conversion!!!

Honestly this really is addictive and theyre not even here yet!

I have no idea how to convert the shed though but will do some googling later and see what I can find.

My allotment is spread with manure at the moment, are they going to be ok rooting around in that?  I assume so.  Most of the weeds we have are docks, nettles, dandilions and some kind of thing with a daisy type flower on it.

My plastic security fencing arrived today 

[Jacinta]

I use real garlic most of the time but i got a huge bag of dried garlic flakes from the chinese supermarket really cheap, just stick in in the pestle and mortar and grind it up.  They don't mind the taste at all and there's no flavour in the eggs. 

The only thing's to think about with a shed conversion are the nooks and crannies if it's a shiplap type shed, redmite heaven.  It'll probably have a felt roof which is also a red mite favourite, you may need to replace it with something.  Also sheds are quite big and therefore not good at staying warm in the winter if you only have a few birds, they'll lose body heat quickly in the bigger space and not be so cosy.  It's great if you plan on getting more hens though provided they all have access to free range your plot.

[CatherineF]

It's great if you plan on getting more hens though provided they all have access to free range your plot.

Yeah.......you got me 

I would like some more, with a view to having a free roam on the allotment.  How many would be comfortable in a 6x4 shed?

[Jacinta]

It's all about roost space and nest boxes.  There are different ways you can set up perches at different levels so they don't poo on each other in their sleep!  Each bird needs around 10'' on the perch, they like to be snug and bunch up at night.  Hen's tend to share nest boxes too even if there are plenty to choose from, the amount depends on how many birds you have really at around 3-4 birds per nest box.  You may end up with a queue for one box and the next one totally empty!

You're girls will be fine on the journey home, they honestly do just sleep the whole way.  I had the same concerns with an hour journey home, but they didn't make a sound.  Be prepared for a lot of poo in the box after the journey, put bedding and newspaper down and maybe sit the box on a towel in case it seeps through to your car seats!  I used a large nylon dog carrier and despite all the newspaper it was covered and had to be thoroughly cleaned.  At least with a box you can just chuck it out.   

[CatherineF]

This is probably an incredibly stupid question, but if they have their wings clipped.....how do they get up to the perches and across to the nest boxes if I put them in the side of the shed?

[daisy1990]

you only clip one side, this makes them lop sided so they cant fly but they can still hop and jump