[lizt]

hi all
i bet you get this all the time, i'm sorry to be another one asking the same old questions

i love the idea of keeping a couple of hens in back garden. my main concern is that i get some hens and then find out i can't take care of them properly and then have the problem of re homing them which really isn't ideal.

 i could perhaps give them around 10 square foot grass area,  i have a little veg plot in the rest of the garden that i will like to keep them away from while i have stuff growing.

is getting a coop with a small enclosed run that i can move around better than letting them have all the area all the time? obviously i would make sure their enclosure is secure and put them away safe at night.

i'm worried they will they end up turning all the grassed area into a muddy patch and end up with bad feet?

could i keep them on a hard service with straw and sawdust?

so many questions and i can't seem to find the right answers...

[4chooks]

Yes, Go on take the plunge.

Very loving, rewarding and satisfying all at the same time.

Also chickens will pratically take care on themselves but care & attention is required.
Good luck!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

Chickens are very rewarding and easy to keep, but 10 square foot isn't loads of room.  If I had that sort of area, and I could afford it, I would have an eglu, which although not cheap will last you for years.  You can get the attached run, and they do extensions, or it is easy to make a run out of weldmesh and tile battens that would be fairly easy to move around onto fresh grass.

Then I would get 3 or 4 bantams to keep in it rather than a large fowl breed.  Although bantam eggs are smaller than 'ordinary' hens eggs, the yolks don't seem that small, you just get less white!

But that is only my opinion!

Whatever you decide, good luck!!!

[rileyfin]

Go on, you know you want too!
But be warned they are very very addictive, I love my girls - totally carried away hehehe!
 

[Plot30]

Go for it, they are very rewarding. There are many other options than buying an eglu which personally I think they are a rip off. I bought a giant walk in coop off eBay but was surprised to see how mAny there was on eBay. If u an account for eBay personally I would search that for your required size. 10ft square is a nice size I think and is manageable.Go for it 

[lizt]

thanks guy's,

i just want to be sure i'm doing the right thing.

them eglu's are a little out of my pirce range, unfortunately, 
but will keep an eye out for a suitable hen house and run.... if one comes my way then i'm defiantly going for it!     

[nerdle]

I was like you and wasn't sure and full of questions.  I did an Eglu course which was so interesting and fun. 

They did show us Eglus of course (I didn't buy one) but I really needed to know all that stuff and learning and building my coop has given me so much pleasure.  I must have spent £300 on foxproofing!

If you think your neighbours would step in for you when you are away from home then go for it!

[Fisherman]

i could perhaps give them around 10 square foot grass area,  i have a little veg plot in the rest of the garden that i will like to keep them away from while i have stuff growing.

When you say 10 square foot of grass area I assume you mean 10 feet x 10 feet which is 100 square foot. You should aim for about 20 square foot per bird, more if you have the space. Maybe consider a coop raised off the floor by 2 - 3 feet which will give more floor space and also somewhere for the birds to get cover in bad weather.

[lizt]

hello FISHERMAN

you are completly correct i do mean 10 feet x 10 feet! you must deal with a lot of women that cant measure! ha ha

i was thinking of only having 2, 3 at the most if they are a small breed.

thank you for your advise i really appreciate it.

[Fisherman]

Hello lizt
I couldn't possibly comment on the capabilities of women measuring things as I would get too much abuse off certain members of this site

Best to get at least 3 birds. If you only get two and one dies the other will be on its own which they don't like. Lots of good information on the site which you will be able to find using the search function.

If its eggs you want hybrids are probably your best bet. They are generally very placid and 3 birds will lay up to 20 eggs per week when the first start laying which will gradually slow down over 2 -3 years.

You will enjoy whichever birds you choose. Good luck.

[bantam novice]

Go for it and keep us posted 
by the way we love to see pictures of hens so when you get yours it would be great if you could post a pic here 

[Tony H]

if you only want a couple of chucks you can get lots off e-bay but remember once youve had a couple of chucks you will want more  very adictive creatures and lots of fun  I started with 2 now have 17 

[Sassy]

You do need to be careful buying off ebay. You live in an area surrounded by farming and should be able to find a breeder without having to travel a great distance. That way you can get good advice and see the birds and check how they are kept. You possibly wouldn't have to pay too much either. Except for a couple of special breeds I have never paid more than £10 for a pol hen.

[OpiumEater]

I would say three not two for reasons that have already been mentioned, but your space is small when I think how my four like to roam. I have an 8 foot by 12 foot compound which is similar, but this is only the secure part they are in until I'm around and they can free-range around my kitchen garden.

I just fence off the beds I don't want them to trash and they are great for clearing the paths. At the moment they dust bath in the cleared out greenhouse while ensuring it's pest free. They free-range for at least two hours a day during the week and most of the weekend, but always under supervision. But that moan when left in the compound despite all the fun things I've put in for them.

That's only my opinion that the area is too small and my father-in-law keeps three hybrids in the Eglu Go run, and NEVER let's them out. Obviously I think this is appealing and not much better than caged birds, but then he gets three eggs a day and has ever since he's had them.

My spoilt pure breeds are too posh to push

Maybe bantams as already mentioned would be a good solution? But you will love having them

Best wishes

Christine

[lizt]

thank you very much.
good point about the problem of having just two. i'm just waiting to 'acquire' a coop, need to save my pennys 
will let you know how it all pans out.