Topic: Tempted to keep hens

[tjamj]

Hi, i work in a school and we have just had some living eggs delivered which are now hatching. I have been thinking of keeping hens for ages now but never took the plunge. We have an allotment but i'm thinking of keeping them at home because of security reasons and also it will be easier to care for them at home.

I'm worried about a few things really. Firstly the chicks will only be 2 1/2 weeks old when they leave the school, will it be possible to sex them accurately by then?

Also i was thinking about having 3 hens, how much space would i need for them and what sort of ground coverage would i need, eg grass etc, as the patch i'm thinking of keeping them on had bark chippings and not grass, what would i need to put down for them? Also what are the requirements for the actual housing? I dont really want to spend a fortune on one form the pet shop as hubby could make one but not sure what it needs to be like really.

And the biggie is foxes and rats. My husband is reluctant because someone told him they attract rats? And i'm really worried about the foxes as we have quite a few around here. What sort of protection could i provide against them and how effective is it normally?

Ok, last one, hubby is really proud of the garden and i would like them to have some time roaming the garden in the summer when we are out there. Do they make a real mess in the garden, digging up plants etc?

Sorry for all the questions but need to try to convince hubby and set up quickly if i'm to go for it. Am i right in thinking the chicks are ready to go outside at about 8 weeks?

[saddad]

Welcome to the site Tjamj, It's a long time since I kept chickens so I'll let the others answer the Q's  :)

[flowerofshona2007]

Hello,
 We are getting some ex battery hens soon but have had hens in the past.
 The min space needed is 1 sq ft in the coop and 4 sq ft in the run but more is better.
 They will scratch the grass in a run up and leave bare earth so bark chippings are ok but can contain mould spores so maybe change it to soil and a few slabs are good :)
 Foxes, you will need a good heavy coop that can be shut well at night and is to heavy for them to knock over !
 Rats are only a problem if you leave feed around !! keep the area clean and put the feed in feeders that hang and i remove them at night so there is nothing for them to get to, Wilkinsons have safe rat bait stations for sale for £14.99 nothing else can get to the bait :)
 

[GodfreyRob]

" Firstly the chicks will only be 2 1/2 weeks old when they leave the school, will it be possible to sex them accurately by then?"

Sexing most chicks is quite tricky - there are some breeds that have distinct colours by sex (like Cambars) - but most don't.  Sometimes the cocks show stronger comb growth but most people have to wait until they are considerably older. You could post pictures on this forum and people might be able to tell then.

"Also i was thinking about having 3 hens, how much space would i need for them and what sort of ground coverage would i need, eg grass etc, as the patch i'm thinking of keeping them on had bark chippings and not grass, what would i need to put down for them? "

Hens confined to a small grass run will strip it bare in no time - then it becomes a smelly, muddy mess the first time it rains. So unless you can provide 2 separate runs about 20'x10' and give them alternate access I would not even try with grass.  There is the option of letting them into a grass run for just a few hours now and again - that wya they won't destroy it and you get let them have 'fresh' grass in alimited way throughout the year. Some smaller breeds (like Silkies) are much less active and could manage with smaller runs.

"Also what are the requirements for the actual housing? I dont really want to spend a fortune on one form the pet shop as hubby could make one but not sure what it needs to be like really."

Hens don't need much space for housing (its only for them to sleep in really) but whatever you have it will need regular mucking out - so some kind of walk-in shed is best for ease of your access. Almost anything waterproof and dry will do - if your space is limited a small shed raised 2/3 feet of the ground is good - they can then use the ground underneath when the weather is poor.

"And the biggie is foxes and rats. My husband is reluctant because someone told him they attract rats?"

If you keep the hen house and run clean you should have no trouble with rats - its a bit of a myth that they attract rats. Fact is rats are all around us anyway!

I would provide chicken wire fencing all round the hen plot to a height of 6 feet - dig into the ground about a foot as foxes have been known to dig under fences.
This keeps your hens from escaping and will stop the average fox. If your run is small I would even put hte wire over the top as well.

"Do they make a real mess in the garden, digging up plants etc?"

Yes they do! - they are cute to watch but will scratch up your favourite plants in no time and poop everywhere!

"Am i right in thinking the chicks are ready to go outside at about 8 weeks?"
Depends on the weather - they can go out earlier for short spells if its warm and sunny - but I would not let them out for long until they have quite thick feathers.


Hope this does not put you off - they are lovely animals to look after and there is nothing like your own eggs.

[Flunky]

On a slightly lighter note. They are no bother. We have 6 down the lottie and I was suprised how easy it was. I have not had chickens since I was a kid and we love them. I read a lot on here and after reading some posts you would think you were looking after some endangered species. All ours are perfectly happy birds. They are in a secure and lovely house. It cost me £40 to do TOTAL and that was for the wire. We go down once a day during the week to check food and water (get feeders/water and suspend them) and collect eggs. At weekends we let them roam the plot while we are there. They all lay and are all very friendly. I think they are ACE !

If you want to keep them at home. Have a look for a poster called OllieC. Has a few chucks in this garden and uses an igloo I think. I dont see why you cant use paving slabs and wood chip for the floor. Just be aware of the foxes and do what you can.

With regards to rats. Whats been said is true. If you keep it clean and tidy they wont stay around. As has already been said you are never too far away from a rat anyway !

They really are no bother at all and need as much attention as any other pet.

Enjoy !

[Old bird]

Hi Tjmj!

I have two loose around my garden and they don't do much damage at all.  They are free range so they have the run of the garden which is small to medium sized.  I have a hen house also - although I could have adapted a shed I have for them to have a corner of it as a house!

They are brilliant at scarifying the grass - I had a fair bit of moss before they arrived - now I don't have any moss in the grass!  Most of the slugs and snails have been despatched - which is also good.  Their poo is a bit of a minefield - but come summer and mowing - that shouldn't be a problem. In fact my grass was fairly long before winter when I only had one chook rattling round and they have trimmed it nicely for me - so probably may not have to mow as often this year.

They are good company - if you are working they come and join you!  they scratch around where you are, chat, and remove bugs and worms etc.  They give you wonderful eggs that you could never get in any supermarket.  They are cheap to run and your husband will fall in love with them!

I have no increase in rats round my house since I had the chickens here - it is a simple case of keeping food off the ground and removing it at night etc.  General good housekeeping.

I live close to a stream - so there are rats around but - thankfully - not visible!

Good luck if you do decide to keep a few.  I doubt you would regret it!

Old Bird

 ;D

[tjamj]

Thank you all so much for your advice. I am working hard on my hubby at the moment!!
The area where i was thinking of keeping them is about 6ft by 8ft, i would raise the housing off the ground if possible to give them the space underneath it too. I would then let them free range when outside with them.
Do you think it would be ok to keep them in that sort of space, if so how many could i keep? As you can probably tell i know nothing about keeping them yet so please tell me if the area is unsuitable as i would only want to take them if they will be happy.
I'm also a bit confused by the type of flooring i would need to provide. As i said before at present it has bark chippings down on top of soil. Is it ok to leave that but to put a few slabs aswell or would i need something else down?
Thaks again, you're all great!

[manicscousers]

hiya, tjamj, welcome to the site  ;D
there are a few good chicken sites on the internet, my fave is downthelane.net
he has some good ideas and gives sizes etc
hope you get your chooks, I love ours  ;D

[Peasticks]

Hi, keep working on the OH  ;) chickens are great pets

I have four chickens and they live in an Eglu which is a great house for a newbie as they are easy to keep clean and you have less chance of problems with mites etc.. if you get a wooden house get the best you can afford, be careful with ebay 'bargain' new ones and avoid felt roofs if you can as they can harbour mires, wood or Onduline roofs are much better

One chicken needs a minimum of 1 sq metre run space but the more space they have the happier they will be and you will get fewer problems with them behaviour wise and health wise

In the space you have I would say you could go for maybe three chickens, four if you can raise the house up and five if you can raise the house up and let them out for some free ranging but thats only my view mind  :)

[Inky]

I think most of your questions have been answered. With regards to run bases, on hard standing or bare soil is fine. You can use bark as the base for them to forage but the best thing by far is Hemcore. its a Hemp based horse bedding, super absorbent so poo just disapears into it, plus its dust free unlike sawdust, and minimises odour. I cant recomend it enough, then just everytime it gets old shovel it off and put fresh down.

[grannyjanny]

Hi Inky.  The hemcore looks very interesting. Do you think I could use it as a base for my guinea pigs & still put the hay on top. Where do you get it from & how much is it please.
Janet

[coznbob]

Have just googled Hemcore and it looks very interesting...

How many other people use it I wonder?

[GodfreyRob]

Have just googled Hemcore and it looks very interesting...

How many other people use it I wonder?

I have used it for about 6 months - its good (absorbs lots of moisture) but works out at least twice as much as straw.

I am changing back to straw.

[manicscousers]

I had a look, would have to buy it on line, the price put me off , we use shredded junk mail and envelopes with straw on top, the paper absorbs all the damp  :)

[Inky]

I bale of Hemcore covers the base of my 2m x 4 meter run. Its not as expensive as you think as it last so much longer than anything else due to its absorbent ability. Because of the amount of poo that chickens produce, stuff like bark chippings and sawdust get clumped up and filthy really quick so need replacing a lot more frequently. Plus it has citrical still in it so it smells nice and lemony which can also deter flies.

You can get it from equestrian places, call round your local equestrian suppliers, you will prob find someone who sells it. I do hen parties for Omet and on the forums we all recomend it to everyone

[Peasticks]

I use Aubiose which is a simlar product to Hemcore but easier for me to find locally. One bale goes a long way - its great stuff!