General Chat

The children are going to *donate* their wendy house to the chickens they've decided lol. We're going to build a huge run coming off from that for the daytime and let them roam around the whole garden for portions of the day when I'm around.

Inside the shed I'm going to build a highish shelf with a ramp leading up to it and make sure there is a perch for them too.

Two wooden boxes on the high shelf with straw in for them to bed in.

Typical!!! the wendy house cost me a bomb and it's mainly been used to play with the rabbits in anyhow lol. Now it's a very pretty hen house. Hey ho lol xx

I'm noting all the advise down......thanks so much.......I'm getting quite excited about getting them now !!! xx

Thought my idea would appeal Muffy, it will be nice for the girls to feel they have rescued the hens too.
Good luck, don't forget it will be one more thing to think about when you want to go on holidays lol
Lizxx

We are definately getting the chickens !!!!!!!

Went to see them today.......they're kept really clean and are in lovely condition.......going to get a pair of hens to start off with and take it from there. If all goes well I'll think about getting a couple of rescue ones in the near future.

I want to call them Nugget and Drum but OH thinks that's in bad taste lol.

Collecting them on Wednesday.

Thanks again to everyone for your advice. Much appreciated xx

EGGallent mrs good life lol

i hope the girls enjoy their new pets

Wish I looked like Felicity Kendall lol.

Ta Joy............They'll be thrilled I'm sure xx

aw i want some chickens !!!!!!

You've got me all excited. I love getting new hens. I'm going to apply for 6 sad little battery hens tomorrow to join my girlies. The last time I adopted some they wouldn't come out of their house for days. Not used to grass and freedom. Poor little things.

Aw bless them xx

Don't get cockerals though think of your neighbours my neighbour has about ten cockerals..not very nice getting woken up at dawn !!!!!!!!!!

Noooooooo don't worry. I especially couldn't hack being woken up to that !!!! LIttle girlies only here lol xx

*clips Muffy round the ear regarding the names on page 3*

Er, Missus, could you think of some other names, please? Otherwise another clip round the ear may be in order, lol.
x

Good news Muffy

I just had 6 little balls of fluff hatch out yesterday.
There's nothing like it!

xxxx mick

Ah you can;t beat fresh eggs.
The wendy house is a great idea just make sure it is raised off the ground.
.When we started having chickens years ago we used a garden shed made it totally fox proof. and a fox proof run Ours is about 2-3 feet deep.
..Although our chickens run free if we are going out for the day and know we wont be back until well in the evening we just let the roam in their run. which is very large.and they will go in when they are ready.then we dont have to worry about the foxes.
but to do that every thing has to be totally fox proof.
including the wooden house.
we even had ducks raise chickens .we had a broady duck and diddent want to add to our ducks so placed chicken eggs under her .
and in the summer its great just sitting down the garden with them ...they have great characters..but i never go down to them in sandles.ouch.

my brother has kept chickens and turkey for years

he keeps them in a fenced off area and the only way to keep the foxes out is to build an electric fence it may seem cruel but unless you want them taken by the foxes it is the only way to protect them.

An electric wire is the only absolutely sure defence against foxes.

Hawks can also be a problem - you may need a wired in roof over the run.

Probably a daft question..... but I have two dogs..........wouldn't the electric wire harm them? The collie especially would be watching them like a hawk through the fencing........not to harm but just with the intention of herding them up lol. The Rabbits and Guinea Pigs ignore her but her nose is always up against the wire. xx

the dog will only go near it once

i think you have to judge about electric fenceing

i have no doubt it dose the job..

i my self havent got it .all my fencing is solid steel in 20 years of having chickens i have only ever lost one to a fox .at that was my fault .i know when the foxs are about my dogs go mad...........but i know they cannot get to my chickens .the reason i choose solid steel was having terriers .given 1/2 the chance they would eat them themselfs. uncooked of cause.

Like the names - we had one called "Paxo" - LOL! As long as they are cleaned out regularly and any left-over food is cleared away daily there'll be no rats. Foxes are another matter - you will need electric fence or something Alcatraz-like. We lost our "girls" to a fox a couple of months ago and my 9-year-old is still upset whenever she sees the fox in the garden.

what about getting a turkey to

you can never buy a turkey egg

when you need one pmsl

think of the novelty value

and the girls faces when mr gobbles arrived lol