chickens??

[luciafeb]

Hi all i keep 3 chickens that roam freely around my garden i am about to start applying to be a childminder and was wondering do i have to have them in a seperate part of the garden or are they ok roaming around where children will be playing its not a small garden but is it best to have them in a seperate run??

[Ripeberry]

I keep chickens and have always kept them seperate from the children..even my own! Firstly as you don't want chicken poop being tracked into your home, health reasons and lastly because kids do love to chase chickens and it won't be fair on your chucks!

[moggy]

Well, you need to risk assess it very carefully. What if young children get chicken poop on their hands? How do you clean up the poop? What if a child is scared of the chickens? What about the infestations chickens can get? How will you make sure children wash their hands if they touch them, how will you keep children away from any chicken feed/water containers, what about the chickens' temperaments- are they used to children? what if an over enthusiastic child started chasing or being aggressive or noisy near one... etc?

Some parents may find it a real bonus and love the idea but be prepared for some who are put off by the thought (worried about pecking, hygiene etc).

Keeping the chickens in an enclosure may be a way to keep the situation simpler and more hygienic.

I think unless you have loads of space and have very good solutions to all the possible issues it would be best to keep them in a separate part of the garden (maybe also for the chickens' own sake!) while working and do a good poop-clear-up before work.

I'd love to keep chickens but have enough to do already!

[Dragonfly]

I have 7 chickens and keep them fenced off.They do make a mess and dig the garden up.I wouldn't want children to get chicken mess on their hands etc.

[FussyElmo]

I have 7 chickens and keep them fenced off.They do make a mess and dig the garden up.I wouldn't want children to get chicken mess on their hands etc.

I keep mine separate too but the little darling are quite good escape artists - Im thinking the film chicken run :laughing::laughing:

[dawn100]

My chickens are kept in a very large dog proof/fox proof/ escape proof enclosure, they also have an attached run which they can be let out in, ofsted were a little funny about my chickens and did say the run needs to be padlocked! however they are very good escape artists from the attached run I often find them running down the garden towards me in the hope of some treats, I didn't let ofsted know this however as I just kept them in the enclosed run!

[clareelizabeth1]

Mine roam free but for some reason never come near the section of garden I keep sectioned off for little ones. Although our did come through the play room window once. Took 10 minutes to catch and it poped every where just as a parent was picking up. Didn't know what to say to parent but kids loved it.

[loocyloo]

my friend has chickens in a fenced run ... the other week we were walking to school when i saw 3 chickens walking down the road! we were near my friends house and i know none of the neighbours have chickens, so the LO & i shooed them up the lane into her garden and then told her at school! LO thought it was great fun, i just thought that coming home from school and finding one squished would be so horrible.

my friend has no idea how they got out !!!! when she rushed home from school they were sitting on the top of their run waiting to be let in!

we now take a detour on our way to school to see the chickens!

[mushpea]

not chickens but my rabbits roam free and the children love it, they are tame so will sit still for a stroke then hop off when they've had enough, they are 'potty trained' so will hop back in their hutch for wees and poos but I am very vigilant at checking the garden for the odd stray rasin and even the children soon call me to tell me if they've spotted one :laughing:, I have had problems with children chasing them but I explain that they are gentle animals and dont like being chased then show them how to stroke them gently and if the children dont listen then they are brought in from the garden for a while sort of like a time out.
I think its a lovley idea to have the chickens roaming free but i would be concerned about them pecking the children and also about the poops as other people have said

[bunyip]

I've half a mind to have hens, once things have settled down and my diploma is out the way.

I asked my SIL as he used to look after hens. I thought foxes would be a problem. He said foxes weren't much of a problem if you locked them up at night. But he did say the hens attract rats.

Can anyone tell me about this aspect?

[FussyElmo]

Not had any rats yet and believe you me if I saw one you would probably be able to hear my shreaks from which part of the country you are in. I keep my food high up in the shed though.

Foxes are my worst fear. However there are easier sources of food in towns (not sure where you are). Also hoping the smell of my dogs will be a deterrent too. Chickens are good at going into their own coop once its dark - probably a defense mechansim. A fox in my garden would have to get through 2 fences and a coop to get to them. But i do know 2 people who have lost their chicky ladies to a fox attack.

[hectors house]

I want to get some chickens next year as my husband says he is giving up trying to grow vegetables as hasn't done very well for last 2 years and so I will now have some spare garden to put a chicken house and run on. It is in my house deeds that we aren't allowed to keep any "pigs or poultry" but am going to ignore that as also says "no caravans to be kept on drive" and there are 2 HUGE motor homes in our street.

My parents used to keep chickens and say that they do attract rats, we live next to fields and my neighbour is terrified of mice and rats - she would never even feed our Guinea pig while we were away. An empty bungalow nearby has had a huge rat problem - they climbed up a tree next to the bungalow, got into the roof and wrecked all the insulation! So I don't want to be blamed for attracting them.

[bunyip]

Thanks for the reply FE. I'm in a semi-rural village. Used to see a lot more foxes (and rats) when I was in London. I think they like all the discarded kebabs!

I'm well aware there are rats everywhere and don't try to kid myself. Just don't want to be giving them a significant reason to visit my garden more often.

My thinking is that it would be hard to clear up every last scrap of leftover corn/pellets/mash from the grass. I know that would be easier if I put the run on hard-standing, but wouldn't that be far less kind on the chooks' feet?

Any advice?

[bunyip]

I want to get some chickens next year as my husband says he is giving up trying to grow vegetables as hasn't done very well for last 2 years and so I will now have some spare garden to put a chicken house and run on. It is in my house deeds that we aren't allowed to keep any "pigs or poultry" but am going to ignore that as also says "no caravans to be kept on drive" and there are 2 HUGE motor homes in our street.

My parents used to keep chickens and say that they do attract rats, we live next to fields and my neighbour is terrified of mice and rats - she would never even feed our Guinea pig while we were away. An empty bungalow nearby has had a huge rat problem - they climbed up a tree next to the bungalow, got into the roof and wrecked all the insulation! So I don't want to be blamed for attracting them.

The last 2 years have been the worst conditions I've known for growing veg, so your DH shouldn't be blaming himself.

I know a lot of those deeds came about when farms/estates sold agricultural land to builders. It was put in the deeds to prevent someone amalgamating all the plots and setting up a rival farm. :thumbsup:

[FussyElmo]

The chickens will eat most of the scraps themselves they are right little gannets. Their food is kept in a feeder in the coop which is locked at night. I keep the bags of it in the shed and the farmer I brought it from recommended keeping if off the floor. But like he said rats will go for an easy source of food chicken food, rabbit food etc you just have to vigilant.

The only visitor i have found is a hedgehog - freaked me because it was curled up in their grit feeder, Children loved him though :)

I have bark and slabs down in their area - no probs up to yet just they are really good escape artists and keep getting into the main garden and I have 5 so boy do they pooh.