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mumofone
08-04-2015, 07:52 AM
Does anyone on here own chickens? Do the kids enjoy them? How do you get them involved, what do you think it teaches them etc? We're looking at getting some.

hectors house
08-04-2015, 08:26 AM
Yes we have chickens - ex barn hens from local animal rescue centre. Mine aren't free range as I don't want them to poo everywhere (but I do let them out for an hour while I clean them out at the weekend - they can make a terrible mess of the garden in that time). We just have a large fully run - clad in thick mesh rather than chicken wire as we are near fields and I was worried about foxes. Currently have 5 hens but one has been off colour for days, so I guess soon I will only have 4 - I won't let my husband "do the deed" as i am hoping for a miracle recovery.

The mindees initially were interested in helping feed and collect the eggs but aren't so bothered anymore - 2 children have hens at home.

FussyElmo
08-04-2015, 08:49 AM
Yes I had chickens until Mr Fox visited and it put me off having them :(

They can ruin your garden and the amount of poo well..........................................

But we all loved having them and we do miss them

clareelizabeth1
08-04-2015, 01:48 PM
I have them. Mine roam free but we are surrounded by fields. The only times they are kept in is to keep them off the farmers fields after they have been sown as that farmers get slightly annoyed if their crop gets eaten. They don't take much looking after. We don't clip wings. We give them corn as well as grain as it makes the eggs taste nicer. Some people give kitchen scraps but as ours get to roam and get fresh bugs and greens ours won't touch people food. Then fresh water. We after losing many batches of chickens to Mr fox now have our in a raised house.

smurfette
08-04-2015, 03:49 PM
We took the plunge in nov and rescued 4 ex batts.. Love being a hen mummy! I was worried cos there seemed to be a lot to it but there really isn't.. Feed once a day, collect eggs, and clean out coop once or twice a week. That said they poop everywhere and I think it's hard to get a coop that comes with enough of a run so dh has built a run around it. I feel they have enough space and let them out occasionally too. We have clipped their wings (super easy to do) as they were flying on to the top of the wall in the garden and I was afraid they would be gone. The little ones love them and my own dds love checking for eggs. They are entertaining ! Eggs are delicious way nicer than any you can get in the shops !

Ripeberry
08-04-2015, 04:26 PM
I've kept hens for over 14 years until last year, when next door had a new fence built with a 'helpful' ledge, which meant Mr Fox could finally get at my chocks. He ate every single last one. Only left a bone. At first I thought someone had pinched them. But it put me off getting any more for over a year.
Now I'm getting 'broody' again and want some more. Have found a seller of fully enclosed metal runs with iron skirts that can be dug into the ground.
So Mr Fox can get lost! :thumbsup:

About your original question, I've only ever had chickens for my own pleasure. I wouldn't get them unless you were prepared to look after them fully, worm them, deal with any problems that come along. Remember to only feed them in the morning and evening, or you will get lots and lots of rats!

hectors house
08-04-2015, 04:27 PM
Yes we have chickens - ex barn hens from local animal rescue centre. Mine aren't free range as I don't want them to poo everywhere (but I do let them out for an hour while I clean them out at the weekend - they can make a terrible mess of the garden in that time). We just have a large fully run - clad in thick mesh rather than chicken wire as we are near fields and I was worried about foxes. Currently have 5 hens but one has been off colour for days, so I guess soon I will only have 4 - I won't let my husband "do the deed" as i am hoping for a miracle recovery.

The mindees initially were interested in helping feed and collect the eggs but aren't so bothered anymore - 2 children have hens at home.

I now have 4 chickens :crying: my miracle recovery didn't arrive in time.

smurfette
08-04-2015, 05:00 PM
I now have 4 chickens :crying: my miracle recovery didn't arrive in time.

Oh sorry to hear that Hun :(

Maza
08-04-2015, 05:24 PM
I now have 4 chickens :crying: my miracle recovery didn't arrive in time.

Aaaah, sorry about that. x

FussyElmo
08-04-2015, 09:37 PM
I now have 4 chickens :crying: my miracle recovery didn't arrive in time.

Oh no HH. I'm sorry the miracle didn't arrive xx

alex__17
09-04-2015, 07:20 AM
We're about to get them again, we have an eglu, so fox proof, although our final hen a couple of years ago got snatched by a fox as the plastic clips go brittle in the sun and I hadn't realised a couple had snapped...however she was very old.
We used to let them free range but foxes often got in garden even in broad daylight so always had to be in the garden so next lot will just stay in run, it's plenty big enough if they've not been used to having the whole garden! Plus now I'm minding I don't want to have to clear poo up all day which I used to do!
Kids love them esp feeding them scraps, no food waste with hens around and eggs are amazing

smurfette
09-04-2015, 05:50 PM
http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/blogs/chicken-quarters/5-ways-chickens-are-entertaining.aspx here ya go!

mumofone
17-04-2015, 05:31 PM
Have those of you with them risk assessed them? Any tips? :-)

alex__17
18-04-2015, 09:38 AM
I guess it depends if you're going to let them free range or not, the ones we got were vaccinated for salmonella so eggs fine, risk of kids poking fingers into run and being pecked, collect up poo from garden (they poo a lot), with all things it's about teaching them to look after an animal and treat them with respect, wash hands after handling them or topping up food and water, make sure you worm them regularly and treat for red mite and lice, if you use the powder weekly you'll prevent them which is a lot easier than getting rid once they have them

mumofone
18-04-2015, 04:24 PM
I guess it depends if you're going to let them free range or not, the ones we got were vaccinated for salmonella so eggs fine, risk of kids poking fingers into run and being pecked, collect up poo from garden (they poo a lot), with all things it's about teaching them to look after an animal and treat them with respect, wash hands after handling them or topping up food and water, make sure you worm them regularly and treat for red mite and lice, if you use the powder weekly you'll prevent them which is a lot easier than getting rid once they have them

Thanks alex :-) we plan to give them a large run off their coop but not let them free in the garden...

hectors house
19-04-2015, 11:27 AM
My husband made our run out of thick weldmesh (not chicken wire), the run is about 4ft high and has a mesh roof section which is made in 3 sections with a hinge on the back so we can prop up the roof and walk in the run if we need to (eg if chicken was injuried or to mend the hen coop), far easier than trying to crawl through in the poo! I would attach a photo but my photos on new camera are too big to attach.

mumofone
19-04-2015, 06:56 PM
My husband made our run out of thick weldmesh (not chicken wire), the run is about 4ft high and has a mesh roof section which is made in 3 sections with a hinge on the back so we can prop up the roof and walk in the run if we need to (eg if chicken was injuried or to mend the hen coop), far easier than trying to crawl through in the poo! I would attach a photo but my photos on new camera are too big to attach.

Ooh good tip thank you :-) we'll be stealing the hinged lid idea :-)

mumofone
22-05-2015, 10:37 AM
Do they need any vaccinations or treatment at all does anyone know?

alex__17
22-05-2015, 11:45 AM
I've bought from 2 different places and they were vaccinated for salmonella before they were sold. I then had to add worming powder to their food pellets, I think I just sprinkled it on or onto the scraps of food I gave them every few weeks (whatever the tin says). They also needed louse/red mite powder sprinkled on them every so often as a preventative, which I used to do in the evening when they were in the house, or as they came out of the house in the morning as they didn't much like it! But again wasn't that often.
I think that was it maintenance wise, clean them out once a week and put mite powder into house too, easy to prevent mites not so easy getting rid of them once you have them living in the house, although much more common in wooden houses, we had an eglu so did it every now and then

FloraDora
22-05-2015, 11:58 AM
I have a retirement present eglu tucked away ready for the day when I take the plunge.
I am rather jealous of all this talk as I used to keep them at school and you get so much out of them, from just the tranquility of looking at them to caring for them.

We have decided that it will be our official retirement project, once we have travelled and then settled into our new area wherever that may be! Although I'm not sure if it might be too windy in the Shetlands!