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Beetlejuice
23-07-2010, 07:52 PM
Does anyone know if we are allowed to keep chickens?? I was wondering how Ofsted felt about childminders having chickens in their gardens. My neighbour has some and I'm looking after them (in her home) at the moment and the minded children are loving it. I'm really keen to get some myself (have done for a while) but wondered how practical it was in terms of cleanliness etc. Could I get around it by saying I don't use my garden for childminding but the children have regular access to parks and open spaces to play in??

Thanks!

Mookins
23-07-2010, 07:56 PM
I too love the chickens idea...i know 2childminders that both have chickens

xxx

Beetlejuice
23-07-2010, 08:07 PM
The chicks we are babysitting are 2 weeks old!! I've taken the children round there today and we've cleaned them out and fed the big hens. They have had so much fun. Last week my neighbour invited me and the children over and we collected their eggs and she let them take them home - they were absolutely full of it!! I think it would be a great experience and I would love having my own eggs lol!!

Pedagog
23-07-2010, 08:09 PM
We had Chickens, ducks and goats until recently. Ofsted lady loved it.

miss mopple
23-07-2010, 08:12 PM
my friend kept chickens and minds but she gave them up as found it a bit of a nightmare re cleanliness etc. She only has a small garden and boy did they make a mess!

Also, I may be wrong but I think that you cant give mindees the eggs as they aren't lion marked. Sure I heard that from somewhere but cant remember where :blush:

They are cute though :D

FussyElmo
23-07-2010, 08:12 PM
I want chickens but dh has flatly refused :laughing:

There are several minders on here who have chickens :thumbsup:

Pedagog
23-07-2010, 08:14 PM
my friend kept chickens and minds but she gave them up as found it a bit of a nightmare re cleanliness etc. She only has a small garden and boy did they make a mess!

Also, I may be wrong but I think that you cant give mindees the eggs as they aren't lion marked. Sure I heard that from somewhere but cant remember where :blush:

They are cute though :D

Ofsted and Environmental health said it was fine for children to have our eggs.

claire'scherubs
23-07-2010, 08:20 PM
I got chickens and a small garden, Ofsted think its great.

We collect the eggs daily and turn it into a learning experience all the time.

The chickens are in a run through the day then we let them out into a fenced off bit off the garden after the last mindees have gone home. Even tonight my 2yr old mindee that doesn't talk a lot actually said Claire lets get the eggs and dragged me off to get them out, its was great:)

little chickee
23-07-2010, 08:37 PM
I have lots of hens and ducks - they are in an enclosure outwith the garden area. Care Commission have no problem with it at all.

They will ruin your garden though!

Ripeberry
23-07-2010, 08:48 PM
If your garden has an unused corner then you could fence it off and make a run for your chickens. In the long run, it's much better to fence them in as they can wreak havoc in the garden and dig up grass.
Also the poo is unhygenic.
I used 5foot by 5 foot garden trellis nailed into upright posts and then covered the bottom of the trellis in strong plastic netting and buried it 35cm down into the ground.
Made a door out of wood and wire netting and we got a chicken coop and put it in the corner out of the prevailing wind.

My Ofsted inspector loved the chickens and liked the fact that the mindee could feed them grass whenever he wanted (it's his favourite activity).

I'm thinking of having ducks next spring :) Just wonder if they can live together?

Ripeberry
23-07-2010, 08:49 PM
Ofsted and Environmental health said it was fine for children to have our eggs.

Well, they've told me otherwise :(

dobby
23-07-2010, 09:16 PM
I have 3 hens in an urban garden and both children and parents think its great.

I dont have the space for a segregated area so what I do is the hens come out to free range first thing till school run. Then I poo pick, including washing the lawn down to remove anything erm , sticky that might remain. I leave it half an hour minimum to drain off and then the children can play in the garden.

Hen also get allowed out around lunchtime when kids are in napping and after tea when children have finished in garden - poo pick and hose down happens prior to any children going out.

It IS a faff but does mean i can keep a hygenic garden - probebly cleaner than its ever been given that the local cats no longer use it as a toilet and obviously you never know what is roaming/peeing in your garden overnight :rolleyes:

It is noticable that my lawn is much healthier than alot of my neighbours due to the amount of times it gets watered :)

flora
23-07-2010, 09:16 PM
As you can see, many of us have chucks.

I have ducks chickens and geese and nobody has ever told me I can't feed their eggs to mindees. I sell them to the general public with no probs so why would mindees be prob?

Chucks make a real mess of your garden as do ducks and geese. I try not to mix the two ( kids and chucks that is )but there is always some awkward chuck sneeking in the garden and pooping somewhere :D

Just Ra your garden and the animals in terms of hygiene and safety for the animals and kids :thumbsup:

Pedagog
23-07-2010, 10:19 PM
Well, they've told me otherwise :(

Thats no real surprise, they do seem to change their minds with the weather.

aly
23-07-2010, 10:33 PM
I WILL be doing what hebs did from eggs then keeping them for ourselves.

Stillgoingstrong
23-07-2010, 10:52 PM
I keep chickens in a chicken house with a run in the garden. Their house has straw in where they make nests and lay eggs, and the run is on slabs so they cant dig and make a mess. They get cleaned out weekly, and the run gets hosed down daily. Ofsted have looked around my garden and loved the chickens, guinea pigs and fish, and ALL of my parents are really enthusiastic when they see them. The children all love them and enjoy collecting the eggs - even though they are getting more rare as chickens grow older.
Personally I would never be without them:clapping: Just make sure they are completely fox-proof as there is nothing worse than coming out in the morning to find your chicks quite literally in bits everywhere:crying:

Beetlejuice
24-07-2010, 11:54 AM
Oh wow - could be a go-er then, if only Mr Beetlejuice will agree lol!!! My garden is totally enclosed so fox proof which is good. I have guinea pigs too so will just make sure they aren't all out together and they can't get to each other!! Thanks for all the great advice :thumbsup:

Stillgoingstrong
24-07-2010, 12:20 PM
Oh wow - could be a go-er then, if only Mr Beetlejuice will agree lol!!! My garden is totally enclosed so fox proof which is good. I have guinea pigs too so will just make sure they aren't all out together and they can't get to each other!! Thanks for all the great advice :thumbsup:

Sorry to upset you but your garden is NOT fox proof:( They can smell lunch a mile off, and aren't called sly for nothing. They can jump huge heights, can scale walls and squeeze under the smallest of spaces. We had a brilliant chicken house and run with no gaps/holes and a 6' fence all around the garden, but foxy bingo still squeezed in through literally a slit and ripped the chickens to bits. My Son went in the garden and saw it first and was so upset about the "broken chickens". :eek: Never under estimate the cunning fox:thumbsup:

little chickee
24-07-2010, 01:34 PM
I'm thinking of having ducks next spring :) Just wonder if they can live together?

I have hens and ducks living happily together - they all go into the same house at night - hens roosting and ducks on the floor.