animal question...probably a bit odd...

[Blackhorse]

ok you might know i am a big animal lover and also slightly nuts.

I have 2 cats and a couple of gold fish (didnt want the fish but they were a present - reason I dont want them is that I only have a 300 liter tank and they should live in ponds outdoors..anyways that is a different story)

I was now thinking that I would like to have some more animals tht the children can help care for. (if I let them...hihi)

I was thinking of an outdoors living species that can stay there all year round but doesnt need tons of space...I have a bit at the back of my garden where I could put up an enclosed shelter for them but it would probably not be bigger than say 20m square (roughly)
if they are bigger animals they could roam the garden at daytime but if they are too small they could get through the fence...

i am not sure if anything like this exists on a reasonable budget but I thought I ask you lovely ladies and gents as you always seem to know everything!!

thanks a lot

[Pipsqueak]

a sheep or a goat???

elephant or giraffe?

sorry I am no help:laughing:

[Blackhorse]

Actually pip I love sheep and goats...but i doubt they will have enough space in my garden...LOL..although they would take care of the grass rather nicely!!

[solly]

A friend of mine who is a childminder has ducks, the children love them and she also sells the duck eggs, she doesnt have a huge garden. Someone i know also keeps chickens in her back garden

[Blackhorse]

I would love to have chickens!!!! we do have loads of foxes though...
or chickens and a duck...:-)

I just think it would be fab to turn this bit of so far empty and wasted garden into a little animal shelter and have some more pets.....Only thing is really they would have to stay outdoors as we dont have enough space inside for anymore...

[Pipsqueak]

Pot bellied pig?

Pygmy goat


oh I am no good when it comes to these things - I want everything

[RedDragon]

Tortoise?


My message was too short according to the forum so what about 5 tortoises?

[ginag]

Hi Nicole,

I have 3 hens and really quite a small garden. They are great pets for the children, very funny and entertaining! They don't take a huge lot of looking after and are inexpensive to keep. They repay their food bill in eggs. The children love looking to see if the hens have laid any eggs in the morning and feed them and fill their water bowls.

They have a safe fenced off area of about 2.5m x 2.5m with their coop and an enclosed run in and when I'm at home they have the run of most of the rest of the garden. They are merciless to plants tho!

They stand up to neighbourhood cats and the cats give them a wide birth. I've had no problems with foxes but I do live in the town and I make sure they are well secured at night.

Gina xx

[FizzysFriends]

How about A donkey, a rescued one. I would go with chickens though they seem to be good for children to look after.

[Heaven Scent]

When I first moved over to Manchester from Dunlin I lived in a small private school which was next door to a man who was hugely into child development - I can't remember what he was he just looked like a mad professor to me anyway he kept geese and ducks he claimed that they were therapudic for the children who visited his practice. The ducks and geese had their wings clipped so they couldn't fly away but they did fly up onto the garage roof of my classroom where the males would expect the females to give them their oats. It was usually quite a violent affair they did it at all hours of day and night too:laughing: :laughing:

I'd love a couple of chickens but I'm allergic to feathers, animal hair and hey so I'm not so sure how I would do with them especially when changing their bedding.

All the best of luck with whatever you choose.

[Dragonfly]

I have 4 chickens and the chicken think their great:thumbsup:

[dobby]

Oooh we have been talking about getting chickens!! Can I ask those of you that have them what Mrs OFSTED has to say on the matter? I have heard they like to poo ALOT (the chickens, not mrs ofsted :D ) How did you risk assess etc? have you had any parents unhappy about them?

very curious to know

[Blackhorse]

I have 4 chickens and the chicken think their great:thumbsup:

the chickens are my favourites...I wanted them for years..

are they expensive to keep?
I checked some housing and that is quite expensive..but as a one off not so bad....
I think the children would also love them...I used to grow up on a farm and we always had chickens...:D

[happytotschildminding]

Hi - looks like you might be getting chickens! They're quite addictive mind - we have some in our allotment and my (long suffering) hubby has just today put a house and run up in our garden as well for 3 chooks to arrive next weekend. I really want some hens that lay blue eggs. We also are a family of animal lovers - having a dog, 3 rats, 2 hamsters, 2 guinea pigs, stick insects, and of course the chickens (we did have 3 ducks as well until some mindless vandals killed them) Currently have some duck eggs in the incubator so we may have some little ducklings in a couple of weeks!
Go on - get some Chooks!
Carol

[Blackhorse]

I WANT CHICKENS!!!

here is what i found...not a bad price I think and plenty of space...

http://www.henhouseworld.co.uk/ch103.htm

[Blackhorse]

can you keep ducks and chickens together?
or any other bird that will go with chickens??

just curious

[Saranotts]

Another one for chickens. We have four, a silver lace, a wyandotte and two golden silkies and they are so entertaining. At night they are in a (hopefully fox proof coop - as we back onto open countryside) and in the day they roam our small back garden.

Sara

[Blackhorse]

I am worried about foxes....my fences in the garden are not the best in the world...need to think about that..

but they would have a nice big house and a run so that shoudl be hopefully fox proof and they would be able to roam about when i am there ...

[FussyElmo]

I'd love chicken by dh has flatly said no and its not like I can sneak one of those in and pretend we have had it for ages:rolleyes:

[Blackhorse]

haha..dp said no to chickens until about 30 minutes ago....he now changed his mind and said if I want chickens i should have chickens...:D
that is as long as he wont have to feed them!!

but my neighbour always wanted chickens but her dh doesnt want them in their garden so she would be more than happy for me to have them...she would probably even help me out with them!!(and get some eggs in return- if they will lay any that is)

[happytotschildminding]

Nicole - that's the company we just got our hen house from and I can highly recommend them - the house is excellent quality, was really really well packaged and ariived quickly considering it was over christmas - AND reduced to a very good price - with the money saved on it you could buy the run extension. Foxes tend to attack at dusk and dawn so locking them away in their lovely house at night reduces the chances of that happening - but unfortunately I can't say it won't happen.
Carol

[Blackhorse]

thanks, that is good to know...
they looked nice and the price reduction is a bonus...

so a fox could still get into it then? is there anything you can do to reduce that risk?

I think we might have chickens soon!! :laughing:

[happytotschildminding]

I doubt it would get into the house itself if the pop hole was closed, but they do dig and would dig itself into the run. If you dug down at least a foot all round the house and run and put a vertical layer of mesh in it would stop them.
We have kept chickens and ducks together and they were fine - ducks are fun but they are very messy too (empty the chickens drinkers in no time!) but the khaki campbells we had were excellent layers and the children loved to see them. The River Cottage Forum has a section on poultry which full of useful advice.
Carol

[Blackhorse]

thanks for all your advice Carol!

[happytotschildminding]

No problem, my advice on chickens is probably better than my advice on childminding:laughing: - let us know what you decide.
Carol

[Blackhorse]

well i think I have already decided to go for chickens.

always wanted them anyways..

just doing a lot of reading up and finding out before i actually go and by anything.

it is all very exciting though!

[suez]

pets @ home are sellin chickens now something like £24 for the 2 they advertised in the local paper, my oh said a big NO to me too! :(

[TheBTeam]

My sil has chickens, they have dug the fence on the enclosure down a way into the ground, and they have had a lot of trouble with foxes getting in and killing the chickens, although they do live in the countryside, they have now built the fence up to a standing height and have a wire roof to the enclosure to stop the foxes getting to the chickens.

They are fun thought and kids of all ages are fascinated.

[Blackhorse]

another question...one of many more to come i fear..

what kinds of chickens would you recommend? i dont really mind what they look like but I want ones that would be quite tame over time if they get used to us.

I dont want to keep them for eggs only so they dont need to be laying hundreds of eggs...fair enough if they do they will get used..I am sure they neighbours wont say no to some eggs either!

any ideas?

I found a farm in Lanarkshire that sells free range chickens..i guess i could always go there and have a look round, but I would like to be prepared..

[Blackhorse]

My sil has chickens, they have dug the fence on the enclosure down a way into the ground, and they have had a lot of trouble with foxes getting in and killing the chickens, although they do live in the countryside, they have now built the fence up to a standing height and have a wire roof to the enclosure to stop the foxes getting to the chickens.

They are fun thought and kids of all ages are fascinated.

that is a good idea I think...also read somewhere that you can put long nails into the ground (right underneath the fence/netting of the run...to stop digging foxes...but still ot of reach of children that way.

[Demonjill]

Ooh sounds very exciting - i used to have chickens and ducks where i worked at riding school. They were both easy and good fun - lots of poo though but hey thats your plants fertilised too then lol.

Cant beat fresh eggs and knowing exactly where they come from.

1 of my friends has lots of chickens and its the Jack Russels that try to get them not foxes cos the Russels keep the foxes away lol

Good luck let us know when you get them and piccies please Nicole.

O maybe your local rescue centre may have some chickens needing a home - people often give them up if they move etc - just a thought xx

[nannymcflea]

http://www.chickenadoption.co.uk/

http://www.bhwt.org.uk/

Don't know if these are of any help but I looked into having chickens too, dh not as keen though.:(

[Blackhorse]

it is decided;
we will be chicken owners soon!!!!!

dd and i are visiting a farm on saturday to see their chickens and the lady agreed to give us some advice to help us get started!! they have other animals too so dd will get a nice day out at the farm!!
and if we like the chickens i will go back there to get a couple once I have everything set up for them in the garden.

I AM SOO HAPPY!! and very glad dp changed his mind about having chickens!! wohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!