Keeping Chickens

[scifisam]

£22

Ours were a pound each

Yeah, and they're the same breed/mix as those £1 rescue chickens too. But Topcat doesn't want those.

 

[rubbershoes]

If you can find a commercial hatchery that supplies POL layers, they can be £5 or so - although thats pre wheat price increase

They were just from a local farmer. Chickens/eggs aren't his main business. He just has a few clucking about

 

[TopCat]

If you can find a commercial hatchery that supplies POL layers, they can be £5 or so - although thats pre wheat price increase

Any ideas or ideally links?

 

[WouldBe]

£22

Ours were a pound each

Just buy half a dozen eggs and see what hatches.

 

[Septimus Rufiji]

but don't plant them too deep

 

[Funky_monks]

Any ideas or ideally links?

You'll have to look close to you for commercial POL suppliers, can often let you have some that have "hidden" from the catchers when a load go.

A bit of googling has beaten the £22 but a lot more than a fiver - these look like semi commercial types:
Laying Pullet Suppliers Point of Lay Hens

 

[TopCat]

You'll have to look close to you for commercial POL suppliers, can often let you have some that have "hidden" from the catchers when a load go.

A bit of googling has beaten the £22 but a lot more than a fiver - these look like semi commercial types:
Laying Pullet Suppliers Point of Lay Hens

Appreciate the signposting.

 

[TopCat]

The coop and run have arrived. looks ok. Pressure treated, mortice and tenon joints. The roof hinges are shite and will be replaced. The chicken wire will not do at all. The foxes here would laugh at it. Looking at screwfix stuff to do a double skin. But on the whole not bad at all and definitely cheaper than the timber would have cost me.

 

[TopCat]

My next door neighbour has never been nice. Now shows clear signs of early dementia and is deeply unpleasant.

I worry she will kick off about chickens. So my plan is (if she does kick off) to tell her I have pigs coming soon. Then compromise and cut back to four hens and offer a few eggs.

My next door neighbour saved my house (and hers) from burning down today. I am going to try so hard to be nicer.

 

[TopCat]

This coop takes flat pack assembled to the next level.

 

[Funky_monks]

The coop and run have arrived. looks ok. Pressure treated, mortice and tenon joints. The roof hinges are shite and will be replaced. The chicken wire will not do at all. The foxes here would laugh at it. Looking at screwfix stuff to do a double skin. But on the whole not bad at all and definitely cheaper than the timber would have cost me.

If you can get hold of some creosote, I'd cover it - it'll discourage red mite.
Another thing you can do is coat the perches (all the way round) with grease in about an inch stripe next to the walls. Red mite get stuck in it and can't reach the birds.

 

[20Bees]

Just buy half a dozen eggs and see what hatches.

Hatching fertile eggs can be great fun, especially under a broody hen instead of an incubator - it’s wonderful to watch a mother hen teaching chicks what chickens need to know. It’s less wonderful if most of the eggs hatch male chicks. Bad enough if they’re sex-linked and you know as soon as they hatch, worse if you’ve raised them for several weeks before you’re absolutely sure, and you’ll be culling the males but they wont have enough meat on them to be worth the bother of prepping them to cook.

If you can get hold of some creosote, I'd cover it - it'll discourage red mite.
Another thing you can do is coat the perches (all the way round) with grease in about an inch stripe next to the walls. Red mite get stuck in it and can't reach the birds.

Creocote works, (as opposed to creosote which may not be available to you). Diatomaceous earth puffed into all cracks can help. Burning along joins and perches with a weed wand is also effective but maybe not in these dry conditions!

 

[Epona]

The coop and run have arrived. looks ok. Pressure treated, mortice and tenon joints. The roof hinges are shite and will be replaced. The chicken wire will not do at all. The foxes here would laugh at it. Looking at screwfix stuff to do a double skin. But on the whole not bad at all and definitely cheaper than the timber would have cost me.

If you need additional mesh, I used this supplier a few years ago when I was making cat-proof mesh door and window screens (to stop the idiot cats going face first out of my top floor windows rather than to keep animals out, but they supply mesh for all sorts of purposes!)

Mesh Direct - for all your wire mesh, fencing and chain link needs

Mesh Direct - for all your wire mesh, fencing and chain link needs

www.meshdirect.co.uk

 

[Chilli.s]

Just been looking after a mates gaff, they have chickens again and through absolute laziness have installed them close to the house. This is a big mistake imho as they attract all sorts of flying beasts and create bad smells. Get them as far away from people as possible.

The fresh eggs are lush, and they do clear up all the kitchen scraps and convert it to food for nothing. They are 3 rescue hens and cost very little but are a bit dumb due to their caged life early on. They would probably try and eat the fox when he comes a visiting.

 

[Chilli.s]

btw 3 hens seems to equal about 2 eggs a day atm

 

[TopCat]

My coop is going down the bottom of the garden next to the compost bins. Keep the whiff down.

Fuck it’s hot.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

You should definitely get some of these

 

[Chilli.s]

My coop is going down the bottom of the garden next to the compost bins. Keep the whiff down.

Fuck it’s hot.

Good plan

Rats is another consequence, coming in to eat anything the chooks dont. Rats favorite place to set up home is... compost bins.

Forewarned is forearmed rather than being critical, Id do it too but dont want all the responsibility. And you can always eat the birds if you dont get on with it

 

[The39thStep]

My coop is going down the bottom of the garden next to the compost bins. Keep the whiff down.

Fuck it’s hot.

I don’t think they smell tbh . Just clean them out once a week and the shite and any straw / wood shavings etc is good for the compost .

 

[TopCat]

Good plan

Rats is another consequence, coming in to eat anything the chooks dont. Rats favorite place to set up home is... compost bins.

Forewarned is forearmed rather than being critical, Id do it too but dont want all the responsibility. And you can always eat the birds if you dont get on with it

Compost bins are dug into the ground with a mesh barrier to deter digging.

Got a really heavy galvanised bin to keep feed in.

Air rifle. Tom cat. Rat poison behind coop, regularly topped up.

Anyway the coop is mostly done. I’m adding a felt roof to keep wild birds from shitting through the roof mesh.

Going to start reinforcing the whole thing. Added battens to stop the shit tray from being lifted by a fox from underneath.

Adding a skin of welded steel mesh with small holes to the whole frame. Keep the rodents out.

Going to mark out the final position in the garden next. Then start digging a trench. Then more mesh, some concrete too.

It’s going to be a while before everything is in place.

 

[TopCat]

 

[WouldBe]

You should definitely get some of these

View attachment 337318

Kinky chicken wearing rubber gloves.

 

[TopCat]

A little electric fence project might be in order.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Tom cat. Rat poison behind coop, regularly topped up.

is that a good combination?

what if kitty catches a rat who has just been at the poison?

 

[TopCat]

is that a good combination?

what if kitty catches a rat who has just been at the poison?

He won’t eat it trust me. Plus he is 18/19 and less than eager.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

He won’t eat it trust me. Plus he is 18/19 and less than eager.

at that age, i take it he'll just swear at any rats?

 

[TopCat]

at that age, i take it he'll just swear at any rats?

Makes a funny noise to alert me. Then pellet gun and bang nail it to the shed.

 

[TopCat]

Digging a trench on the preimter of the coop and run. Going 18 inches deep then steel mesh sheeting embedded in concrete. Then an apron of mesh about six inches deep going out about two foot. I might go deeper.

 

[Duncan2]

is that a good combination?

what if kitty catches a rat who has just been at the poison?

good point also a risk to carnivorous birds such as barn owls if anysuch happen to be about

 

[TopCat]

good point also a risk to carnivorous birds such as barn owls if anysuch happen to be about

Poisoning is harsh and yes who knows where the dead go and what eats them?

I have attempted to thwart rodents (and foxes) by adding another layer of mesh to the whole structure. It’s taken ages.

Got to get more mesh to go in the ground. Plus concrete. Costs are adding up.
I have got it all in position now and have cleaned up the mess. The new 850 litre compost bin is good stuff. This is the special chicken shit bin which will feed my vegetables.

I keep getting pestered by others to name the chooks when they come.

I’m going to name them. Me.

I’m thing of Gertrude, Irene and Mavis. We will see.