Chickens?

[kimlck]

We have decided to keep chickens, our coop is arriving tomorrow , hubby is a carpenter so he is building the run.
We've spent the last 2 days looking at hybrid hens, with another 2 places left to go. we are going to get 4.
Its sooo exciting!

So thats where all my money will go on now, hamster and chicken things.

Any other chicken keepers @HC?

:cool:

[Prinze Burnzo]

Congrats! I so wish I could have Chickens one day. I have looked after them a couple of times for a friend, and they are just so much fun :D. One of them was so friendly that she used to follow me around the Garden hehe! But these were rescued Battery Hens...which for some reason were more friendly than the Chickens these people got as eggs XD.

Hope to see pictures when you have them! ^^

[BrainGirl]

I love chickens, so did my Grandpa. He called them his Girls :) As a kid it was my job to get the eggs and more than once I stuck my hand under a hen and had the freshest egg possible laid directly on my hand :p

[Gazmo]

i love chickens! i had 3, but one died a while ago :/ They are all battery hens, and had no feathers :L but they grew back :D

[Kaztrekie]

We said we would get some but other annoying things keep stopping us!.

Would love to see pics when they arrive.

[icklemunch]

I work in a primary school and we have 5 ex battery hens. Its great for the kids to learn. They live free range in a huge enclosed garden in the middle of the school where nothing can get in. They are all so friendly. They adore mealworms. Although stinky i'd love some of my own i just don't have a big enough garden. Oh and their eggs are so much tastier than bought from a supermarket.

[$parkle]

We have 3 chickens and 3 call ducklings

[Axeria]

Wow congrats on the chicks! :D I love chickens and would absolutly LOVE to get fresh and cruelfree eggs to my morning toast ^_^ the price of the eco eggs is crazy!!

[mouseandstrawberry]

I used to have 7 but they were my old works chickens so yeah, i miss them lots! Frizzles, silkies, wynadote (Sp?) sussex and reds i've worked with. I really like bantams.

Good luck with them, can't wait to see pics :D

[kimlck]

Ooo its exciting!!

The coop is finished, the run is finished, we have water and feeders ready to be filled.
The coop has had a dusting with mite powder, there's nesting boxes ready to be filled, poo tray filled with aubiose, perches ready to be perched upon, corn ready to be eaten, grit ready to be eaten, even a dust tray ready to be rolled in.
All thats missing is....... CHICKENS!!!!
And we are (hopefully) getting them tomorrow
:) :) :)

[HollyHamster]

All I know about chickens is that they are messy as can be. You need to do a full cleanout of their coop on a weekly basis.

With that said, I wouldn't mind some egg laying hens. I don't want a rooster. Don't want a population boom after all. Too bad my neighborhood bans owning poultry of any kind. Stupid HOA.

[kimlck]

They are here!
We have a bully too, she spent most of the day picking on the other 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mmMIetbrTU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Click the link please.... One day i will be able to post videos proper sigh

[BrainGirl]

Nice setup! I wouldn't worry about the hen that seems to be picking on the others. Unless it leads to injuries it should settle down once the pecking order has been established. As for the cleaning, you might need to do frequent cleanings if your coop is small but when we had chickens in a big hen house we just regularly put fresh straw down (sawdust might work too) which kept the smell and the ammonia down and then did a big clean once a year.

[kimlck]

We are using my hamster supplies of aubiose, it did clump together rather well this morning so it made spot cleaning easy.
All hell broke loose today, the black one pinning both the brown and grey one down and the white one coming along to help.
Rather alot of feathers flying.
DH has rang the breeder and the bullies are known for it!
So tomorrow we are taking 2 birds back to the breeder.

Both the brown and grey come to the front of the run when the door is opened, and they "cluck" back when you talk to them.
DH is gutted but like i said, follow your gut instinct, it's what i do with my hams

[icklemunch]

Awww thats a shame. Which one's are you sending back? Are you getting more?

We're lucky the 5 at work get on great even when its meal worm time!

[kimlck]

The black and white ones went back this morning, catching them was err fun, i was on my hands and knees in the run, i had chicken poo everywhere lol.

"Lola and Bluebell" have been getting along brilliantly even taking a dust bath together!
Lola laid our very first egg this morning too

[icklemunch]

Haha oooo me not like chicken poo, once you stand onit it spreads everywhere :)

Aww sounds like they will be much happier, hope the other two go somewhere nice.

Enjoy the egg, they are so much tastier and yellower.

[kimlck]

It does rather doesnt it? Lol
I had 3/4 trousers, a vest and sandals on, so i had to wash my feet well too.
Surprising how long the smell lingered......

[BrainGirl]

Lovely egg! Be sure you don't wash it until just before you use it ;)