Grow Your Own Magazine

I have 'come into' a little bit of money, and my OH said I should get something I really wanted for myself, as well as saving etc. I have been really wanting some chickens, but was convinced there was no space, I haven't any grass, and all the family would be against it. Today when we went out for lunch I was saying again about the chickens, and said I'd seen the eglu cube, which was very expensive, but looked easy to take care of.

Could people with chickens please comment on the feasibility of his idea.
The available space is only 1.6m wide, but could be as long as 4m, depending on how much we decide on. There is the garage wall on one side, and 6ft fence along one 1.6m side, and parallel to the garage, so it has walls on 3 sides. The is strip is at the back of my greenhouse, so the idea was to cover it over with netting and build a door in the 'free space'. The chickens would have this as a run, with the eglu inside. The compost bins would still be in the run. The floor would either be earth, covered with some sort of bedding, or I have some old decking that could be laid with bedding on top. Would I need to roof some of the run to keep the rain off?

We are on an estate with large dogs one side, would these be likely to upset the chickens as they bark a lot? Also, will the hens make much noise, and if I clean the eglu out once a week, how often would I need to clean out the whole run? I am thinking 4-6 hens. I don't want to give the neighbours any cause to complain.

Look forward to hearing what people think,
Ann

__________________
I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!

http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/

I think if your neighbours have large dogs which bark a lot,then a few chickens will hardly give any cause for complaint!!! I clean out my chicken shed every week, but my chickens don't use their run any more, as they free range, so can't help there.

__________________
http://clairescraftandgarden.blogspot.com/

Iv only had mine for a few days now But from watching them Id say having no grass isnt that fair on them They are jungle birds mine love to dig ,eat grass and uncover slugs/snails/worms , I dont think the dogs will be a problem as they will just get used to it. but i have to say the run smells alot and they poo alot.... loads All that said Im sure if you had the time to give them plants maybe put down some grass ( its only about 1.50 a roll ) inside the run and other things to keep them busy im sure ex bat hens will be more then happy .. as i found out Hens will make a small amount of noise when they lay there eggs for about 10 mins , As for 4 to 6 in that run i wouldnt put more then 2 in , Again im only a noob hen keeper

__________________
http://davefromthechipie.blogspot.com

Don't worry about the grass - I agree with Dave but there are alternatives. You can hang cabbages, broccoli or any available greens for them to jump and peck at, most hens enjoy this, I tend to hang veg around 6-12 inches above head height so they have to jump and get a bit of exercise.

The space you have sounds fine - but green netting won't be sufficient - cats could easily break through it. I would look at running a series of battens across from the garage to the side fence and securing either chicken wire or weldmesh to this. Garden centres often stock it and around here it is about £18 for a 6m roll.

You say the compost bins are in the area - expect your hens to dig them out looking for tasty treats! They will have a lovely time - you just get to clear up the mess! You said the space is bare ground - you need to consider how you are going to move through the space - if you leave it bare it will soon become encrusted with a layer of - pardon me - chicken s**t. To remove this smelly mess requires a spade and broom plus a strong stomach! It will stink - especially afer rain. So consider some form of bedding - several people here recommend a product called 'Hemcore' which is designed for stables and reputed to have good odour reducing qualities.

It should be noted that you do not require a cockerel in order to get eggs - so noise is hardly an issue - if the neighbours seem annoyed then pass over a few eggs - they'll not complain!

Before you start spending any money have a look at your deeds/lease - some have clauses preventing the keeping of poultry - better to check than find out the hard way.

Can't think of much else right now

Terry

__________________
The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

Hi I have my five ex bats in a cube in a large run. The floor is concrete to prevent rats digging their way in and covered with 2-3inches of aubiose/hemcore....from the plant hemp and can be bought from horsey places as it is used for horse bedding. The aubiose soaks up the hen droppings and every night I 'pooh pick' the run to keep it fresh. Then every 3 to 4 weeks completely replace the bedding. Inside the run we have tree branches for perches and from these we hang hard white cabbage. I cut a circle round the top of the cabbage and thread with string. They absolutely love this and keeps them occupied with pecking the veg. I feed our hens on layers mash, plus any other veg going. Late afternoons they are given a handful of chicken corn each. On the bedding I throw chicken grit for food digestion and oyster shell for healthy eggs(hard shells). Having the cube in a walk in run is not only easy to maintain, but really good for building up relationships with our hens. They are used to me getting in there with them and chatter away and try to help.! Everyday I clean out the nest box. Ex bats have a habit of sleeping in there...preferring this to roosting....they've had a hard life and the nest box is so comfy, but needs to be kept clean every day for clean eggs. Aubiose on top of newspaper is what I use for the nest box. Perches are cleaned...scrubbed weekly, and the henhouse cleaned with animal disinfectant 2 weekly to avoid red mite and other nasties. I was given some money as a gift from my cousin and earmarked for the cube, that is the only way I was able to afford it. I would say it is a very good buy. Easy to clean and my hens love their home. The cube houses up to 10 hens, so mine have plenty of room. In the afternoons, I remove the back of the cube(grey colour part) which provides extra space and interest and another place to perch and see the world. Our run has a perspec roof, so that wild bird droppings are not a problem. The run mesh is built on top of breeze bricks, so no bedding can spill out onto the garden and mice and rats are unable to get in. I hope you find this information helpful. Oh yes, the cube is warm in winter and cool in the summer. Two weeks ago when it was really hot, I was unable to collect the eggs until 4pm due to being at work. I thought the eggs would be cooking! but no! They were cold which proves that the 2 layer plastic really works.

Oh, I forgot to say that, our hens only bok bok loudly when laying eggs or something is wrong and they are calling me!. Also, as well as the aubiose cutting down the odour of hens, I add a handful of Bokashi bran into their layers mash which results in odourless droppings. I do'nt think I have anything else to add except we love our hens and do'nt regret having them.They are really cute and can take your mind off more serious issues giving you time out.

Thanks very much for the info everyone. I have been a bit pre-occupied this week (see Lost Cat thread in chitchat!), so I haven't been thinking so much about the hens. I almost came to the conclusion that life would be better without any animals, but I know that won't last, I haven't the temperment or background to avoid having pets!
I was intending to use chicken wire for the run top, as the space is 1.6m, and I found you could get 1.8m wide. As 3 sides, almost 4 if you count the greenhouse, would be solid, I felt it would get too hot in summer if I roofed the whole lot, but the rain will be an issue on bedding.
I found your comments very useful sunflower, I was thinking of using the horse bedding stuff on the floor, and we can lay some paving or something as a hard surface. 3-4 weekly cleaning of the run sounds reasonable. It is the smell I am particularly concerned about, because our gardens are small, and we have people backing onto us, as well as at the sides.
I was intending ex-batts, but my daughter has her heart set on a Mrs Pepperpot from the Omlet website, as they are black. As far as I remember from when my Mum worked at a battery farm (horrible place, I hated going there, I was about 10, and saw the conditions, and smelled the smell, first hand), they are brown. Perhaps I can get some of each? She was dead against any to start with, until I explained they would become pets, and she could have one of her own. Mind you she was very up front about not cleaning them out!

__________________
I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!

http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/

Hi Barely Sugar

We have a Miss Pepperpot from Omlet and she has a lovely temperament and lovely eggs averaging 90g. We also have 3 Gingernuts which are lovely too. We have an Omlet Cube, it's easy to clean, but our chickens roost in the nest box and make a mess nightly in there. I think this is because the nest box is the same height as the roosting bars in the cube, I've heard that if given the option the chickens will roost at the highest point. Next month I'm getting a new hen house and run from Wells Poultry, the hen house has roll away egg collection, so it should be easier for my friends to look after the chickens when we're away.

Tracey

__________________
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Michael Pollan

Hi again. The bokashi bran mixed with their layers mash practically reduces the odour. I ran out of the bran last week and the difference in odour was significant!! Also, as well as the bokashi bran people use garlic powder that ou buy from Horse stores and is also very effective.

Hi again. The bokashi bran mixed with their layers mash practically reduces the odour. I ran out of the bran last week and the difference in odour was significant!! Also, as well as the bokashi bran people use garlic powder that you buy from Horse stores and is also very effective. The omlet hens look really great, and from what I hear have great personalities.

I already buy bokashi bran for the kitchen composter, so it wouldn't be a problem getting in enough for hens. Thanks

__________________
I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!

http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/

How much bokashi bran would you use per hen? Am due to get 4 hens at the end of the month and have a husband who's very fussy about smells!