Made up my mind

[HayleyB]

I lurve my laydees.......

[Hilary B]

if you decide to keep chickens in your garden do you need to have some kind of permission from the council or something first? i own my house but i just know that if i decided to keep chickens the next door neighbours would complain to whatever authorities they thought they could complain to

There are sometimes 'restrictive covenants' on property deeds, forbidding the keeping of poultry. It is less than entirely clear whether such are actually enforceable, and in any case there will nearly always be a comment like "without the consent of xyz", where xyz may be the person who sold the house in the first place (not necessarily to you) or whoever owns/lives in some specific nearby house, or some similar description.
If the house was once a council house, then xyz MAY be the council, otherwise it is nothing to do with them, unless they are called on later to deal with 'nuisance', after a complaint from a neighbour.

[MrsC]

Thanks guys, I contacted the ex-batt society last night

[MaureenHall]

Whoo hoo ) When do you collect your ladies?

[Snadger]

Thanks guys, I contacted the ex-batt society last night

And.......and............AND??????? When ya getting some?

[Glutton4...]

C....MON!!!! Don't keep us in suspenders (they're uncomfortable!)


Whispers... I've got the urge for more but 20 Chooks and 4 Geese is enough - innit!?

[MaureenHall]

Whispers... I've got the urge for more but 20 Chooks and 4 Geese is enough - innit!?

Is it?

[HayleyB]

Is it?

I don't reckon she has, I mean there's room to catch up with me isn't there? C'mon G4 another 18 laydees me thinks even if your gossies are bigger than my duckies........

Mrs C that was 2B how many and when?

[MrsC]

Just sent a registration email, just looking at what i need to do next. Do any of u guys have pics of your 'hen houses?' Home made it will be for me, can't afford no fancy Eglu thingies, way too much money for me

[MrsC]

ok guys, i have sent off my request etc, just waiting to hear, will let u know when i do

[Suechooks]

Try getting the book Starting with Chickens by Katie Thear. It's got all (or most of) you need to know. It also has pictures of houses and lots of other stuff. If you've never had hens before read the BHWT page on rehoming ex-batts. There are also other rescue groups mostly around Norfolk but they have good web sites as well to get clued up. There's Little Hen Rescue and Free at last. There may be others. Ex-batts are lovely friendly grateful little girls but they've had an awful confined existence so they do have "special needs". I've had mine 18 months now and I hope I'll always have room for a few - or maybe a lot!

[MaureenHall]

Just sent a registration email, just looking at what i need to do next. Do any of u guys have pics of your 'hen houses?' Home made it will be for me, can't afford no fancy Eglu thingies, way too much money for me

I've got 3 "coops" (so far!!). The first one is one I bought as a flat pack from Ebay, it houses 6 - 8 and has a nest box that can be accessed from outside with a lift-up lid. The roof is also a lift-up lid. Since the fox attack, I've put hasp thingies on and locks as well. The second one is a shed pack that I got massively reduced from B&Q. The side that's supposed to have the window in I've put in upside-down so the window hole becomes the pop-hole (clever eh? ). The third one is a converted rabbit hutch with an upstairs and a downstairs. I'm going to be starting the youngsters off in there (in the bottom) in a couple of weeks when they're big enough to stay out all night. If I ever get a broody, then she'll move into the top part (it's got a divider that'll make an ideal broody space) and I'll move the youngsters somewhere else.

So you see, you can make a coop out of almost anything!! It doesn't have to be posh, it just needs to be easy to clean, have perches for the hens, somewhere for them to lay their eggs, and most important of all - FOX PROOF. Don't learn that lesson the hard way!

Good luck and enjoy the planning

[Nicos]

Good for you MrsC...you'll be so pleased you've got them!!

I could spend all day watching mine..I esp enjoy watching them having a dust bath , drinking water,holding a warm newly laid egg..and esp how whenever I walk out of the back door they come rushing over/flying to me.
The satisfaction of a clean coop smelling of shavings is lovely

[MrsC]

Well guys a bit of an update. I can't wait now to get my chucks. Need to start building their house. My son has just made a brilliant suggestion, the bottom part of his playhouse (a garage section at the bottom) can be used for the girls! and extend it out into the garden. 2 of my fellow plotters have now got chucks and I had my 1st real freshly layed egg on return from the plot, fried with some toast. I was amazed at the colour of the yoke and the flavour. Keep you updated!

[Snadger]

I've got 3 "coops" (so far!!).

Just to go one better.....I've got 3 coops (one i'm busy building at the mo) AND two broody coops!
The one I'm building out of scrap wood and pallets at the mo is elevated..........roughly triangular with a pophole platform and an external lid on the nesting box. (I absolutely luuuurve making coops!!!!!!)

PS We've got a 'Two Sheds' on the vine so do you not fancy changing your name to 'Three Coops' Maureen?