Chickens on a patio

Dan,
I am starting to get excited now as the DAY draws nearer.
'Spose a "then and now " set of piccies is out of the question? ,
Jenny

 

Oh Jenny, you are soooo demanding (then and now pix, indeed!)

 

Yeh sorry mum I didn't make that very cleAr ill be clearing the ground were my vegs beds are going and also were the hen house will be going the rest of them I will leave in its the pea gravel I want to get rid of that's what covers most of the area. I want to replace that with either turf or bark chips. Obviously the area inside the run won't be turf though. I'm thinking about 10 feet x 10 feet for the run plus my 8x2 cocoon house and run thing that I already have, what you think?

 

Apologies Dan,
please may we have a piccie or two and we're all very nosey, aren't we guys....

 

Sorry guys I wasn't ignoring those posts I'm on my phone and I'd not seen them of course ill do some pictures!!!!
I think what I'll do is strart a new thread when I get some pics next wknd (it will be too dark when I finish work through the week) only thing is which section do I post it in?

 

For 3 or 5? I think that sounds good; especially as they will have opportunities for freeranging (bear in mind that battery hens are on little more than the size of A4 paper!)

 

Do you think I could keep 5 in that space? Bearing in mind the hen house in my cocoon is 1m x 1m with 2 perches for roosting. Could 5 warrens roost in their also would 1 nest box be enough it is devided in 2 so 2 hens could lay at once. Ill prob start with 3 and see how it goes. And yes their will be some free ranging for them . Those poor battery hens, I onced watched a documentary on it panorama or some thing it was awfull. Is it not illegal now?

 

The legalities have only made a smidgen of difference, Dan! Ok, so maybe 1 and a half sheets of A4 paper now?

Yes, you could keep 5 in that space (except now you have gone from imperial to metric and my metric is a bit feeble ). Chooks like to huddle together at night, not just for warmth, but from the "safety" aspect. Even with a much larger space they will still all shuffle up together for nightly hugs (well, shoulder to shoulder action anyway). The really important measurement is their run size and that will depend on if they free range frequently. Night time the arithmatic is different.

Five *could* all lay in one nest box but definately 2 would be better. But you could have 5 seperate nesting boxes and then discover all 5 lay in just ONE box I have had chooks sitting in one box despite numerous boxes being available (I think the most I counted in one box was 6 )

However, they do not all lay at once and their laying seems to work on (roughly!) a 26-28hr cycle. By that I mean, one could lay at 6am one day, 8am the next day, 9am the next day and then 11 am the next day (have a day off and then 1pm the following day!). But, they could all "nest" at the same time - just to complicate things and befuzzle you Ducks, on the other hand, get their laying over and done with by (the latest!) 9am.

I'm not overly familiar with Warrens, but, my hybrids (Sussex: buff and white) do still go off lay at times - either because the weather is too hot, or maybe they have a dose of mites which needs treating. So before you decide on how many to get, you really need to think about how many eggs you buy to meet your requirements *now*!

Five warrens, at peak, will be giving you 5 eggs per day = 35 per week. Even if you share with your Mother (as a huge "thank you" for sharing her garden), you are still talking around 17 eggs per week.

Three warrens, at peak, will be giving you 3 per day = 21 per week/2 = 10 per week.

Now, if you get through one dozen eggs per week, 3 would be fine!
Do you really get through almost a dozen and a half per week? Just with your own household?

I keep pure breeds (less prolific, but good in the longer term) as well as hybrids.

That needs thinking about *before* you decide how many you can fit in one space.

Personally, I act on the basis that I would rather have more chickens than I need because I have ways of using up any surplus (Mr Mum has many colleagues ) and chooks can be "delicate" and peg out on us at very short notice!

All I'm saying is this: if you want 3 as a trial - go for it! But beware chicken maths (Oh my gosh! I wanted 3, but now I have 10!) They can be addictive. Just because you *have* the space for 5 (or more!) can you *afford* them? Layers pellets isn't cheap and you really should consider cost of feed vs return - even if you are not selling your surplus eggs: it is an on going commitment/expense. Even free ranging they will still need the very basic supplements in terms of pellets (this you will see for yourself when you get them and they run back to their feeding station despite having the whole garden to nibble on!) and medication.

Do buy your three, Dan. Do learn from them, enjoy them and give your little one a most wonderful eggsperience (forgive the pun!). Just don't dive in with five and then think ... this is *not* cost effective and I've been lead astray by that silly "Mum" from GC! Do, by all means, add to your flock when you feel the need (built up a customer base for your surplus eggs!). But, begin small - dip your toe in the water - before you think bigger/take up diving!

Does that help?

 

Glad I found this thread I have been thinking of maybe getting some chooks in the last few weeks and I have found this most informative. Just a quick question roughly how much does it cost to buy a coop and how much does it cost to feed them?

Rusty