chickens

i dont have a clue about chickens but my sister as huge back garden, i was just wonder how many chicken would you need to have a 12 eggs a week?

does chicken lay eggs all year around?
how much would be the feed?
is it alot of hard work?

I have three hens and get 3 or 4 a day in summer and no more then 3 in winter. So you would need 2 or 3 chooks. I have three and it seems to work well. They start to lay about 18weeks old so don't get any younger and don't get much older or they will be half out of eggs. They will lay until about 2 or 3 years old but can live a lot longer.

They lay all year yes but stress will make them stop or give soft eggs (where the shell doesn't form)

I give mine one scoop of layers pellets a day and they usually don't finish it for two days so I usually spread the left overs on the floor and they scratch about in it. They go through water very fast and are dirty beggars so you need a proper hen water feeder and put it on top of a breeze block so they don't tip it over.

They're not a lot of work no, they need wormed and dusted in summer for mites but generally are very easy to look after.

They can get bare chests which isn't something to worry about mostly lol but they can become cannobalistic so if one starts to peck at another ones bum or chest then you'll have to get rid of it cause it won't stop and it will teach the others to do it too.

You have to call one hayley too!

They can stick but if cleaned out well they won't, but flies looooove the poo and the chickens love to scratch about in it an get the maggots but its just gross.

would a dog stress them? my sister has bille and when she had 2 rabbits she use to run around their rabbit run

It would yes, but if the dogs were kept away they wouldn't be stressed by them just being in the garden. Mine run about t yard all day and when they see Lexi they start clucking and running lol but they are happy with the cats

she has a big garden but they would have to lock up in a big ish pen billie is very likely run around it when she see them

Could she possibly section off the bottom of the garden and have the pen there then put a fence across the garden or something?

just nick it off google map here my sister back garden

She could put a fence at the top left bit, chickens don't really be bothered about looking out of a fence so it could be wood at the bottom and then a bit of wire at the top so they don't fly out. She could let them out to mess about the garden sometimes when Billie is in the house and they usually come back in easily if there's food on the go loli

i'm going have look into this if we all chip in share the eggs fresh eggs

They really are the best! It's very eggsiting to get your first one

do you buy them in or do let some eggs turn into chicks?

Buy them in, don't need any more than 3 and don't want a cockerel they're noisey and vicious lol I'm a little broody though so might get a new one in the summer

what do you do when they stop laying eggs?

If your gonna boil eggs make sure you do older ones, really fresh ones are annoying and kinda fall apart.

Also the eggs at the start are tiny and takes a good few months to get to normal egg size lol

I have one who lays long eggs, bit weird lookin but tasty.

do you need to worry about rats?

I haven't got to that point yet! I will be keepin them until they die basically but some people neck them or give them to a pet food supplier

right i need a my bed now we will carry this tomoz > i got plenty more question to ask

We always buy them from a reputable 'breeder'. The Amber Star that we have now,we got at 14 wks old and started laying at 18 wks and have only stopped laying about 3 months ago,they are nearly 4yrs old.We paid £9 each and the layers pellets are £5.35 for 15kg-Farmgate xx


April xxx

It can be a problem yeah but if you keep the food well looked up and keep its clean and set out some humane rat traps (so that the chickens can't get hurt in a trap) then it can be controlled. ESP if Billie has a sniff about and leaves her scent!

We've never for rats (I Duno how cause its perfect conditions lol) but the cats leave stink about so they don't come near.

we cant have chicken in our garden it's written in by laws

aw no thats a shame, its quite common in built up areas unfortuntely

Steve wrote: we cant have chicken in our garden it's written in by laws

Are chickens classed as livestock ???, this could be why they are not allowed in residential areas

>< there there, you can live through me. ill post you an egg lol

i think you should buy a new chicken and call her xena warrior princess and give me daily update on her how many eggs the size of them

okay, i don't need to be told twice. Ill get one on sunday lol

Depends on what breed steve, some lay more frequently than others. We have one which lays an egg a day