Keeping Chickens for eggs for beginners
Discussion
Heya Guys and Girls,
We currently buy local, free range eggs direct from our local farm, but its costing us a lot and a hassle to go and get them once a week.
We probably use 18-24 eggs a week.
I would want really special eggs, a mix of pastel colours, lovely deep yellow yokes.
How easy is it to keep chickens?
Do they lay all year round?
What happens when its -5 outside?
how many would I need for a reliable 20 eggs a week?
Whats the standard daily routine for a herd of laying hens?
Thanks
We currently buy local, free range eggs direct from our local farm, but its costing us a lot and a hassle to go and get them once a week.
We probably use 18-24 eggs a week.
I would want really special eggs, a mix of pastel colours, lovely deep yellow yokes.
How easy is it to keep chickens?
Do they lay all year round?
What happens when its -5 outside?
how many would I need for a reliable 20 eggs a week?
Whats the standard daily routine for a herd of laying hens?
Thanks
How many hours a day are you prepared to commit to them? Every day, including holidays. Are you prepared to learn how to kill them?
My friends had them & were forever cleaning them, finding them, letting them out, locking them in, buying new ones to replace the ones the fox killed. It got to the point where he wouldn't take them to the vet as it just wasn't economic. Any problems, into the pot it went. When they moved he refused to have them again as it was costing far in excess of the value of the eggs.
If you're looking for a pet, that's different.
My friends had them & were forever cleaning them, finding them, letting them out, locking them in, buying new ones to replace the ones the fox killed. It got to the point where he wouldn't take them to the vet as it just wasn't economic. Any problems, into the pot it went. When they moved he refused to have them again as it was costing far in excess of the value of the eggs.
If you're looking for a pet, that's different.
Not sure why you would want to learn how to kill them!
We've kept them in the past (for 6 years), and no, they don't lay all year, and yes foxes will get them unless you get PROPER fencing sorted.
They are very friendly and even get to know the note of the car you drive (and will run to the gate to greet you).
TBH, It's cheaper to buy eggs than keep chickens, but the eggs you'll get will be better than any you'll buy if you feed them right.
We've kept them in the past (for 6 years), and no, they don't lay all year, and yes foxes will get them unless you get PROPER fencing sorted.
They are very friendly and even get to know the note of the car you drive (and will run to the gate to greet you).
TBH, It's cheaper to buy eggs than keep chickens, but the eggs you'll get will be better than any you'll buy if you feed them right.
We've kept chickens for about 15 years and they have been rewarding in terms of eggs and general company - but they are not cheap to look after and keep. They can be cheep though!
In all honesty you should probably visit this place and read up rather than relying on my limited experience. We live in the countryside with foxes, buzzards and stoats around - so your environment may be very different.
https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/livestock/po...
Great resource for getting started.
My only pearl of wisdom would be to invest in an automatic door closer/opener:
https://gb.axt-electronic.org
We're on our third in 15 years.
In all honesty you should probably visit this place and read up rather than relying on my limited experience. We live in the countryside with foxes, buzzards and stoats around - so your environment may be very different.
https://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/livestock/po...
Great resource for getting started.
My only pearl of wisdom would be to invest in an automatic door closer/opener:
https://gb.axt-electronic.org
We're on our third in 15 years.
We live in the sticks, so plenty of buzzards about, never seen a fox, but I'm sure they are around.
I was thinking about one of these, proper coop, and a protected run area
or would you still need to let them out to be proper "free range"
Also, on the automatic door opener/closer, is that so they are locked indoors at night? closes in the evening, opens in the morning?
Do chickens automatically go indoors at dusk then, do they never get locked out by the automatic door thing?
I was thinking about one of these, proper coop, and a protected run area
or would you still need to let them out to be proper "free range"
Also, on the automatic door opener/closer, is that so they are locked indoors at night? closes in the evening, opens in the morning?
Do chickens automatically go indoors at dusk then, do they never get locked out by the automatic door thing?
It sure is cheaper to buy eggs in than keep them. We use to keep 15 thousand on the farm but got rid. If you have the time and commitment it is a nice experience for the family to have a few knocking around.
Foxes we're mentioned but also think of rats picking up spilled feed. They will come no matter what.
Foxes we're mentioned but also think of rats picking up spilled feed. They will come no matter what.
GetCarter said:
Not sure why you would want to learn how to kill them!
I used to think the same, but pretty much everyone I know who has chickens has had to dispatch one or more at some point (through injury or illness - e.g. one of them seemed to be turning itself inside out which was pretty grim) - I wouldn't fancy doing it, but best to know how to do it in the quickest/most humane way.We had two lots of ex-battery hens for about four years in total.
I don't regret having them (they are very engaging and amusing and make great pets) but I don't think I'd have them again. Unless you have the automatic door opener\closer you have to be there to let them out and put them away.
Also you need to clean the crap out of the coop every day, do a full clean of it every week or so, and chickens are susceptible to a horrible red mite so you need to occasionally disinfect the whole coop when you get an infestation (which you will, even with defensive measures like diatomaceous earth).
They will also utterly wreck whatever piece of ground you put them on and some of ours became eggbound which isn't a very pleasant way for them to go.
Plus we have a lot more urban foxes around now.
I don't regret having them (they are very engaging and amusing and make great pets) but I don't think I'd have them again. Unless you have the automatic door opener\closer you have to be there to let them out and put them away.
Also you need to clean the crap out of the coop every day, do a full clean of it every week or so, and chickens are susceptible to a horrible red mite so you need to occasionally disinfect the whole coop when you get an infestation (which you will, even with defensive measures like diatomaceous earth).
They will also utterly wreck whatever piece of ground you put them on and some of ours became eggbound which isn't a very pleasant way for them to go.
Plus we have a lot more urban foxes around now.
GetCarter said:
Not sure why you would want to learn how to kill them!
We've kept them in the past (for 6 years), and no, they don't lay all year, and yes foxes will get them unless you get PROPER fencing sorted.
They are very friendly and even get to know the note of the car you drive (and will run to the gate to greet you).
TBH, It's cheaper to buy eggs than keep chickens, but the eggs you'll get will be better than any you'll buy if you feed them right.
Easy, if you are strong enough with your wrists just jerk, twist and snap the neck you'll know from the snapping sound if it worked. If not, do as my SIL does and grab them, quick push their head on the floor, hit them on the side of the head with a mallet, usually dead in two three hits at most *. Far more human than a slow chocking to death by machine in an abatoir, plus you can pluck them and pot them meat whilst fresh, if you've only ever eaten frozen chicken you won't know what you're missing. We've kept them in the past (for 6 years), and no, they don't lay all year, and yes foxes will get them unless you get PROPER fencing sorted.
They are very friendly and even get to know the note of the car you drive (and will run to the gate to greet you).
TBH, It's cheaper to buy eggs than keep chickens, but the eggs you'll get will be better than any you'll buy if you feed them right.
- She developed this technique when she was 3 years old on the farm and ever since then has been known by [relation prefix] Fi-fi the Hammer Wielding Chicken murder of County xxxxxx". Which does occasionally lead to some explanation required when my kids write in their school diaries, "This weekend we went to see Aunt Fi-fi the Hammer Wielding Chicken murder of County xxxxxx".
StanleyT said:
Easy, if you are strong enough with your wrists just jerk, twist and snap the neck you'll know from the snapping sound if it worked. If not, do as my SIL does and grab them, quick push their head on the floor, hit them on the side of the head with a mallet, usually dead in two three hits at most *. Far more human than a slow chocking to death by machine in an abatoir, plus you can pluck them and pot them meat whilst fresh, if you've only ever eaten frozen chicken you won't know what you're missing.
Or of course, invite your neighbours terrier around........- She developed this technique when she was 3 years old on the farm and ever since then has been known by [relation prefix] Fi-fi the Hammer Wielding Chicken murder of County xxxxxx". Which does occasionally lead to some explanation required when my kids write in their school diaries, "This weekend we went to see Aunt Fi-fi the Hammer Wielding Chicken murder of County xxxxxx".
StanleyT said:
StanleyT said:
Easy, if you are strong enough with your wrists just jerk, twist and snap the neck you'll know from the snapping sound if it worked. If not, do as my SIL does and grab them, quick push their head on the floor, hit them on the side of the head with a mallet, usually dead in two three hits at most *. Far more human than a slow chocking to death by machine in an abatoir, plus you can pluck them and pot them meat whilst fresh, if you've only ever eaten frozen chicken you won't know what you're missing.
Or of course, invite your neighbours terrier around........- She developed this technique when she was 3 years old on the farm and ever since then has been known by [relation prefix] Fi-fi the Hammer Wielding Chicken murder of County xxxxxx". Which does occasionally lead to some explanation required when my kids write in their school diaries, "This weekend we went to see Aunt Fi-fi the Hammer Wielding Chicken murder of County xxxxxx".
I had to euthanase a sick hen and it wasn’t easy at all. I wasn’t confident with my bare hands so grabbed a steel breaker bar and figured a sharp crack over the back of the head would kill it. Of course it just sat there looking at me bleeding. I ended up grabbing a garden spade to finish the job (which was immediately effective but caused a mist of chicken brains to settle on my bare face) and I really felt like a bit of a pillock for not learning how to do it properly.
I kept mine for 3 years, was getting 30-40 eggs a week from 6-8 hens at good times, found them highly amusing and thought they were well worth the time and effort which was considerable. They do need a lot of mucking out / sanitising. I let mine roam free over a large area so they didn’t cause damage but did leave s
t everywhere. In 3 years I only lost the occasional bird to a fox and replenished the flock as necessary. Then one sping got a persistent vixen with offspring to feed and she systematically cleaned me out inside a week. I put electric fencing up quickly but the birds I kept which were rather flighty would generally out hop over the fence to freedom but never back the other way. I have kept all the stuff because I will give it another go in the future.
Oh and I had a cockerel - quite liked the little fella as he was a character and kept the hens in order - but do NOT get one if you have neighbours within 300-400m unless you hate them.
I kept mine for 3 years, was getting 30-40 eggs a week from 6-8 hens at good times, found them highly amusing and thought they were well worth the time and effort which was considerable. They do need a lot of mucking out / sanitising. I let mine roam free over a large area so they didn’t cause damage but did leave s
t everywhere. In 3 years I only lost the occasional bird to a fox and replenished the flock as necessary. Then one sping got a persistent vixen with offspring to feed and she systematically cleaned me out inside a week. I put electric fencing up quickly but the birds I kept which were rather flighty would generally out hop over the fence to freedom but never back the other way. I have kept all the stuff because I will give it another go in the future.Oh and I had a cockerel - quite liked the little fella as he was a character and kept the hens in order - but do NOT get one if you have neighbours within 300-400m unless you hate them.
My neighbour had chickens for years until the person who's garden backed onto his garden complained to the council about the noise and he was then told to get rid of them, I was gutted as every so often I'd open the front door and there would be a load of eggs on the doorstep.
It transpired that he had a cockeral and it was the noise of the cockeral which prompted the compliant, funny thing was, neither the wife nor I was aware that he had one as we'd never heard it and we lived closer than the complainer.
It transpired that he had a cockeral and it was the noise of the cockeral which prompted the compliant, funny thing was, neither the wife nor I was aware that he had one as we'd never heard it and we lived closer than the complainer.
Depending on layout of buildings etc it may have just been louder for the complaining neighbour than for you - or perhaps you were just oblivious and didn’t notice. I positioned the hen house in such a way that the crowing (when inside at night) was relatively muted but you could still hear the little bugger from about 0330 in the summer months. Personally I was never bothered by it, but I could see how others would be. I live in an isolated location and my nearest neighbours also kept hens so it was never a problem. I wouldn’t consider having one if I lived in a village.
sidekickdmr said:
I was thinking about one of these, proper coop, and a protected run area
<picture>
Also, on the automatic door opener/closer, is that so they are locked indoors at night? closes in the evening, opens in the morning?
Do chickens automatically go indoors at dusk then, do they never get locked out by the automatic door thing?
That is a generic chinese flatpack coop, and I'd recommend that you get something better - it won't last long, the wood is very thin and poor quality, and they are full of design flaws that mean they are leaky and draughty. After spending years faffing about trying to fix\waterproof\modify one like that, I got sick of it and spent out on one from Flyte So Fancy. Others are available, and you can DIY it if you are handy, but it was worth the money.<picture>
Also, on the automatic door opener/closer, is that so they are locked indoors at night? closes in the evening, opens in the morning?
Do chickens automatically go indoors at dusk then, do they never get locked out by the automatic door thing?
The AXT opener is superb - again, not cheap but good value. You can use a light sensor, a timer, or a combination of the two.
And yes, once they know where "home" is, they'll go in as it gets dark. I've only once or twice had lockouts - both times it was birds that preferred to perch in the run rather than in the coop.
Thinking of converting a shed into a chicken coop. Just for 3 or 4 hens .80% for pets, but we will eat the eggs too.
We have a dog who loves to chase birds. But we are hoping she is trainable. Collie / spaniel cross. I've seen her with chickens before and she does chase, but once cornered she will just lie down in front of them and growl.
How much muck work is involved in 3 chickens? I could do an hour or two a week comfortable, or is this unrealistic?
What's the longest I can leave them for. I am a bit of a homebody and work from home, but if they can't be left overnight that would be a pain.
I'm presuming the main work is erecting a chicken wire cage around the shed? Or is there a lot more to it than this?
We have a dog who loves to chase birds. But we are hoping she is trainable. Collie / spaniel cross. I've seen her with chickens before and she does chase, but once cornered she will just lie down in front of them and growl.
How much muck work is involved in 3 chickens? I could do an hour or two a week comfortable, or is this unrealistic?
What's the longest I can leave them for. I am a bit of a homebody and work from home, but if they can't be left overnight that would be a pain.
I'm presuming the main work is erecting a chicken wire cage around the shed? Or is there a lot more to it than this?
We kept chickens for years. Good company, and lovely eggs, but they are an overhead. If, for example, you want to take a holiday, or even go away for a few days, then you'll need a chicken sitter who'll come around to feed and water them, and clean out the coop and run. If you don't have someone to do that then you don't get to go away.
Unless you are 'proper country' then they'll become pets, and you'll end up taking them to the vet when they're unwell. As soon as you do that the eggs become uneconomic when you take all the other costs into account as well.
Chicken ownership was a good experience, but not something to be done without consideration. I wouldn't have any more now.
If it's a pain going to your supplier every week, then go every fortnight instead. As long as the eggs are fresh, and you store them correctly, then that shouldn't be a problem.
Unless you are 'proper country' then they'll become pets, and you'll end up taking them to the vet when they're unwell. As soon as you do that the eggs become uneconomic when you take all the other costs into account as well.
Chicken ownership was a good experience, but not something to be done without consideration. I wouldn't have any more now.
If it's a pain going to your supplier every week, then go every fortnight instead. As long as the eggs are fresh, and you store them correctly, then that shouldn't be a problem.
Just picked on this subject.
We have chickens in the garden. During the winter all the garden used to be chicken land and during the summer they had the bottom half. Then a fox came in took 2 and left 1 which died a month later. Now we have 3 new chickens who lives in Eglu (see https://www.omlet.co.uk/) with a large enclosure. With the money spent we could buy eggs for the next 20 years but there is nothing like the taste of fresh eggs.
We have chickens in the garden. During the winter all the garden used to be chicken land and during the summer they had the bottom half. Then a fox came in took 2 and left 1 which died a month later. Now we have 3 new chickens who lives in Eglu (see https://www.omlet.co.uk/) with a large enclosure. With the money spent we could buy eggs for the next 20 years but there is nothing like the taste of fresh eggs.
We've had chickens as pets for about 6 years now. We used to let them roam in the garden, but when we moved house the new place was too open so we brought an enclosure which they run in and put the coop in there. They love it and are safe. Its easy to keep clean. They're very friendly pets and will happily run to you, feed out of your hands and sit on your lap.
Our initial 2 died about a month ago so were replaced by 3 point of lay birds as above, who joined our pet guinea fowl in there.
We find that if we're away for a weekend, we can leave sufficient food and water and they look after themselves. If we're away for longer, we get someone to come in every other day to collect the eggs and change the food/water as necessary - no big hassle and the reward for doing it is the eggs, so no shortage of volunteers...
No need to shut the coop at night as the enclosure is fox proof, and they put themselves to bed...
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