Would they fit in the garden. ;-))

you need a chicken house with a perch for them to sleep on every night. they need and out door area to scratch in all day and then they go to bed at night in their house (they like the door shut too or a little door that only they can go through) they need a nest to lay their eggs in made of straw, every day they sit on the nest and lay an egg. white chickens have white eggs brown ones brown. they need water available all the time and feed on kitchen scraps and chicken feed usually corn. i have had lots of chickens and it's really good fun. we found 4 will keep a family of 4 in eggs with some left over. they need cleaning out regularly and the poo is brilliant for the garden, compost heap is best. don't have a male they are evil rapist who just want to shag the chickens all day. you have too keep their bums clean (they do it themselves) but if they get sore then others will peck at their bum. the eggs and poo come out the same hole. they don't need anything chopping off or clipping. laying hens are not the same as mutton birds which are much bigger (eating birds) i don't like having them as it's mean killing chickens. they last about 4 years then they stop laying eggs. they are good little pets for kids especially getting the eggs (it's easter every day!!!) good luck with the chooks!!!!!

Many thanks Karma given

Can you buy the hutch or living quarters all ready to go here in Spain
Also I have heard of peeps getting hold of scraggy battery hens who after a few weeks of light and fine dining, Bloom and take on a picture of health :embaressed_smile:

http://www.bhwt.org.uk/



In the UK though....


also try these guys, I did have one but sold it a few weeks back.

http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/homepage.php


and can I just thank all the tossers who gave me so much useful advice on thy thread....

You took the words right out of ............ thanks matt The chicken house shown is nearly 600 pounds.


Room to let July/August....... no Pikeys

Sooo wheres my karma then

Yesssssss ok Im not made of karma you know, what with the euro n all I'm down to my last 18 million. Thanks for you help Cleri bet XTreme would not do a prettier hen website it was very sweet , Makes you laugh in France the way the chickens cluck cluck around the blood stained tree stump without a care in the world, Like Brits outside a Spanish estate agents

I was fostered by a couple who had a chicken farm,so here goes what they taught me,you need an enclosed well ventelated but draught proof house this is for them to sleep in,they need to perch at night(a broom handle is perfect and cheap),needs to be about 12inches off the floor.For day time enclose the said house with chicken wire,you need to dig down at least half 24 inches as foxes will dig to get to your chickens,a concrete suround is good.The food is up to you,they will not eat all house scraps,but bread they love or greens,you will also have to give them corn,best to put this in a plastic hung up feeder.Also throw in every other day sand,they love it (helps to make the shells of the eggs).Nest box is also needed for five chickens two is ample.A male is only needed if you intend to breed (or you need him to buy the girls a drink or new clothes).Clean water is needed non stop.Chickens will lay small eggs the first year,second year big eggs,after two years its hit n miss.Redmite is the disease to look out for,its easy to spot,it lives off the chickens blood.Remember chickens attract vermin?My advice would be not chickens but bantams they are smaller more cute,lay good quality eggs and cost less to keep.Good luck in whatever you decide.
God bless.
NOW WHERE'S MY KARMA

Many of the posters to this topic need to read the sticky at the top of the page!!

As to some info here goes, Cockerells are only required if you want to fertilise the eggs, in other words breed more chickens.

chickens will lay eggs as a natural course of nature, round about 4 to 6 weeks after hatching, they continue to lay for around 18 months and if kept in good conditions will lay 1 egg per day per hen. As the laying tails off, you either put them in the pot or keep them for sentimental pet value.

They will need shelter from the heat of the sun and at night, so something along the lines of a small shed or maybe even a large rabbit hutch. They can be left to roam on an area of the size you have, however they aren't too bothered where they lay eggs, so unless you keep them fairly contained you will probably never find the eggs! They will need extra feed in the form of pelleted food bought in, along with kitchen scraps and plenty of water.


Hope this helps get you going. If you google chicken keeping there is plenty of info to be had.

Thank you for all you help peeps as you can see in the various information above, There are links re every possible chicken and disease they may catch together with hardware you will need to keep them. I think the chicken link has run its course but thank you all for your input. I am sure the various links would be useful to others if there is a way of putting all the links in one basket......... gettit

Hi,

First you need to buy a chicken house, mine have a kiddies wooden playhouse, mines about 4 foot square, but the bigger the better, put thick perches up, ive used thick broomsticks, as chickens like to roost, a couple of nestboxes, water container, and a feeder, these need to be so they cant stand in them, your local feed merchant should sell them, photos on links below:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-12-k-LARGE...QQcmdZViewItem (for water)
manger_W0QQitemZ350063017180QQihZ022QQcategoryZ462 92QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (feeder)


My house has an automatic door, which is set to open at 8.15 (as Ive let the dogs out by then, just incase a fox is about) and then it closes at dusk, great if you go out, and get back after dark, as chickens dont like to go in before their ready,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VSB-Automatic-...QQcmdZViewItem

Mine free range, Ive had the odd loose hunt dog up here, and they have had a couple of the chickens, but thats the chance I take,

If you build a run, make sure its fox proof!!

The chickens, the ones you have seen with the beaks clipped, are the ones from the battery farms, they 'debeak' them so they cant peck each other, but are good layers, and can be very tame, got a friend up the road with some, ive got bantams, which are small chickens, you get smaller eggs, but not so much mess. ( but make great yorkshire puddings )

Feeding, I give mine chicken pellets, and corn which is grounded up, same size as rice cut in half, they will eat anything though, greens are good for them, veg, they love melon! grapes, and any kitchen scraps.

They need worming, BUT careful what wormer you use, as with some, you cant eat the eggs after, and they need 'delousing' a couple of time a year,

this website will give you a load of info, plus links of where to get the wormer / delouser from http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk go to the forum

Cockerals, no need for one for the eggs, Ive got one, but I like to hatch chicks now and again, if you do have one, it will quite happily keep about 10 hens happy!!!

cant think of anything else,

Jenny

Think that's a bit young even for battery hens to start. If you keep them as freee range you should have them laying for several years, they will stop for a short time each year as it is nature.. but no need to get rid of them after 18 months unless you are doing it as a business.

they have to be registerd at the local town hall ,also they will need n i e numbers ,and pass a full medical under new eec legislation ..you maybe also liable for chuck tax .....happy clucking

Maybe you have in Wigan hey chuck chuck you clogs you make chuckle