Chickens - New Keeper Advice Please

AmyMay

AmyMay

Situation normal
Joined
1 July 2004
Messages
66,614
Location
South
Visit site
So, OH and I will be getting some chickens in the near future. We have the house (which is big), and are thinking that 2 or 3 chickens will be enough to start us off.

But having never had them before it would be great to get some advice on what breed to go for, and general advice on keeping our girls healthy and happy.
 
Was unsure whether to comment or not as relatively new to chicken keeping and so far not having much luck.
However, they are addictive - had four, then upto seven, now six.
They are so easy to keep - I use shavings and straw in their coop and poop pick every day (takes minutes).
They love fresh fruit and veg, adore meal worms - should cost pence to keep but I over indulge mine. Fresh eggs are fab, I practically have a wait list for mine!
I'd go for four as a minimum, incase of any set backs!
 
Not going to advise on numbers. We had two healthy chooks in last trio we Bought and the other died of unknown causes (never matured like t the others that were the same age)

Would recommend exbatteries as first birds though. Mine were and they are already pretty used to bring handled. Plus you get a great feeling watching them discover outdoor life.
 
They are mixed breed - gifted by a neighbour. Then I bought a few more!
They did free range - only when I was at home- until mr fox took two (Boxing Day and New Years Day). They loved being out and about and would run to the door!
They now stay in as run is fully fox proof - only to have a buzzard eat one in the run!!! (Aerial attack!)
So my biggest difficulty has been keeping them safe. Apart from that they are great fun, mine used to come to call (when out and about), literally running over to me (they love mealworms). They are easy to keep. I have a rooster and the lady's love him. I really didn't want one, but now I'm pleased I have him, the ladies love him and he is very protective of them ( and I'm secretly hoping for little chicks!).
 
I've had various different breeds in the past. My absolute favourites were the Black Sumatra. After that Araucanas as they lay blue eggs. Welsummers are also nice but I didn't like Rhode Island Red as the ones we had were very aggressive. I'd like to have some more and I'd definitely go for bantams.

RE cockerels, our Sumatran cockerel once saw off a peacock that wandered into the garden. He would also keep the cats away from the hens and chicks. He was fabulous and very friendly - you could pick him up (some of the hens were sods to catch) and he'd also eat from your hand.
 
IME the friendliest and best layers are the hybrid types rather than pure breds, something like ISA browns :)

I only have pure breeds now. Welsummers - love them, they lay amazing dark brown speckled eggs but they are quite a feisty bird and dont like to be confined, although my Welsummer Cockerel is lovely and very friendly. Cochins - a BIG bird with feathered legs/feet, mine was (lost her the other week :( ) absolutely adorable and loved cuddles, she was a good layer too! They dont do well in the wet though. Cream Legbars - also lay amazing blue eggs and so far since point of lay, mine has laid every single day since Dec!! She is also skittish though. For cute factor (but small eggs) I love my pekin bantams, mine try to come in the back door. Ive also had Light Sussex who are a nice breed that lay well and are pretty friendly. Good luck :) They are addictive :)

I have the eglu cube and mine free range over a couple of acres as well.
 
Thanks for the comments so far. The hen house we're having is from a neighbour who no longer wants it. However it's filthy. So whats the best thing to disinfect it with??

What's an Isa brown NSN??
 
hens need to be able to perch, to dust bathe, some need to fly.
Always have three-they can die seemingly randomly and don't do well on their own. But if you want more than that, don't get them all in the same year-you'll end up with lots of hens the same age laying badly as they get older.
Don't mix commercial vaccinated stock with unvaccinated. worm regularly and watch out for mites.
I didn't much like hybrids tbh, I found that after their first moult a lot of them were prone to egg peritonitis -they generally aren't bred for longevity.
I prefer traditional pure breeds that can cope with poor weather and still lay into their 5th year-although pure breeds generally don't lay a lot between moult and the new year :)
I have Marsh Daises, breed rumpless araucana and Scots Greys (banties and large fowl). The MDs and SGs are fab, the araucana are bats hit crazy-as were all of the hybrids I had bar one (all different ones).
Oh, and put all food away at night or use rodent proof feeders such as a treadle. Don't bother with chicken drinkers-useless things. I use the small flat trugs or buckets sturdy enough for them to perch on the sides.
 
Last edited:
OP why don't you consider some ex-battery hens? Google ex-battery hens and you'll come up with something - think it would be the British Hen Welfare Trust or something similar, can't quite remember what, perhaps someone on here will know?, and you can then contact the person in your area who arranges collections locally, and see when they're next picking up a batch and you can then go and collect. They ask for a donation, we gave about £30 for ten birds if my memory is correct.

Bear in mind though that ex-batt's will look AWFUL, they will need time to feather up and will have been kept intensively all their lives, so they won't have seen sunlight or outdoors :( Also bear in mind that they won't have enough muscle or wing-capacity to fly up at night, and it will take them a long long while to be able to do so, you will need to be patient, ours took about three months before they learnt properly how to fly up into the house (only a couple of feet) at night to roost.

BUT........ they give enormous rewards in that they will lay from day one, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you've given them a totally new lease of life. Also they are nice & docile to handle in the main.
 
Would love some ex batteries, and have looked into it - it's just a question of whether I can get hold of any. Looking at their website Welsh collection days don't seem to regular.
 
I agree with MijodsR too, we have had loads of exbatts over the last few years and they've been great layers and lovely to watch become "real hens". We've been lucky in that all of ours have popped up onto perches within a day or two. They do seem to like sleeping in a heap in the nesting boxes though, for some reason.

I personally prefer them in a run that is dug into the ground and secure. If you free range them when you're not around you can pretty much guarantee that some of them will be taken by foxes at some point. Our run is huge, so they've plenty of room to play. They can also make a mess of gardens etc, so I prefer to keep them separate.
 
I have silver laced orpingtons - they lay enormous eggs! They are the Labrador of chickens - very tame...

F0730153-C769-4B51-B23D-838C74CC4A60_zpswcjy54fj.jpg
 
We've just started out with chucks, the most entertaining and friendly of our brood is a gingernut ranger - a hybrid I think - very friendly and cheeky, and a good layer too...but not as good as the adopted duck we have - so many eggs I don't know what to do with em!
 
As for cleaning your house you have to assume it has redmite, which kill far more hens every year than foxes, so give it a mega scrub, take it to pieces if youcan and really go for it. Use a knife to get any dry poo off and make it as sparkly as possible. Then let it get really dry and treat in and out with cresote if you can get it, the real stuff. I have never used anything else but I gather there are modern substitutes.

I do mix vaccinated and unvaccinated birds and don't have any problems but don't go for known disease likely breeds. I don't think many large fowl are mareks prone? (Anyone?)
I have bantams so can't really advise on large fowl, although ISAs (also known as warrens) are very easy if you do go for a hybrid. Some pure breeds are a bit mad, generally anything fat and feathery looking is placid and anything leggy and light looking is mad. (A bit sweeping, that!).
 
Cross posted again, but really just get it clean first. As you have probably since read - LOL - bleach or jeyes fluid will be fine. Or Virkon, but you just need to get the dirt off first, hot washing up liquid would do for a first go.
Once it is dry it needs treating with a longer term thing.
 
Wild birds carry them, you cannot keep them away. They don't live on the birds but sleep in the house cracks or under felt rooves and come out at night to feed off the hens. In summer you can go out after dark and hear the hens moving about instead of sleeping. It is controllable but is a nightmare. If you run our finger around dark places in the coopop and under the perch if they have redmite you get a red smear if they have been feeding. If they are not feeding then just tiny little grey insects. Google them - revolting things.
 
|Treat them with lice powder, same stuff as you would use on horses, I used to powder the hen house after cleaning as well, my lot dispensed with their hen house and chose to roost in the barn, facinating creatures, I miss mine, we had light sussex, black rocks, buff orpington and a rhode island red, one of the black rocks was called 'Gobby' a NE term for talkative, mine were free range and we often found them clucking contentedly under chairs in the sun room. Pics please
 
Evie91 said:
Googled red mite - now scared myself! Pretty sure my hens don't have them, any tips on ensuring it stays that way?
Click to expand...

you won't see them much in the winter-hot summers like last year are awful for them. They can survive for months and months without feeding. There are various things that manufacturers claim keep them at bay but if you have a major infestation they can be almost impossible to get rid of. Creosote (the real stuff as Clodagh points out) is regarded as the best thing, but you can't keep chickens in a freshly creosoted house. Some swear by a mix of creosote and diatomaceous earth in the nooks and crannies of the hen house. Plastic houses are easier to clean and disinfect and less likely to house red mite but it can still happen.

permethrin in the hen house can help. Ivermectin (prescription only) can be used to help control but will only kill mites feeding on them, not ones hiding in the house-its more use for scaly leg mite if you get a persistent problem.I have wooden coops and felt roofs and touch wood, have not had a big problem with red mite. I did have a problem with scaly leg in a couple of hens and the usual topical treatments didn't work. Mites come in from wild birds, not much you can do about it if your chickens get out and about.

Apart from that, always quarantine any new hens for a month before introducing them to current stock and don't believe anything chicken sellers/breeders tell you-worse than horse people ;)
 
Disinfect your house thoroughly with something like Vermix. Rinse out and then leave to dry. Then use poultry shield to get rid of any mites (disinfectants don't get rid of them). Permethrin is OK if the hens won't be going in straight away you might want to do this just to clean this house up - woodworm sprays/household flea sprays from the vets have this in and are easy to use.

When you muck out your chickens use poultry shield and then sprinkle a little diatom powder throughout the bedding this will prevent any mites. Most people use dust extracted shavings and straw but we use the hemp/eucalyptus horse bedding as it stays fresher longer, is easier to muck out and the hens seem to really love it. I have not had any mite issues at all since using poultry shield.

We have had chickens and ducks of many breeds for years and the friendliest we have found are Pekins (if you want bantams), Faverolles or BHWT rescue hens. The rescue hens and Favs are good layers. Generally with most breeds we find the boys the most friendly and they tend to like to be a "shoulder parrot".

Don't be put off by the rescue hens looking unwell at first they soon pick up with the right care. We usually take the really poorly ones they put to one side. Generally the ones we take on can't even stand and they do great, our oldest is now 7. Most of the girls that come out are far fitter than this and ready to go, but just proves they are very responsive to TLC.

If you are buying from breeders take a chicken savvy friend with you or you'll end up being taken for a ride with a group of young cockerals - MotherOfChickens is right when she says they can be worse than horse dealers! To be honest you can't go wrong with some BHWT hens to start with - it is worth the journey even if you do need to travel they are the most fantastic characters. Always have a minimum of 3 just in case you loose one as they don't do well on their own.

You will need to worm your chickens periodically and we just get a some from the vet to add to their food (really cheap) the fancy packaged natural/organic ones are actually more expensive and don't work.

Have a look at Flyte so Fancy as they have some fantastic stuff on there and they are really helpful when you need help getting set up or have a problem. You are always welcome to PM me if there is anything I can help with!
 
Creosote is your friend, you can buy it online. I also have a dust bath of sharp sand and diatom. Remember to worm your girls. I use flubenvet, easiest way is to use the pre treated layers pellets from marriages but you can buy it in powder form to mix into your feed.

Mine free range in the garden when we are are around and they also have a walk in aviary/run with a sharp sand floor. I spoilt mine and bought them a Forsham Lenham off eBay...... One of the older ones, not an Omlet version.

Just remember to buy a house far bigger than you need as chickens are totally addictive. I stated with 3 ..... , then you see a breed that you like the look of so buy a few of those, then you get a broodie so you buy some hatching eggs, then you get an incubator (or 2) and end up with a whole flock. In the summer mine pretty much pay for themselves as I sell the eggs at the gate and also sell the stock I breed. They have their own chicken piggy bank!

I now breed speckled Sussex bantams but have a selection of other Sussex colours (red and silver), I have a few Perkins, silkies and gold tops and I have my own little mixture that lay green or blue eggs. I also,have one Ixworth (she was the only egg that hatched and fortunately is a girl). I also had cuckoo Marans........ Best coq au vin ever!

This year we will do more meat birds as I am now brave enough to convert them to oven ready myself.

Happy chicken keeping.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top