Hens

[Jamie Copeland]

Anyone keep hens? Acquired three today so any advice welcome!

 

[woodfarmer]

Protect them especially at night from predators, rats, foxes and worst of all stoats. They absolutely hate to get wet, don't mind cold so long as not in a draught. They like to roost at night on flat timber with the corners rounded off so their feet can get a grip. use heavy duty sawdust such as comes from a chainsaw, shavings, hay or straw for bedding (on the floor). It is really for them to scratch about in. If you feel flush make it 2-4 inches thick of stuff from growbags. Turn it over occasionally. If running wild by day you can feed on mixed corn and house hold scraps. if penned they will need more protein so use layers pellets (for adult birds). Always have water available for them. You will need more nest boxes than hens

 

[Phil Pascoe]

"You will need more nest boxes than hens"
Where did that come from? I kept hens, ducks, guinea fowl and geese for many years and I've never heard that, let alone done it. :?

 

[NazNomad]

""You will need more nest boxes than hens"

3 or 4 hens per nestbox is quite acceptable.

(I have 23 hens - 7 next boxes - and one 'psychologicallly-imbalanced rooster that has a taste for human flesh')

Hardwood shavings are a DO NOT!!!!!. They may contain fungi harmful to chooks.

Although heavily 'adverted', this is one of the best chicken resources around - The Chicken Chick http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/p/chic ... ctory.html

I notice 'woodfarmer' is in France, therefore DEFRA ruling won't apply to him. In the UK, it's 'technically' (cough) illegal to feed your chickens household scraps.

 

[Peter Sefton]

If they are going to be free range keep them in for a week or so to get used to their new home. Fresh water each day and keep them clean, 1 nest box for 3 hens should be plenty. Have fun they are great to watch!

Cheers Peter

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hens are notorious scavengers - they'll eat the things pigs won't ... I didn't really say that.

 

[AJB Temple]

Our neighbour keeps hens and the little buggers keep getting under the gate and coming in our garden, especially when we are gardening or building. They are surprisingly friendly creatures. I am tempted to get some.

The ducks on the other hand are right pain. Constant quacking. The pot beckons.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you haven't endless space, get bantams. They don't need so much room, and will give you smaller but nicer eggs. A trio is good, or four or five to one rooster (if you can tolerate the crowing.)

 

[Cinimod]

We've got four and they are great to have in the garden. Ours are in a run but have access to the garden every couple of days for a proper leg stretch and rootle for grubs and greenery. They will however digs holes all over and scratch for a pass time so no borders are safe. Rain never seems to bother ours and be warned, you WILL find yourself talking chicken to them which I think must amuse the neighbours.

With regards to the feeding of household scraps.................IMHO is well over the top as it means that you are not able to pick your own greens from your garden take them to the kitchen and then take the unused leaves back to the chickens. But of course nobody feeds household scraps to chickens do they..................dom

Ps join a poultry forum as they are a mine of info (just like this one)

 

[woodfarmer]

"You will need more nest boxes than hens"
Where did that come from? I kept hens, ducks, guinea fowl and geese for many years and I've never heard that, let alone done it. :?

Mine always seem to want their own private nest box, and having the "last one" is a social no no for them. There has to be spare unused ones from which they can choose, especially when they go broody. Maybe my hens have always been awkward b--gg---s

Geese on the other like nothing better than sharing a nest, mixing in all the eggs together, Hatching becomes a nightmare then.

 

[NazNomad]

With regards to the feeding of household scraps.................IMHO is well over the top as it means that you are not able to pick your own greens from your garden take them to the kitchen and then take the unused leaves back to the chickens. But of course nobody feeds household scraps to chickens do they..................dom

I buy stuff intended solely for the chickens. I prepare all the 'best bits' for the chickens. We eat all the horrid leftover bits - the outside of a juicy apple core - the vile middle section that you find between the yummy ends of a banana - for example. ;-)

 

[Cinimod]

With regards to the feeding of household scraps.................IMHO is well over the top as it means that you are not able to pick your own greens from your garden take them to the kitchen and then take the unused leaves back to the chickens. But of course nobody feeds household scraps to chickens do they..................dom

I buy stuff intended solely for the chickens. I prepare all the 'best bits' for the chickens. We eat all the horrid leftover bits - the outside of a juicy apple core - the vile middle section that you find between the yummy ends of a banana - for example. ;-)

dom

 

[Bm101]

Hens are notorious scavengers - they'll eat the things pigs won't ... I didn't really say that.

:shock:

 

[NazNomad]

I thought of Bricktop when I read that too. :-D

 

[whiskywill]

Protect them especially at night from predators, rats, foxes and worst of all stoats. They absolutely hate to get wet, don't mind cold so long as not in a draught.

Not all hens are born equal. I got mine "second hand" at about 15 months old and put them in their coop for the first night. They following night they roosted on top of a fence or in a tree. Three winters later they are still doing the same. Some mornings they appear at the back door covered with frost and with their frequent showers they are the cleanest hens ever. When I go on holiday I just make sure that their food hopper and water bucket are full and they fend for themselves.

But they do go inside to lay.

 

[sitefive]

hens are super cool, I remember a white one came in my garden a few years ago, who knows from where..
caught it, made for it a large cage where to live/and run around and it kept giving me an egg a day soon after she got used to me,
also didn't need to throw away vegetable skins or any other uneaten food, my hen devored it all and gave me a tasty egg every day =D>

they are rather friendly and social indeed. I got her a friend after a few months but that one was such a retarded chicken...until one day a wild ferret came and killed my white hen, had to get rid of the other stupid chicken as well as it was going nuts soon after.

 

[NazNomad]

I'm pretty sure that 'retarded' is a genetic trait in chickens. Either that, or the signal from the Mothership gets distorted at times? :-D