Chicken help?? please

Question

ok here are the questions

1- if i keep two chikens in my backyrad will they destroy it?

i dnt have any vegetables, only small fruit trees and a lawn

will my grass dissapear or something? my yard is about 13 metersX8 meters

2- do u think that one australorp and one isa brown is a good choice(both females of course) are there any other breeds that are also good at being pets?

3- are those two choices flighty?

the fence that goes around my backyard is about 1.8 metres

do you think theyll run away?

4- will they destroy the garden beds?how nessasary are dust baths?

and finally what should the place they be locked up at night be...give examples

thakns alot

Answer 1

I would suggest Silkie bantams. They are renowned for their friendly nature (which makes then great company for kids) and unlike some breeds, lay all year round. They make wonderful pets as well as serving a useful purpose. If you ever decide to have chicks, they will also make brilliant mothers. Some Silkies have been known to give their own lives in order to protect their babies.

Silkies are distinguished from other breeds by their exceedingly fluffy feathers, and black skin. They cannot fly at all, which is surprising considering most other bantams can. They come in a variety of different colours, these being: white, black, blue, buff, gray, partridge and splash. They also have 5 toes, where as most other chickens only have 4.

Here's some good info about Australorps too, if you decide to get them:

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

We have a special, designated area for our chickens to run around in during the summer, the fence runs around the edge of the garden and the chickens are fine with it, the grass in that area can sometimes get a little brown with the ammonia they produce, but it soon clears up, so nope, the grass won't disappear. During the winter, we let them have free reign of the garden. If you have any plants or flower beds you reeaaaally don't want getting slightly ruined, then i suggest fencing those areas of! They will try and eat any green plants they find, including grass (although the grass isn't noticeably changed) and dust baths, although not necessary, are very beneficial, they help the chickens remove parasites, and watching a chicken dust bathe is quite an amusing spectacle. I wouldn't suggest disallowing them dust baths; they do it in the wild after all.

Making your own chicken coop is always a good, relatively cheap alternative to buying one, they are pretty simple to make, just so long as it's waterproofed properly, and the house contains a nest box or two. Another alternative is buying an eglu. These things house 2 chickens comfortably, and are apparently fox proof. Here's the site

http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services...

Here’s more on how to make your own chicken coop:

http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Simple-Steps...

Good luck with your decision to take on the responsibility of owning such wonderful pets, they liven up any house hold, and are useful to boot!

By the way, check out this Q I asked a while ago, to test people's knowledge on a chicken’s intelligence...

You yourself will be surprised, I’m sure.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 2

If you don't mind having smaller and fewer eggs you might like silky bantams instead of a larger commercial breed like an australorp, being smaller they should do less damage and although bantams usually fly better than the bigger hens I don't think the silkies are as bad.

They don't have dust baths at all when they are locked in a tiny cage at the egg farm so I guess they are not really needed although enjoyed.

You must lock them up in something that is fox proof at night or they will soon be gone. Remember that foxes can dig and climb.

Answer 3

1.) They shouldnt unless you have a bunch of chickens. Only a couple is fine. They ususally dont eat grass. They can possibly make holes in your yard. You can make a box, somthing like a samdbox and put dirt in it. If you have an area to put dirt/duck they like to take duct baths. But for the most part if you only have a couple they will be fine.

2.) I believe they are perfect choices. I own Australorps myself, they are excellent layers. Lay 300+ a year. The isa brown are ok. Thye look most like Rhode Island Reds which are the second best layers and are beautiful and common in the U.S. But they should be fine together.

I am guessing you arnt planning on having chicks. No roo no chicks. I beleive thats nice to have a roo but they can be agressive roos. They protect the herd.

3.) All chickens like to have big open spaces. If you have at least an acre of land, then you will be ok. They usually if you have a pen made for them and keep them in it for the first week or 2 then let them out of it they should stay in your yard. They can fly thought, like mosts up to roost at night. They could possibly fly up on the fence at night to roost.

4.) They may destroy it cause there is dirt in there. I recommend getting a little fence to put around it. They absolutly love duxt baths. Its what keeps them cool durring the hot summer days.

5.) You can put them at night in a pen in a garage, shed, or in an old room/space. Or bring them inside. You can keep them in a cage in the house. In the basemant or the garage which my 2 come in to at night.

Make sure that if you keep them in a dogcage thet its not out in the open, raccoons, cyotes, and fox can reach through the cage and kill them. I recommend keeeping them ion garage in a cage. Myine are lokse int the garage and sit on the roost( a long wooden pole like this http://www.his.com/~jrusso/chickens_at_r...

They feel safe off the ground. Instinct.

ALSO....

You need nesting boxes. At least 1. So they can lay eggs in it and so tey wont be nasty on the ground and get all dirty.

I reccomend getting them as chciks. They seem to be more friendly with you when they are young. Also if you get them older, they could hav bad habbits. You haveing them as chicks can teach them what nit to do. They as chicks need to stay inside under a heatlamp until they are 3weeks old. After they no longer need heat lamp. They can start to eat scratch corn at 2 months old mixed with starter.

They also need scratch corn from Tractor Supply. If chciks Chick Starter from Tractor Supply.

Good Luch

Bethani