Thinking of getting some chickens ????

Question

we are thinking of buying some chickens for our garden. we have a shed that we thought we could use to house them. make a little hinged door in the bottom of the shed door and then attach a run. would this be ok? and also what chickens would you reccomend for a beginner and what age would be best to buy them at? of course we would love to buy tiny little chicks but would they need special care and attention before we put them into their future housing? i shall look further into it while i wait for some answers. thank you

Answer 1

I have Barred Rock chickens and they are ADORABLE! I bought them from a website as babies. They are a pretty good price when you buy them online but the shipping is expensive. As long as you interact with them about 15-30 minutes each day they should remain freindly and gentle. The website that we got our chickens from was cacklehatchery.com

Go to Brown Egg Layers and you will see them.

We have feed and seed stores around where I live that I could have gotton the chickens from, but we got them online b/c they had the breed we wanted. Email me if you have anymore questions! :)

Answer 2

you going to need a perch for them make it about 4 inches above a trough of hay where the eggs will fall.

road island reds are a good starting bird.

check out some web sites and get as much information as you can about the care of the birds they are not as easy as you think..

Answer 3

yeah that shed is fine but you have to let the chickens out.

and get the chickens young but adult.

only get one rooster because if you have two they will fight for dominence.

and keep there shed clean!

Answer 4

Make sure they are protected from predators, as we lost quite a lot of ours to stoats last year.

Answer 5

Young chicks require brood lamps, starter feed/grit, special care for heating and protection from predators... I think you're heading in the right direction if you opt for pullets instead.  Juveniles over the age of 10 weeks are probably a good age for a new chicken owner.

For housing, they do require plenty of ventilation and protection from predators.  A shed, equipped with nest boxes and a roost would probably work.  I've even seen people keep a few chickens in calf hutches or dog houses, but that leaves them open and vulnerable to night time visits by fox, raccoon or owls.  Chickens cannot see in the dark at all and need to be kept safe at night.  Google a "chicken tractor" and check out this option as well - it's a portable house and yard all in one.

There are hundreds of breeds to choose from, so alot of it is going to be why you want them and what you like.  We started with silkies and mille fleurs, which are both bantams.  I got them because I thought the breeds were very unusual and pretty, they're small and easy for my children to handle, and we get eggs for our use (albeit small ones!)  I also came to find out that milles in particular are voracious insect hunters, and the bantam breeds don't bother my garden plants while hunting for bugs.

I added our layers last year, and went with reliable, heritage breeds - barred rocks and buff orphingtons.  These are both good, dual purpose birds - year round eggs and a good meat breed as well.  You can't beat the fresh brown eggs, either, and we sell them at farmer's markets locally.  They can be a little rough on my garden, though, and like to make dust baths everywhere (including in my squash hills!)

I'd also recommend aurocaunas - gorgeous birds and blue-green eggs.  I'm still waiting on a hatch from a friend for mine.  Also, if you can get them locally, through either a reliable breeder, 4-H family or local swap meet, you'll save money on shipping and get birds that aren't stressed from being transported.

Pick up a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, too - great all around reference for any owner, and feel free to email me if you need more information!  Chickens are fantastic for free fertilizer and natural pest control.

Answer 6

Lots of good advice. I've just a little to add:

feathersite.com

and buy "The Chicken Health Handbook"

Bantams are great. The eggs are small, but the feed-to-egg ratio is better than it is for large fowl. They also p**p less.

Answer 7

That would be fine! I would recommend "Bantam" chickens of any breed, but silkies are the hardest to care for. Bantams are a miniature size chicken, so they do not eat a lot or take up much room. You should probably buy chicks so they are friendlier to you and your family, but they will need a "Brooder box". This is just a box filled with pine shavings with a heat lamp, food, and water. keep them at about 75 degrees for the first 2 weeks, then lower it 5 degrees every week after that. It's A LOT easier than it sounds! Chickens make very nice and friendly pets, and can be trained to come when you call. Hope I have been of some help!

Answer 8

The shed sounds perfect and so does the run... I dont think you will have any problems and i got my 4 chickens when they were chicks cause then they are less scared of you .. its also great having fresh eggs in the morning ..so good luck my friend hope you enjoy your chickens

Answer 9

There is a great company in the UK called Eglu.

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

Everything you need to know is here.

Answer 10

You don't want little chicks, you want hens nearly ready to lay, we had them at this age and the eggs were really funny, some were inside out! others had shells so tough you couldn't crack them. But after a couple of weeks they settled into doing it properly and we enjoyed lovely free range eggs for quite a few years. We used to let them out into the main garden occasionally to see new ground, because their run does get very barren and bare especially in winter. I think they had injections or something before we had them, speak to a farmer? enjoy your eggs. x

Answer 11

The shed should be fine, but it might be a good idea to put some chicken wire into a fence around the shed. I have some Silkie Chickens and they are sweet and ADORABLE! They look like abominable snowballs.  Ducks are also great and they don't necessarily need a pond, a plastic tub would work great if you consider getting ducks ( i recommend pekin ducks). Chicks aren't much harder than the adults to take care of. Chicks are sweet and follow you around most of the time.

Answer 12

you could do what i did - adopt some ex-battery chickens.  they still lay eggs, and while they look rough at first they soon recover.  you'd be saving their lives and giving them a taste of what they've been missing all these years, plus they'll be docile because they are used to just sitting and eating.  you'll soon see them develop wonderful personalities.