[ellied]

Am I the only saddo that gets up between 430-530 in the morning in summertime to let the chooks out (and the cats) and stays up past 10 at night to let them get themselves to bed at dusk even if I want an early night?

To answer the rest, I fill up the layers pellet hopper every morning and put a metal dustbin upside down over it at night to reduce mouse appeal when the cats are indoors overnight.  I give them mixed corn (grain and maize) between 2-4pm when I collect eggs, and as much green stuff as I can weed for them or have left over in the kitchen when making salads etc.  They also get leftover rice, lentils, chickpeas and anything else they seem to like in the way of scraps.

I have a cheap coop which I don't like and want a bigger shed type so I can go in and clean rather than reach through nestboxes and popholes.  It has shavings put fresh in the nestboxes and older stuff flicked into the main coop until removal on a weekly basis - it gets more in winter when they're in more cos of the dark hours.

I got 4 different hybrid POLs first, joined after a few months by 4 BHWT girls, one of which is deformed but I still get 6-7 eggs most days and if I had another shed and some assistance to put up another run I'd have more like a shot, only at the mo I have way more eggs than I'm eating/selling so another half dozen wouldn't be so bright as it is appealing

[jaykay]

I stay up til gone 10 now since the goats ate the automatic door closer    and I'm up at 5.30am anyway 


Did enjoy an earlier than average night the other day when it rained and all the chooks went to bed early - the ducks will always come off the water when called, bless them 

[NickiWilliams]

Dans, firstly do it. You won't look back! As with anything research in advance and always have a good ailments book to hand.  We jumped in with both feet with ex-battery girls and after their arrival, for the first half an hour or so they just stood there in a group, unsure. After that they have got braver and braver by the day and like Sylvia they are the dearest little things - we've had the girls now for 3 years and have added additional breeds, Silkies, Sussex, Maran's (Cuckoo & Black) Bantams some of which have been raised from chicks. They're all individual characters, really friendly and whilst we have had the odd loss - not least of which my most favourite girl, Merry Legs a few weeks ago we've not had any health issues.  They live in a secure stable with no drafts and roost on an old dresser, some old shelving racks and a couple of wooden blocks.  They are let out after walking the dogs, about 6am and they take themselves to bed somewhere between 8-9pm in the Summer and before it gets dark in the winter.  They're fed on pellets, every morning and every night suplemented with corn as well as spaghetti (which they love, fruit, home made bread, rice and mash potato - almost anything that we don't eat that's not spicy or meat - and are completely free range so have access to herbs, grasses, worms etc  The dogs are in the secure kennel next door, which helps keep any foxes at bay. They're on dust free shavings (we also have horses) which we add straw to in the winter to keep them happy and warm. Last winter we had minus 15 and didn't loose one  The chickens, roosters and the ducks live together and we have more eggs than you can shake a stick at. We also put down buckets of fresh water as well as water feeders which are also cleaned daily and a cat litter tray with a mix of sand, dry soil and shavings for them to 'bathe in' they love it! Ellie, you're not the only saddo  We worm regularly.  Keeping chickens is addictive. We started with 10 and now have 25 girls, 5 roosters and 10 ducks and they give us so much pleasure. We only hope you enjoy keeping girls as much as we have! Do let us know how you get on and what you decide! Best of Luck!

[chrismahon]

I have heard of several people who bought hens, discovered they were too much 'work' and sold them. Think they just expect eggs every day for no effort. We bought three from someone who discovered they had a chronic allergy to chicken feather dust. So Dans, the very fact that you have asked the question first tells me that you will already have appreciated the amount of work and will enjoy them.
 
We started with 7 Orpingtons. Not fantastic layers but very placid and pretty. Of course we didn't have a coop !!!!!!! -Forgot that. Then we didn't realise they were unsexed at 6 weeks and had 3 cockerels to deal with. Things have moved on because I am self-employed and work round the needs of the chickens, as my customers know. Takes about 3 hours a day on average, but we have got 8 coops and 33 chickens now. We also operate a 'time-share' of the Orchard sections and have to keep cockerels apart, so there is a big shuffle round and egg collection at lunchtime.
 
We had no health issues or red mite for 2 years and then, when we added to the flock for the third time, we brought problems in. I wouldn't suggest starting with ex-batts Dans as they have had a hard life in their single caged year and are prone to problems. Personnaly I would start where we did, with placid Orpingtons in the common colours making sure they lay reasonably well. Our 2 Blues are fantastic -still laying well, large eggs, at 5 years old.

[Bramblecot]

We have taken on a lot of ex-batts over the past few years, and some of them have been very, very poorly .  It is a bit of a lottery regarding their health  .  But if you like nursing something back to health from the brink, they are delighful  , some have amazing powers of recovery, and it is a joy to watch them free-ranging.  The BHWT are very helpful.
Hens will trash any piece of ground you put them on, and it will become a mudbath in winter - so hang fire on digging up all the concrete.  Keeping the house on concrete is a good idea - rats will come.
Don't pay a fortune on a fancy house, a shed is much easier to clean even if it does not look so pretty.  and get the biggest you can manage, the hens will be much happier and healthier with space. 
I would go for 5 not 3 if you have the space.  A few eggs should keep the neighbours happy  .  Best of luck, hens are great

[Mel Rice]

When I started with chooks mine were in an old childrens playhouse with attatched run. It was fully enclosed so I didnt need to shut doors or open them. They got let out into the rest of the garden when we were there via the main door in the house (pop hole cut in side to the run) the run was on soil which got dug over now and then.
As with others you have to be determined to keep their numbers down or you will end up with toooo many eggs! Now how shall we eat ours today?

[AllenFrost]

The best book I have found on raising chicks is The Small Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery.  I use his method of deep bedding, adding bedding as needed, when it gets too dirty or smelly and then cleaning it out annually to be used for compost. It can get very deep in not too much time and would probably work on concrete.  You'll need to provide them with a dust bath box to help control mites if on concrete.  Deep bedding doesn't sound very pleasant at first but does not smell and according to the author is a healthier alternative to cleaning weekly. You end up with all that great compost material.  Good luck!