[Lizmar]

Hi.  Not sure if you have picked up on my previous threads, but I'm quite new at the chicken keeping idea, but have just found someone who lives just a couple of miles from me who breeds rare hens and sells all sorts of equipment.  She is helping me out with the following package and I was wondering if you thought it was a good deal from all your experiences.
 
3 x 'Point of Lay Commercial Hybrid Hens'

1 x Chicken house complete with external nest box and run measuring approx 3 metres by 1 metre by 1 metre high.

1 x 25 kg bag of Layers Pellets

1 x large bag of High Quality Dust Extracted Wood Shavings

1 x 5 Litre high-grade plastic adjustable feeder

1 x 5 Litre, easy to clean, heavy duty plastic drinker.

All for €420 - is that good? Also she can get me other chickens, but thought I should start with these. Can I have your thoughts please?

 

[Bodger]

Hi Lizmar.

It could be a good deal, it depends on the standard of the chicken shed.

Here's how I'd look at it. We still use pounds Sterling of course but see what you and others think of my estimate.

I'd expect to pay about 5.00 each for commercial POL pullets.

The layers pellets would be six to seven pounds.

I get my shavings for free but my daughter pays around a fiver for a large bale of dust extracted shavings.

I don't use either that sort of feeder or water container but if we say about £25.00 each for both that should more than cover it.

By my calculations that comes to around £67.00 which we might as well round up to £70 . This leaves £330 or in your case 320 euros which to my mind makes the shed rather expensive.

This is only my opinion and others might disagree but I don't think that whats been offered is a particularly attractive deal. As I said earlier, what do other folk think ?

[doganjo]

I've just come to exactly the same costings.  The shed would have to be made from high grade wood and rounded edges instead of rough hewn, with a good roof, preferable removable, sealed corners inside and out and a removable floor, to make it worthwhile.  I would say she's about £80 overpriced otherwise?  Anybody else worked it out?  Rosemary?

[Wellieboots]

If the huts is well made then no doubt it saves you trouble over the long term. A lot of "bought" huts are badly made with cheap rough timber etc. So, best thing to do is compare it to reputable dealers such as Flyte So Fancy, Forsham Arcs, Jim Vasy etc. All of these are well made sound arcs with decend rounded edges to roosting bars, easy accessible nest boxes, easy cleaning etc.

A lot of "home made" sellers stuff is ropey to say the least (not that chickens need Hilton style hotels) but arcs that you could easy knock up in a weekend with wood from B&Q!

[Roxy]

These packages are aimed at beginners - you have everthing provided to set you up in chicken keeping, so you are probably paying for the convenience of this.  The chickens could be £10 or more each, but even at that, the shed works out a bit expensive, unless its really good with very good fox proof meshing etc.  I daresay they have added a bit on to the price of the shaving,s and feed to sell on .....have you seen the shed that is included?

[patmci]

I used Old mcdonalds who are situated just outside carlow town but deliver nationwide. They can supply everything but i got a house for up to 12 hens with no outside wire because i put up a big run. The house cost 330 including delivery.

[QWOLF]

Hi Lizmar

you could save a good bit on the £420 depends on how big a coupe you want to have? easy assembled good quaility coop roughly £200 delivery incl then the £70 the earlier member mentioned i would allow a bit more and get the type of chooks you really fancy at pol so i would think that £300.00 covers all that so saving £120.

i have only been doing this for around 5 months, i bought the 300 pound shed nice but once you have it u see u could have done it cheaper, as for chooks i have already had a few and moved them on i now have what i want, all young or pol but nice birds and looking forward to my first egg whenever that happens lol.
anyway good luck.

[QWOLF]

hi again


www.henhouseworld.co.uk and the chickenhousecompany are good worth a look if you see something you like call them and try and haggle a price they will do this ?
cheers again

[Lizmar]

Thank you all - I am in Waterford so the UK ones aren't any good unfortunately as they are much cheaper - Can 'patmci' let me know it there is a website for McDonalds - I can't find it anywhere?

[patmci]

There is no website but if you go on donedeal.ie they have a lot of adds or you could ring 0860373737. Leo connoly is the man who owns it and they have every thing you could want for chickens including a great selection of coops and POL hens.

Regards Patrick

[Lizmar]

Thank you - I've been in Ireland for 3 years and never seen this site before - looks better than ebay.
From this €450 was definitely a lot to pay