[Goldcraig]

The old Chicken coop ( was a childrens play house in a former life me thinks) has been refurbished, to an extremley high standard I may add, new roof, replacment perspex windows, new egg box, perches replaced etc etc.
Now I need some help from all you "in the know" about what I need to get to next...please don't say chickens !!lol....Feed, bedding, medication.....how long is the list???
Also, while we're all here...what would you suggest would be a decent fenced off area for say 6 birds?


Hope you all have a great day

[Bionic]

Goldcraig,
I'm afraid I can't be of any help but I will be watching this thread with interest.  When I move chickens are first on my list and I will need to be asking the same questions.
thanks for posting
Sally   

[plumseverywhere]

Hello 

I think you will find as I did that you can buy the basics and the stuff that are needed daily (such as feed and bedding) and then you will add to your inventory as time goes on depending on what you discover you need!

Basics - feed (I use layers pellets in a feeder ad lib and have corn for scattering in the afternoon but they also get some fruit and veg, pasta, rice etc too) If they are having access to snails, little stones and garden type 'grit' you will find they don't need to much in the way of expensive shop bought oyster shell especially as the good layers pellets have calcium in. so if you started to get soft shells you could buy that in.
a good water dispenser that doesn't freeze to readily - or just a heavy bowl some use. I prefer a drinker as they can't paddle in it.
when they go into moult I buy poultry spice to help them pick back up again. If you get red mite (and do look out fo r it!) then you might buy stuff to kill or you may prefer to use preventative powders which i think diatom is.
triangular scraper to help get the bedded in muck out of corners.
purple spray for if they have a tussle and one bleeds (to stop the others attacking the bleed source)
and a chair so you can sit in the run and have hours of entertainment just watchign them     

[Big Light]

Others will add plenty other practical things,  but one of the basics is rodent proofing easier to avoid them than get rid of an established colony. A rodent proof container for keeping your feed in is a  good start( can get expensive galvanised containers on line or cheaper plastic barrel's with a lid from eBay or local company if you can find them) 

Always try and raise you house by putting it on concrete blocks - 2 or 3 high is a good height as vermin really don't like open spaces if they can help it ( if on the ground or one block they will tunnel underneath and the excavations fill the gap).( also allow a good circulation around the wood and prevents damp / rotting)

2 theory's re poison  either put out in a safe secure rodent poison black box on a fence/wall line or similar in the understanding that you will at some time get rodents passing through ( as you cant tidy up every scrap of food left) - or keep vigilant for chewing/droppings etc then put them out asap either have them in store or know where you can get them.

Sorry for focusing on the negative but better being on top from the start than having a neighbour complain about a rat or similar
good luck

[Goldcraig]

Many thanks....looking at other threads, it can seem a little daunting. The coop is off the ground slightly, but may raise it another course...

[plumseverywhere]

Noooo!!don't be put off!! anything is easily recitifed once you have started hen keeping so long as the foundations are right (ie. a good house which you have!)  We have a bricks worth of gap under our coops - and a half siamese cat    rats aren't a problem. we have a metal bin which holds their feed. start wtih just a few until you feel confident to increase your flock, we only had 3 to begin.
   

[jaykay]

A house, a feeder, a drinker, a bin for their feed, bedding.

All the rest is fine-tuning. I also keep in Poultry Spice and every 6 months I buy Marriage's layers pellets which have Flubenvet in, to worm them. Feed it for a week, instead of the normal stuff, job done.

You asked about a size of area for about 6 chooks. It depends a lot on what your land is like (how wet) and whether they're going to be permanently in there or let out when you're about. If very wet, they'll kill off the grass quickly and it'll be muddy thereafter.

The nicest chook set-up I ever saw had the houses in between two grassed pens. The birds in each bit were alternated between the two pens.

When I used to keep 4 chooks in a town garden, in a previous life  , I had a fenced area about 12ft x 10ft. About half had paving slabs down, this is where the house was and where I put the food and water. The rest was bare soil which I dug over every week - this kept it sweet and unearthed the many worms, much to my hen's delight 

Don't be daunted - unlike some other, woolly, livestock I could mention, chooks seem to aim to be happy and healthy 

[plumseverywhere]

Don't be daunted - unlike some other, woolly, livestock I could mention, chooks seem to aim to be happy and healthy 

oh too right!!!

[chrismahon]

6 hens, depends on the breed and age. Some are more tolerant of small spaces than others. Our young Wyandottes free range half the time and that reduces their stress levels, but they can't do without 4 square metres each in the run. Our young Orpingtons are the same age but just cope with 1 square metre each. Genuine Black Rocks would go mad with less than 10, as they are designed for free ranging. So the answer is as big as you can go and I would aim for at least 4 square metres each and choose your breed carefully.

The run needs wind protection and a sheltered area, away from rain. They won't go into the coop during daylight except to lay, normally. if they do go in the coop is going to get messy. Plus you need to keep the feeder dry anyway, which should be outside during the day and stored away at night. Feeding in the coop encourages rats.

Feed- Rearers under 21 weeks (before laying), layers afterwards. When they are in lay they will eat 150g per day each. We use the green plastic feeders, red range is poorer quality. Watch the legs on the green, if you put the drinker down hard they break. Metal drinkers can't be used with ACV, added at 1% occasionally as a tonic.

Bedding. This time of year to reduce damp we use Aubiose, a crushed plant stem for horse bedding. Don't use it on chicks as it cuts their feet to pieces. We switch to wood shavings in the dryer months.

You didn't mention ventillation in your coop Goldcraig. Needs plenty at high level otherwise condensation and respiratory problems will follow.

Medication. Hopefully all you need is wormer. Flubenvet every 6 months should be sufficient (with no treats) but we also use Vermex mid-period.

[Goldcraig]

Thanks to all for taking the time to pass on information....I had thought about letting them wander without fencing, but the area is pretty open and there are adjacent fields etc...and I dont fancy chasing them all over the parish to get them in at night !!!!.
Down side is that the soil is a heavy clay base, so drainage is poor and will no doubt be very muddy, hence the thought behind letting them range as they wish over the farm

There is some ventilation at the top of the windows, but could drill some more at the roof apex if required..

Decision, decisions....All exciting stuff  

[plumseverywhere]

we have heavy soil too and it does get muddy although usually not for long. we have a wacking great willow tree in the middle which i think must suck up some of the water?!
we've attempted to keep ours within boundaries but despite electric fence, wing trimming and harsh warnings some still manage to get out. Usually when they see us dig the veg patch or turn the compost over they are in there like a shot with us.  we've had 2 taken by the fox this way. One goldstar was even named 'foxfood' due to her regular trips up the goat paddock to peer into the fox den    was really sad when he finally did catch her after a year of trying to keep her away.

[jaykay]

They'll be much happier free-ranging and therefore so will you.

You won't need to chase them all over at bed time, they come home! Put a light in their coop (good for keeping them laying in due course too), pen them to start with so they know where they live and then they'll come back as it starts to get dark.

You can also scatter some corn (or put it in their coop) and get a 'call' going, ie I yell 'chooks, chooks, chooks' as I scatter their afternoon corn and they come running 

But even on days when I'm out late and don't do this, they reappear from far and wide at dusk - they range over 10 acres during the day.

[Black Raven]

DOn't be put off getting hens, they are wonderful creatures. I adore my lot. When we got our first ex-batts we had a pen set up just to acclimatise them into the big wide world, then after a week we left the gate open and they roamed over the field. They always come home to bed, apart from an errant cockerel I've never had any problems.
I agree with Chris the red feeders are poorer quality than the green, I have both a feeder and water holder in the green and they are great. Easy to clean and fill.
Breed wise, I don't think you can go wrong with Light sussex, Black Rocks. I have Pekins too, but small eggs, but they look pretty  stay away from the more flighty ones. A few words of warning - they are addictive

[Goldcraig]

I would love them to free range and am leaning towards that route. In another field there is an old "duck hut" which is next to the stream that runs through the field...the previous owner made a dam on the stream for his ducks...

Appreciate the advice...

[Black Raven]

now are a different kettle of fish! Well for me they are, as they are the dirtiest creatures ever! I love them too though and I'm hoping to breed a few more Indian runners this year. Sadly mine can't free range as much as the hens do.