Chickens

[nutkin]

I quite like the idea of battery rescue chickens, but don't really know where to start.  (This is possibly next year's project.)

Ask Wafflycat. Hers are doing well, producing lots of eggs and catching lots of voles...

[Nick H.]

Don't forget that foxes can dig under that mesh. Doesn't take them long either. Bastards.

[David Martin]

Where have you chaps been getting your chickens from?

I quite like the idea of battery rescue chickens, but don't really know where to start.  (This is possibly next year's project.)

try downthelane.net. It lists local poultry suppliers (I'll be collecting my chooks from near Ingliston which would be a bit out of your way) and also links to rescue hens.

..d

[Woofage]

The Omlet idea looks expensive, but a decent wood chicken house will cost not much less (if at all). Although it would obviously be much cheaper building yourself!

Bloody right! Our chicken house was all made from recycled and reused material, with the exception of the roofing felt.

[David Martin]

I must get some pics of ours - mostly a recycled kids wendy house.

..d

[David Martin]

I must get some pics of ours - mostly a recycled kids wendy house.

..d

It is now occupied. I collected three Black Rock pullets today and they seem to be settling into their new home just fine.

..d

[David Martin]

They are still rather timid so it is hard to get any decent pics yet.

[David Martin]

[David Martin]

[Woofage]

Cool! I must get some more pics of ours. They're so tame now that they'll chase us round the garden with the expectation of a treat.

[David Martin]

Cool! I must get some more pics of ours. They're so tame now that they'll chase us round the garden with the expectation of a treat.

Mine aren't there yet. But we have only had them a week. Amazing what they can do to a cabbage.

I wasn't prepared for quite how messy and smelly they are. It will be good when some of the throughput comes out as eggs.

..d

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Watch out for an increase in nettles - they thrive in chicken shit.

[TimO]

... They're so tame now that they'll chase us round the garden with the expectation of a treat.

What is a treat for a Chicken?

[pcolbeck]

Sweetcorn, apple, cabbage, a worm ....

[Jaded]

..your mice...

[blackpuddinonnabike]

... porridge. My staple brekkie during winter, so the chooks are getting a treat to.

This weekend I've got to get back cracking on the big permanent run - get the base down soon then start building it off the side of the shed.

[jellied]

Still two months before I'm allowed my chickens.

Thinking ahead interms of food - is this a reasonable price?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Farmgate-Layers-Mash-20kg-hen-chicken-feed-food_W0QQitemZ170276046040QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170276046040&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

£17 for 20kg? How long might it last roughly? Is it to big for just two chickens?

[David Martin]

Still two months before I'm allowed my chickens.

Thinking ahead interms of food - is this a reasonable price?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Farmgate-Layers-Mash-20kg-hen-chicken-feed-food_W0QQitemZ170276046040QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170276046040&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

£17 for 20kg? How long might it last roughly? Is it to big for just two chickens?

That is £17 with free P&P. Reasonable value if you don't live near a feed shop, but I'd normally pay less than half that price.

So far we have had three chickens for two weeks and are not halfway down a 20kg bag.

..d

[jellied]

I don't think I can easily source chicken feed locally, but I will try. Omlet give you a starter pack so i'll be OK for a while but i was interested as to how long this might last. Less than 10kg between 3 for 2 weeks gives me a really good estimate of what to expect.

[TimO]

That is £17 with free P&P. Reasonable value if you don't live near a feed shop, but I'd normally pay less than half that price.

So far we have had three chickens for two weeks and are not halfway down a 20kg bag.

So, say you've used up 9kg (which makes the arithmetic slightly easier), that's 3kg per chicken for two weeks, or 1.5 kg per chicken per week.

At that price, they've cost you £1.28 per chicken per week.

Purely out of interest, how many eggs do you get from a chicken in a week?  I appreciate that this isn't just about eggs, but I'm curious to know what the cost per egg is.

[David Martin]

That is £17 with free P&P. Reasonable value if you don't live near a feed shop, but I'd normally pay less than half that price.

So far we have had three chickens for two weeks and are not halfway down a 20kg bag.

So, say you've used up 9kg (which makes the arithmetic slightly easier), that's 3kg per chicken for two weeks, or 1.5 kg per chicken per week.

At that price, they've cost you £1.28 per chicken per week.

Purely out of interest, how many eggs do you get from a chicken in a week?  I appreciate that this isn't just about eggs, but I'm curious to know what the cost per egg is.

on the back of a metaphorical envelope, we determined that they cost about 20p/egg. However, we have as yet had no eggs (the lasses are not quite there yet) . This is predicated on 1/day per chicken per 8 months of the year and 1/2days for the rest of the year.


..d

[blackpuddinonnabike]

I have to say we've gone through a lot less feed than that. How often do yours get to free range David? I think that has an effect.

Tim, when they're firing regularly there's about an egg a day from each chicken. We've got one off the lay just now, but the other is giving us one each day.

[David Martin]

I have to say we've gone through a lot less feed than that. How often do yours get to free range David? I think that has an effect.

Tim, when they're firing regularly there's about an egg a day from each chicken. We've got one off the lay just now, but the other is giving us one each day.

The 'nowhere near half' has been inflated by internet rumours. I think we have maybe fed them about 400g feed per day for three chickens. That works out as 25 days for 10kgs. Looks like we are just a quarter of the way through the bag.

As to free range, they have a run (about 6ft square) and lots of greens along with their food. We haven't let them loose in the garden yet.

..d

[David Martin]

You might want to try pellets instead.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20Kg-Sack-of-Farmgate-Layers-Pellets-Hen-Chicken-Feed_W0QQitemZ220297924987QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item220297924987&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1468|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

[jellied]

Now I think I've got the main feed sorted what to do with the other end?

It's still another 2 months before my chickens arrive but I'm keen to know how much chicken shit a chicken shits.  I was in Homebase today and saw 10kg for £8. Granted it was compressed and dried and probably smelled lovely, but what sort of output suitable for the garden are we talking about here?