Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => General Chat => Topic started by: spartan00117 on May 16, 2011
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Decided to build my own chicken coop in the back garden to raise about 4 hens. Anyone else do this and any top tips for me.
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my wife has been threatening to get an eglu (http://www.omlet.co.uk) for some time now, however i've managed to stall her so far ;D
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I will hopefully have my coop finished in a couple of days so will put some pictures up when done. Going to get 4 ex battery hens which are only a couple of quid each, and supposed to be easy to keep. I have been wanting to do this for ages and couldn't believe my luck when the wife went along with it.
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I'm interested in how this works out. I'd never be allowed one though :(
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I'm interested in how this works out. I'd never be allowed one though :(
Same here >:(
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We took the plunge and got a couple of chickens last year - never looked back since. We use a converted dog kennel as a nesting box and it works out well. We have 2 wee ladies (had 3 although fantastic mr fox took a shine to one of them :()
each of them lays an egg everyday, usually taking 1 day off a fortnight. nothing like using your own eggs - and we havent bought them in ages!
would thoroughly recommend it....
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and i just gave away my old doghouse >:( would have been very suitable
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we have ours just pottering around in the back garden. Bella and Nugget. they are great - take themselves to bed and everything. will also eat almost anything - kitchen scraps, worms slugs, pellets and unfortunately mine are partial to the seedlings in my veg patch!!!
The eggs are something else.......
might go for a couple of ducks....although the wife is concerned im going down the good life road.....
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Nothing wrong with a bit of the good life :)
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I have four chickens in the back garden, well they are in a hen house now after they ate every living thing in the garden. Only issue we have had so far is what to do with them when they stop laying as it is not really cost effective to feed something which is there to provide a food stuff, sorry if that sounds harsh. Keep them clean as the bird muck and wet weather can really cause a smell at times but regular rinsing of the paved bit we have them on sorts that out.
We use photocopy paper boxes with sawdust as individual bedding, this is very easy to clean out.
Matthew
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I like the photocopy boxes idea very clever
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Yeah the poo can be trying to say the least! but with any animal, just have to clean it up ;D
ours went off laying for a bit over the winter - something to do with daylight hours. a farmer once told me that they will lay all year round if you install heat lamps into the coop :o although my neighbours would have thought i was up to something more sinister if they had seen me doing that ;D ;D ;D
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I was thinking about getting some chickens but was wondering do they make much noise? Dont want to anoy my nebiours after moving in.
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nah they are fine..... our 2 ladies are as quiet as a mouse.
now throw a rooster inrto the mix and then we will see what happens...... ;D
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my neighbour is away for the weekend so i'm feeding his dog and he said to work away at the chicken eggs, i didn't even know he had chickens! so just had some eggs on toast for breakfast, lovely :)
he didn't make his own coup but here's a piccie, it has wheels on one end making it easy to move around
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Some off my hens are only starting to lay now after 3 weeks, I will do a blog with some nice photos this week. But your right the eggs are lovely.
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my neighbour is away for the weekend so i'm feeding his dog and he said to work away at the chicken eggs, i didn't even know he had chickens! so just had some eggs on toast for breakfast, lovely :)
he didn't make his own coup but here's a piccie, it has wheels on one end making it easy to move around
that hen pen is a fine looking construction.
hens are the best pet, they give eggs and meat. can be hugged and petted
all my dogs give are logs, which can't be burned on the fire ::)
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That run looks like it's one of the ones form www.chickenhousesni.co.uk/ (http://www.chickenhousesni.co.uk/)
We've been looking at them for a while now, and will prob get one when we move house again in a few months...
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Yes thats the one, they have cool names like Bearnagh, Donard and Big Binian. They're made down in Annalong but if you want to view this one a bit nearer i'm sure my neighbour wouldn't mind showing you it.
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spotted a cheap rabbit hut conversion on gumtree, only £35
http://www.gumtree.com/p/pets/hen-chicken-coop-rabbit-hutch-run/82059689
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Anyone used this place yet ? http://www.chickenedout.info/ only asking wife would divorce me if I even thought about chickens lol.
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Almost bought hens from these guys but decided to go to a guy called Wilfred in Carryduff as its a bit handier for me to get too. Have to say that now I am getting a steady supply of eggs this is one of my best ideas yet me thinks. My wife has only just managed to make contact with them this morning for the first time and was totally amazed at how docile they are and how soft they feel to the touch. I have named my run, "Chicken Hart Lane".
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Wilfred is great to deal with. I bought 2 Blackrocks, 2 Lite Sussex and 2 Marans. I also buy my pellets and bedding from him as he is cheaper than any off the pet stores and it comes in bigger quantities too. I would highly recommend using him. Couple of my birds had rusty poo but think I have sorted that now with probiotic yogurt and a wormer.
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Sorry ment to add that he has a great range of hens and off all ages. I bought mine at point of lay and three weeks later they are starting to lay.