debbie26pet Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 i really want couple chickens hubby not convinced yet but he will be , what do i need on a bit of a budget, want my kid to be involved can they be ages 9 7 4 2 yrs i do have cats they wont be a problem? what do i need to check on my morgage so i can keep them, are they noisey, what they bite like how easy are they to get parents to look after whilst we away. what do they eat or need. were do i get chickens from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 i really want couple chickens hubby not convinced yet but he will be , what do i need on a bit of a budget, - House, run, food (£5 a bag) bedding material (but you can just use newspapers) you can gradually stock up on other bits and pieces want my kid to be involved can they be ages 9 7 4 2 yrs - Yes My 2 year old loves them, likes to make chicken noises and feed them and stroke them, and dig for worms for them i do have cats they wont be a problem? - cats and dogs and other pets are no problem, if they try it with the chickien the chicken will just give them a peck on the nose what do i need to check on my morgage so i can keep them, - check your household deeds, if you dont have them your solicitor might. I personally didnt bother, depends if you have neighbours that are likely to cause you problems, some times it just worth going and talking to them first to let them know what to expect. are they noisey, - depends a lot of breed, some make no noise at all, others make odd 'bock bocking' noises, generally uou dont hear them from indoors. what they bite like - they dont really bite (well they cant bite, then can only peck) and this is not common, if you poke a finger through the run bars they may peck it thinking its a worm, or if you pick them up when they are broody or very scared they might just peck you but it doesnt normally even draw blood. Mine have only pecked me by accident when I have feed them out of my hand and it more just makes you jump. They pecked my sons fingers and he just laughed. how easy are they to get parents to look after whilst we away. what do they eat or need. were do i get chickens from? - Omlet supply chcikens with omlet houses if your in their catchment, otherwise you can get them from breeders. Google your area or email barbara at omlet for a list. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Whoa! i really want couple chickens hubby not convinced yet but he will be , what do i need on a bit of a budget, a house (eglus are good!), a safe run, food. I think that's the very basic requirements. want my kid to be involved can they be ages 9 7 4 2 yrs Chickens are great with children. Jobs: cleaning out, collecting eggs, feeding greens through the run bars, watching! i do have cats they wont be a problem? No what do i need to check on my morgage so i can keep them, Just check your deeds don't specifically exclude poultry. are they noisey sometimes! But not louder than a dog barking, which lots of people have. what they bite like occasionally they peck you, but it doesn't really hurt. how easy are they to get parents to look after whilst we away. Provided you have left enough water and food, you can leave them for 2 days unattended. Over a week, someone needs to do food and water every other day and collect eggs. Longer than a week, the poop might need clearing up - not an difficult job in an eglu. what do they eat or need. layers pellets, green veg + anything else they can get hold of! were do i get chickens from? email Barbara for suppliers near you. Or ask on the forum for someone who lives near you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hi Debbie, I have four kids too, their ages are quite similar to yours, and I have cats too, and the chooks are no problem with either... the chooks actually belong to my 8 year old (she got them for xmas just over a year ago), and she is able to look after them mostly by herself (feeding, cleaning and so on), so it's really not very hard work for anyone to take over while you are on holiday... There is occasional noise, but nothing that should be a problem unless you have bored neighbours who complain about everything as a hobby, some house deeds state 'no chickens' so it's worth checking to avoid heartbreak at a later time... Chooks are great, easy, interesting and fun... I hope you get to experience it all very soon... my only advice would be get as many chooks as you can comfortably look after (many city councils only allow up to 6), cause we only got 2 and I wish I'd taken 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...