Solitary chicken - need advice

[dogmad]

After many years of wanting chickens my husband has finally agreed to let me have some.

 

So just a few questions to start me off:

 

What are the ordering times for an eglu/cube? (ie how long will I have to wait for one)

 

Did any of you go off eating chicken once you kept them as pets?

 

I am going to build a permanent run approx 8 ft square, should this be OK for 3 chickens? They will also be able to free range into the garden in evening and weekends.

 

Also our back fence is approx 4 ft high and backs onto farmland. Will this be high enough to keep them in when they are free ranging, if they go over it would they come back when called or time to go to bed?

 

Think thats it for now

 

Debbie

[Egluntyne]

Welcome to the forum.

 

After many years of wanting chickens my husband has finally agreed to let me have some.

 

So just a few questions to start me off:

 

What are the ordering times for an eglu/cube? (ie how long will I have to wait for one)

 

You really need to ring them as it varies according to the colour you have chosen and where you live.

 

Did any of you go off eating chicken once you kept them as pets?

 

N/A...I don't eat meat.

 

I am going to build a permanent run approx 8 ft square, should this be OK for 3 chickens? They will also be able to free range into the garden in evening and weekends.

It should be fine.

 

Also our back fence is approx 4 ft high and backs onto farmland. Will this be high enough to keep them in when they are free ranging, if they go over it would they come back when called or time to go to bed?

It won't be hight enough I'm afraid.

 

They might come when called, they probably would if you waved a tin of sweetcorn at them.

 

I would be worried about them not finding their way home at twilight and Monsieur Reynard getting them. Can you make the fence higher?

 

Think thats it for now

 

Debbie

[BarbaraJ]

After many years of wanting chickens my husband has finally agreed to let me have some.

 

So just a few questions to start me off:

 

What are the ordering times for an eglu/cube? (ie how long will I have to wait for one)

sorry don't have one.

Did any of you go off eating chicken once you kept them as pets?

nope love chicken

 

I am going to build a permanent run approx 8 ft square, should this be OK for 3 chickens? They will also be able to free range into the garden in evening and weekends.

yes thats great mine is 12' x 4'

 

Also our back fence is approx 4 ft high and backs onto farmland. Will this be high enough to keep them in when they are free ranging, if they go over it would they come back when called or time to go to bed?

hmm mine dont fly over things at all but the only low fence has a trampoline infront of it. Maybe some trellis along the top, i'm sure that would work, and clip a wing

Think thats it for now

 

Debbie

[dogmad]

Thats great thanks for that.

 

I was hoping I wouldn't have to change the fencing as we only had it done last year. Maybe I could just add some type of mesh above it when they are out to stop them wandering.

 

I really like the cube but don't know if it is worth it as I just intend to get three chickens (to start with!!). So an eglu would be more suitable but reading this forum chickens are quite addictive and no doubt will end up with more!

[..lay a little egg for me]

Thats great thanks for that.

 

I was hoping I wouldn't have to change the fencing as we only had it done last year. Maybe I could just add some type of mesh above it when they are out to stop them wandering.

 

I really like the cube but don't know if it is worth it as I just intend to get three chickens (to start with!!). So an eglu would be more suitable but reading this forum chickens are quite addictive and no doubt will end up with more!

 

The mesh is a good idea...make it quite wobbly and it will work best. The chooks like to fly up and sit on top of the fence before risking going over, so if it is wobbly they won't want to sit on it and will probably not try to get out.

[landgirl]

Maybe I could just add some type of mesh above it when they are out to stop them wandering.

 

I have 5ft wooden fence at the end of my garden and I divided the hens' free range area from the rest of my garden with black plastic mesh tied to upright wood poles that I just hammered straight into the packed earth. This works well as the mesh doesn't catch the wind and blow the poles over.

 

But even at over 5ft high my most flighty hen was able to jump on the eglu run and use it as a launch pad and fly to the top of the mesh fence, perch on the top (just like ..lay a little egg says) and then hop over into my flower borders for a little spot of 'laying waste to the perennials'!

 

Because the eglu was pushed up against the wood fence at the back she could probably have got over this even more easily, so I put up more of the plastic mesh, but this time sticking out horizontally from the top of the fence, using cup hooks (the mesh is REALLY light, so doesn't need much support) and supported at the front by a few bamboo poles stuck in the ground. This sounds a bit Heath Robinson, but it worked really well and was almost invisible except in bright sun when the light caught on the black plastic of the mesh. The eglu was directly below the mesh and she just couldn't jump out, up then over to go into the garden behind. I used to see her staring thoughtfully at it, but the only one she ever got over successfully was the mesh one at the front of their run and I made that higher this spring so then she couldn't even do that.

 

PLEASE be aware with any of your plans, that none of what I have described is fox proof. I was just lucky and live in a very enclosed garden which, while never fox proof is pretty hard for them to access and I also used the eglu run whenever I was at work.

 

LG