What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[JillJ01]

Hi there,

 

I have ordered an Eglu Cube with 3m run and four chickens... never kept chickens before so on the one hand I am thinking "Oh my, what have I done " but on the other hand I'm quite excited, and I know husband's looking forward to having a brood in the garden . Our son ( knows nothing about what is to happen, and I imagine the cat will be a bit peeved to begin with!

 

Anyway, reading lots about what to do to prepare, and wonder if you'd be kind enough to give me a summary list of:

 

> food they should have

> medicines they need

> what plants/veg/fruit they do - and don't - like, so what may survive unscathed in the garden

> any particular do's and don'ts

 

Thank you!

[Olly]

Hello, welcome to the forum!

 

We've all been through that 'what am I doing moment' but trust me, once your Cube and chickens arrive, you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner!

 

A useful list of things here but don't rush to buy anything, you will have all you need for the first few weeks, and you won't need everything on the list.

 

My biggest 'Don't' would be, don't be too soft on them! Hens can (if you let them) ravage your garden and rule your life - it's fun feeding them treats, but don't overdo it especially in their first week, and don't feel you have to let them free-range all the time, they will be fine in the run.

 

Most of us on here think that getting hens is one of the best things we've ever done, and I hope you'll think so too.

[JillJ01]

Thank you Olly - that's a really useful list. It's the anticipation that's causing the nerves, on a countdown until the Cube arrives (24 April) and we see what happens

[Laura & CTB]

Hi and welcome

 

I'm sure you're going to have a wonderful time with your new girls and there's always plenty of advice here on the forum to have a nose through (will give you something to do while you're patiently waiting )

 

Chickens are their own little personalities and you will soon find out what their fave foods are - I would recommend always having a few grapes to hand though

[Seagazer]

Welcome from me too. I was as nervous as anything when I got my girls and did say to the lovely Omlet man that I'd changed my mind I think they're used to people being worried.

 

Two years on and I love the girls to bits and I can't imagine not having chickens at the bottom of the garden.

 

The forum is excellent for all sorts of information, not only about chickens.

[Egluntyne]

Hi there,

 

I have ordered an Eglu Cube with 3m run and four chickens... never kept chickens before so on the one hand I am thinking "Oh my, what have I done " but on the other hand I'm quite excited, and I know husband's looking forward to having a brood in the garden . Our son ( knows nothing about what is to happen, and I imagine the cat will be a bit peeved to begin with!

 

Anyway, reading lots about what to do to prepare, and wonder if you'd be kind enough to give me a summary list of:

 

> food they should have

> medicines they need

> what plants/veg/fruit they do - and don't - like, so what may survive unscathed in the garden

> any particular do's and don'ts

 

Thank you!

 

 

Welcome to the forum. Have a rootle round in the FAQ section, the answers to all your questions will be found there.

[Hen Watch]

Hello JillJ01 and welcome to the forum.

 

Don't worry, I felt the same. Ordered the eglu and then wondered if I'd done the right thing.

 

They are really easy to look after, loads of fun and I still enjoy looking after my lot after 3 years now.

 

I will warn you now though............ you will spend the first month they arrive worrying about them constantly, I did. It felt like having your first baby all over again, not sure what to do etc..... But don't worry, help is at hand here on the forum for anything you need to ask.

 

Good luck.

[Olly]

Oh yes - I'd forgotten that feeling. For the first few weeks I was convinced my first two girls were going to die, due to my total inexperience of looking after chickens. I used to tiptoe up the garden after work in the dark to check they were both in the Eglu, and hurry up there in the morning before work to make sure they were both still clucking,

 

Now they get a cursory glance at food and water, a lettuce chucked in, and a few harsh words if there aren't any eggs! How I've changed!

[Patricia W]

I can even remember when I didn't like to pick them up in case they broke!

 

Tricia

[chick wiggle]

Hi Jill and welcome to the forum

Just read through this and it has really brought it back to me how exited and worried i was too. Every little thing i wondered 'is this right' is that right, should they be doing that. Dont worry, you will fall in love with them very quickly and any little worry you have come on here and someone will always be around to help you or just put your mind at rest. So relax, be exited and look forward to your new little bundles of joy

 

Oh and photos are compulsory on here

[JillJ01]

Thank you I will post photos of our ladies when they have settled into life chez nous. We're now discussing names, although one will have to be named by our son. Feeling excited today

[Plum]

You'll have one interesting name then

[The Dogmother]

You'll have one interesting name then

 

Naaah, it'll be something like Snowy or Patch

 

I have a hen called Dizzy and bunnies called Hunny Bunny and Cupcake

[jill the potter]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

I agree with what the others have said. I wold also add that you could maybe think of attending a short (only about an hour) chicken keeping course before the girls arrive. Think there is a section on the forum where you can find someone offering them local to you. I went on one before I got my girls and found it very informative and was able to buy food etc from them so I was already for when they arrived.

 

Have loved every minute since they arrived. My OH was not convinced at first, but I catch him quite often now at the bottom of the garden talking to the girls

 

Oh yes, should also mention that "chickens are addictive"!!!!! - we are getting more in a couple of months!!!!

[JillJ01]

Well, after a manic month at work and not really thinking too much about our pending purchase, I looked at the calendar on Monday and did a little because tomorrow the Cube and chickens should arrive! Only husband and I still know (and our respective work colleagues - we had to tell someone!), so son is going to be excited tomorrow when the Omlet van appears! I *think* we are ready....

 

No names as yet, I'm sure we'll come up with something suitably in keeping with our family penchant for giggles... flowers are appealing at the moment, although they'll all end up being given nicknames (by me)... our butch male cat gets called Blossom and Pudding on quite regular occasions

 

Aaaaanyway, roll on tomorrow

 

Jill

[Christian]

A sleepless night ahead Jill!

 

All the best for tomorrow and welcome to the forum by the way

[Lewis]

Good luck!

 

Son will be very happy

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Good luck for tomorrow (and for getting a restful night's sleep - like that's going to happen ).

[Seagazer]

Good luck for tomorrow, its so exciting

[Plum]

and we expect photos

[sadietoo]

Ohhh very exciting day for you tomorrow and reasonable weather promised for it I think....

I hope everything goes smoothly ...you are going to feel sooo pleased with yourself for making the decision to keep chickens..and once you've tasted a newly laid egg..well there's no going back!

 

Looking forward to seeing the photos...

[Purplemaniacs]

Welcome to the forum.

 

How eggciting, don't forget to charge the camera. Getting chickens was one of the best things we have done

 

Chrissie

[captaincollins]

welcome, everyone on here is really lovely and bewarned chickens are so additive!

[JillJ01]

Hi! Sorry I haven't been back, it's been a busy week at work, at home and also with getting an allotment after a year on a waiting list! Our ladies arrived with their Cube last Saturday. We have all settled in OK; they know who brings the PSB after school/work! We have, I think, been very lucky have had one or two eggs a day since Sunday, certainly not what we were expecting. Mojo the cat is adjusting nicely as well; it's quite funny watching him watch them and chatter to them.

 

The ladies have duly been given names, the first two by us grown ups, the other two by our son. They are Amy ( ), Rose ( ) - both named after Doctors' assistants; Pecky ( ) and Poppy ( )

 

Suffice to say the nice tidy layout has been updated to suit the chickens' preferences... you'll probably see what I mean when you look at these pictures and then know from experience what happens with the floor of the run!

 

 

 

 

 

We're all really happy we have chickens in our garden. We will be letting the ladies out on Sunday/Monday, once we have finished putting up the mesh fencing to raise the height a bit more. I imagine they are going to go a bit mad at being let out... and Mojo (if he comes back during that time) will be in for a bit of a surprise!

 

Jill

[Plum]

Smashing Jill, lots of lovely digging in there. You could try putting some lawn edging around the walls to stop it spreading further. I have mine kept in place with bricks but tag tyes work well