Britannia Ovens (esp Range cookers) your experience

[FiggyPudding]

I've also struggled with chicken keeping. I bought an eglu with the standard run, thinking I would keep 3 hens in there. Thery hated being cooped up, so I used to let them out/put them away throughtout the day. I stressed & fretted, so after a couple of months, we had a WIR made. The girls still fussed, so I bought 2 x foxwatches (a sonic sound which deters foxes when triggered) & let them have the garden (50ft x 160ft!).

 

One neighbour dislikes them immensely - thinks they should be on a farm (although only one left now), but the other neighbours have been fine. They have been quite vocal, clucking if they can't find each other (when down to the last 2)laying an egg & squawking early in the morning.

 

I got over my stress by telling myself that if the fox got them, at least they had a great life (2 were ex batts & 3 (incl an exbatt) were from the local animal rescue). Unfortunately 2 exbatts had to be put to sleep & 2 were taken by the fox.

 

On the plus side, it's wonderful watching them trawl the garden & dust bathe in their favorite spots. I would tap on my kitchen window & they would run/fly down the garden looking for s"Ooops, word censored!"s. They used to walk round the garden with me & watching the exbatts grow strong & re-feathering was fantastic (they didn't lay much though !). My hubby has been delighted with the weedless lawn..we don't have many flowers so no worries about digging flowers up.

 

We have a cat, who used to chase them but soon got bored. One of the exbatts would go for her, so she gives them a wide berth. The neighbours cats have been fine too.

 

If you're going to go for it, make sure you have your eyes wide open !

[the bradley bunch]

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12663#p244864

 

link to thread with WIR pics good luck x

[migsy]

What a fantastic thread with great ideas!