3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[kateandsteve]

Looking at the ads for Eglus and the pictures of chickens tripping gaily over manicured lawns and flower-beds has compelled me to write this advice for anyone contemplating keeping chickens in their (sub)urban garden. I have had four chickens for two years now and contrary to most contributors to this forum, have found it a stressful time. Anyway, here goes:-

- Chickens will turn any patch of grass into bare earth in a matter of weeks, the aforementioned pictures couldn't be further from the truth

- Chickens don't have clocks; they get up and go to bed with the sun. Which means for the past couple of weeks and the next, I'm having to get up at 4:15 a.m. to open the Eglu door! And my chickens wait about an hour before they start kicking off a cacophony, which is fine if you live in the country but in a built-up area (the whole raison d'etre behing Omlet, I think) is a nightmare. Hence I'm getting by on very little sleep at the moment.

- Chickens don't love you, they love food and will do anything to get it

- Chickens are bad for your marriage; they play my wife and me off against each other all the time. I try not to "treat" them to keep them quiet, in fact I use a water pistol. She on the otherhand uses corn-on-the-cob! So guess what happens when they see me drive off in my car?!

- You can't insure chickens and can't find a vet. High Street vets are only interested in dogs, cats and fluffy bunnies. Commercial vets can only work with huge flocks. If you do find a vet be prepared to pay through the nose. We were given 10ml of anti-biotics recently and charged £18 for it! Next time I'll buy a bottle of vintage champagne-it's cheaper!

- Do you really want all those eggs per week? There's only so many cakes you can eat before you keel over and die

 

So there's my first tranche of advice to anyone thinking of keeping chickens. Please think it over carefully, before you commit yourself, your family, your neighbours and of course the chickens.

 

Steve

[scarlettohara]

I hope that was tongue in cheek !

 

I have 24 chickens and various chicks including cockerels. I live in a residential area - my garden is not a wreck, if I don't want my girls on parts of it I net it off. Noisy girls and boys are not let into their run before 8 am - I am in charge not them There is a list of poultry vets on this forum, my vet charges me a small pet consultation fee, vets have to charge what the drug companies charge them - £18 for a consult and antibiotics is very good

 

My chooks do love me, I don't need treats to attract their attention - they often jump up for a cuddle especially Freckles my cockeral who will go to sleep in my arms.

 

Sorry you have such a disheartening view of chicken keeping

[Redwing]

It's like any pet - research is key

 

All of this information is available online to people if they go and look

 

When I bought a puppy I did research and didn't believe that by watching peole playing with their well trained dogs on telly was how it would always be

 

Marketing is marketing, I don't expect to actually drink Red Bull and fly for example

 

At the end of the day we can't expect coop makers to show pics of dusty lawns but if you type lawn, noise, treats in to any chicken forum search facility you'll get plenty of enlightenment

 

In saying that my lot don't make a lot of noise I don't get up early to sort them out and they don't expect treats so I think it's a combination of your set up and routine, how you 'raise' them and sadly the luck of the draw!

 

People rush in to buying chooks in the same way they rush in to buying any pet it's no different and by the numbers of our members that we see come and go it's obvious that chicken keeping isn't for everyone but there are plenty of us that stick with it all and would never give up our chooks so it cant be so bad!

 

These comments aren't aimed directly at you I am not suggesting that you didn't research just trying to give another point of view

[lindafw]

I am fortunate enough to live in a small village...yet I am still close to my neighbours. I checked with them BEFORE getting hens..they were supportive and when one Buff Orpington hen turned out to be a cockerel I used strategy...I went to see them and offered to cull my rooster if he was causing them a problem... I only got to the word CULL before being assured they thought him 'fun' ( any surplus eggs make for good neighbours) My ladies do not go out until 7 when I and my dog let them out and I lock up once it is dusk or later if I am out. As for my garden well its fine and dandy (indeed the ladies have got rid of my ground elder problem) however i accept I have a large garden and they do scratch the earth..but under the bushes where they love to lie.

 

My only word of warning is DO lots of research, and come on the forum and ask about breeds..i some do appear to do more damage that others.

 

My chickens give me great pleasure and are the best pets I have ever had

[Melbourne12]

I think it's helpful to consider the "down side" of chicken keeping, and to be realistic, so thanks for the post, Steve.

 

Better that than to be overly optimistic, and then be disillusioned and give up.

[Egluntyne]

All the points raised are valid ones. This illustrates why it is always a good idea to research things fully before going ahead. There are umpteen threads on this forum alone that would indicate that chickens may be noisy, wreck gardens, have health problems, be downright nasty to each other, not lay eggs, eat you out of house and home etc.

 

I still wouldn't be without mine.

[pips_pekins]

I have 24 chickens and various chicks including cockerels. I live in a residential area - my garden is not a wreck, if I don't want my girls on parts of it I net it off.

 

scarlettohara, your garden looked lovely when we visited you and that was on a very soggy day in January

 

Everyone's experiences will be different and a lot depends on one's own circumstances and perhaps to some degree luck. I have not had my girls for very long but absolutely love them. We have more problems with the dog who won't sleep beyond 6.30am on a good day despite all our best efforts and we have had dogs before. I do not go near the chickens until around 7am and so far they have stayed quiet until I start putting food and water back in the run. I don't think they love me but that is ok; they are interested in me and run to greet me whether we have treats or not (and it is more often not as they are still young and I am wary of giving them too many treats).

 

I did research as much as I could. Everyone says something different and like many I had concerns about noise, mess and rats but I still went ahead and got chickens which I keep in my very small garden. I was determined to get chickens and I read as many negative comments as positive. Your views are very valid and may make someone think again, which is good. As yet, I feel lucky that I do not regret my decision to get chickens and I hope that this continues. Sometimes even the most thorough research cannot prepare you for the reality and it is not as you imagined. This seems to be the case for you with chickens and I am so sorry it is not working out.

 

I don't expect to actually drink Red Bull and fly for example

.

 

[scarlettohara]

You might fly if you added Vodka

[Alis girls]

I have to say hands on heart I didnt research as much as i should - my girls wrecked the lawn (I did try to blame OH's cats didnt work) so as Sara aka Scarlett says fence it off. It works a treat - I have my planters back, we have 2 lovely girls, fresh eggs and OH and i love them. ES doesnt like the poo aspect , but thats not a problem now they have their own area. I realised how much I loved them when I lost one at Easter. Like any beast of the field or air they are naughty 0 our cats haved wrecked the stair carpet - on the plus side we dont have mice in the house which we did in our last house - the smell and damage they inflicted was worse than the stair carpet prob. In hindesight I should have done more research but hindsight is all very well.

Oh and animals playing you and the missus off against each other - well come to mine the kids and cats do that - relate here we come

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I think it's important to realise that despite the descriptions given for each breed, you can't be sure you'll get a chicken with all those attributes. As with humans, each chicken will have its own personality, quirks and tendencies. Unfortunately, you won't know which your chicken has till you get her home and get to know her .

 

Breeders probably avoid putting "attracts lice like "Ooops, word censored!"ody's business", "is a great big bully", "won't lay past her 1st birthday", or "squawks loudly at the drop of a hat" on their websites .

[Alis girls]

Lets face it itf they did "Ooops, word censored!"ody would buy a chicken. All animals have pests - chickens are no different. As ANH says animals are different just like humans - but you are in charge - I suspect it was toungue in cheek - i hope so anyway

[Henchanted]

Steve, I tittered at your candid appraisal of garden hen keeping and I honestly share some of your views and experiences, despite having done lots of research we have had more hurdles to overcome than we catered for but have no regrets, as yet.

 

My eglus are semi-static, so will not be moving around the garden to decimate all the green areas, and the runs are big enough as minimal free-ranging opportunities mean less mess in the garden

 

Having semi-permanent sites for the eglus enables extra security and fox proofing (extended skirts with screw pegs) so I do not lock the eglus at night just half close the doors. They do still make a bit of a racket in the morning but at least it means I can get up at a more reasonable hour.

 

It can test your relationship , much like having other pets or even kids but that is part of the challenge.

 

But I suspect that maybe you have not yet really experienced the joys. Hen watching. I spend much more time in the garden than I ever did. They watch and study me but then go about their business pecking, preening and purring. I can watch them from my garden bench for hours. (More soothing and relaxing than viewing a fish tank)

[Tutti Frutti]

So very true! The warts and all truth, good for research. I'd add to few more to your list but with the advice on here, there are solutions

 

poo - we compost it and dig it into our clay soil - happy girls = happy shrubs!

parasites - monthly dusting, regular house and girl inspections, cleaning

flies - fly papers/traps, citronella on run bedding, poo picking

 

Back to your points:

grass - yep. They demolished out last one (mostly from scratching) so they're banned from the new one. And the decking. And the patio (kept leaving stealth bombs by the back door whilst peering in ). They now FR happily in the netted-off borders. When we're out, they're locked in the walk in run.

 

the aforementioned pictures couldn't be further from the truth

Couldn't agree more - we gave up and built a WIR but not everyone will have the funds. Oh add another one - if you're prone to spoiling your pets, chook keeping can become a money pit!

Chickens don't have clocks - agree. We leave the doors open to their run and our girls are quiet.

Chickens don't love you, they love food - mostly true but we have a couple of soppy and chatty girls who love our company and "help" with everything

Chickens are bad for your marriage - ummm only when I could do with some help lifting stuff to clean!

You can't insure chickens - true but the 3 appts I've had in 2 years were under the "excess" anyway

and can't find a vet - true a year ago (we had to ring around to find one) but just today, I was at my cats' vets and they've been on courses and now treat chooks

Do you really want all those eggs per week - I wish! Yes, egg quantity needs to be flagged - especially as, after a chook's first year, you can go from loads to zilch over one winter. So succession planning has kicked in - we have 3 chicks coming up to POL. Which reminds me... it becomes addictive and most keepers get more girls!

There's only so many cakes you can eat before you keel over and die ... ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE

[fluffy chick]

Hey Steve, you got an eglu you want to sell ?!

 

True chicken keeping isn't for everyone but I think you're talking to the wrong people if you want anyone to agree with you that they are more trouble than they are worth

[jennym]

My first reaction on reading that was something like "GASP, how can he talk about chooks like that?!" On rereading and thinking about it a bit, it's all pretty much true , at least the bits I've had experience with (e.g. no vet visits required yet).

 

We've had our ladies about a month and we're still sorting a few things out, like building a permanent run (grass under eglu run is trashed in less than a week) & maybe limiting free-ranging (I really don't want them pooping on the tables/chairs we use or jumping up and joining me at my laptop - or with my lunch!).

 

I'm under no illusions that chickens 'love' anything, really - that's a pretty human emotion! But they do follow us around, keep us company and make us laugh, whether we have treats for them or not. That's plenty for us. It's probably a bit more work (and money) than we'd planned, but for us, at least, it's totally worth it. As for testing a relationship - it was actually the OH's idea and we're both really happy with them, so I guess I have it easy there.

[Plum]

and the challenges they bring are half the fun of keeping chickens. You use your wits to solve problems. If they just existed then I think they would be rather boring and we'd have nothing to chat about

[Forestchook]

- Chickens don't have clocks; they get up and go to bed with the sun. Which means for the past couple of weeks and the next, I'm having to get up at 4:15 a.m. to open the Eglu door! And my chickens wait about an hour before they start kicking off a cacophony, which is fine if you live in the country but in a built-up area (the whole raison d'etre behing Omlet, I think) is a nightmare. Hence I'm getting by on very little sleep at the moment.

 

I'm guessing your chooks are making a fuss before you let them out as well as an hour later after. My advice is stay in bed and let them get on with it until you want to let them out. If they make a racket after you let them out anyway surely it's better the noise is muffled by the eglu until a reasonable time. In some ways chooks can be quite smart so I'm sure they'll learn that the noise isn't getting them anywhere so will bide their time until you let them out. Have you had any comments from the neighbours? If so I've seen several threads on here about covering the coop to keep chooks (or cockerels) quiet until a reasonable hour. If nothing else it will futher muffle any noise they do make.

I let my chooks out at approximately the same time each morning, i.e. when I get up. They only get let out eariler if I have to go out early so won't be around to open up at the normal time. When I go to let them out the girls are only ever clucking quietly together. If they do make more noise eariler in the morning I'm afraid I don't hear it. I've not had any comments since I started putting my cockerel in the shed overnight, but then I've never given my chooks a reason to think making a noise will get them anything. I'm even very careful avoid given them treats during the day if my cockerel has been crowing . If he crows they have to all have wait.

Don't give up. Just remember you are the boss not them.

N

[beach chick]

part of the reason to have them is the work in a way.... not that I'm a masochist, but looking after them, meeting their needs etc is part of it for me.

[migsy]

- Chickens don't have clocks; they get up and go to bed with the sun. Which means for the past couple of weeks and the next, I'm having to get up at 4:15 a.m. to open the Eglu door! And my chickens wait about an hour before they start kicking off a cacophony, which is fine if you live in the country but in a built-up area (the whole raison d'etre behing Omlet, I think) is a nightmare. Hence I'm getting by on very little sleep at the moment.

-

 

Before I had my WIR I kept the chickens in the coup until about 7.30, even in the summer. They never complained as it is what they expected. It also meant no noise until after that time. I suggest you change their routing by half an hour every few days until they are getting up later. No way was I going to get out of bed at 4.15am

[squiffs]

Echoing other people's sentiments - my chickens have been fine being let out between 7:30 and 8am - they're not even noisy when I go to open the coop - they sit in there quietly and I can hear them chatting away quietly and the rustle of the straw in the nest box. My chickens seem to be quite quiet though, even when they're having a natter to me or each other. I'm back to work next week so they'll be out from 6:30 anyway, and I think that's plenty early enough.

[scottishchicken]

Just joined here and although this thread starts off quite negative, it's good to read the downsides and so be more realistic about the prospects of getting chickens. Looks like I might spend a bit of time here before deciding on a breed and coop.

[migsy]

@ Scottish Chicken - You will learn so much more on here than you could from any book! Welcome to the forum.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Another Scottish Omleteer . Welcome

[chocolateeclaire]

Sorry - just have to disagree

 

You can train them - treats and hose pipe = quiet mornings

They will leave a boring lawn alone if they have somewhere more fun to dig and dust bath - leave them a rough bit of ground somewhere

My vet didnt charge me any more than he would for a visit with a cat

Plants that they do take a fancy to you just protect with some netting

 

Our garden used to be a rather boring place that had to be mowed and was where you could hang the washing - now I spend a lot of time out there interacting with the chickens they are great company

 

But like any animal they have to learn to fit in with your way of life not the other way around!!!

Claire

[Nicola O]

For no other reason than to show of my garden, I just wanted to say that after six years of keeping chooks - I STILL HAVE LAWN..........

 

 

Nicola