chickchock Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I hope this is in the right place, don't want to get it wrong on my first post!! Just thought I'd say hello. I've been lurking here for a few weeks since we decided that we'd get sone chickens this year. We're off on a Featherdown Farm holiday next week where we've hired a chicken coop, we're seeing it as a bit of a test as we've never kept chickens before, neither of us has ever even held a chicken! All being well when we get back I'll start trawling Ebay for a 2nd hand Eglu classic (does anyone know of anywhere else I could look for 2nd hand Eglus?). Then hopefully we'll get two chickens to start with, we are only a family of three (we have a 4 year old daughter) so I'm thinking that should be enough. Anyway, that's about it from me for now. Excited chicken-keeper-to-be! Looking forward to getting to know you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hello! We have recently celebrated our first hen-inversary Last spring we were glued to ebay, getting over-excited about new listings for Eglus and then noticing they were hundreds of miles away, or silly-expensive, but we got one in the end. You could try keeping an eye on the 'sales' and 'wanted' listings on this forum, too. I'm sure, like all of us, you will soon be totally besotted. We have an Eglu Classic, with an extended run, permanently sited on wood-chip and are lucky enough to have a reasonably large and safe garden for daily FR-ing. We bought 'beginners' hens' two happy, easy-going hybrids. They are steady layers, come when called and are tame lap-chooks. I now wish we'd never gone through the years of rabbits and guinea pigs with our kids, the hens are much nicer pets and the eggs are fabulous, although with a four year old you might like to consider some fencing or netting for a poop-free play area, btw. Everyone on here is lovely and no question or worry is too small or silly, so you'll have loads of help and support, good luck and we'll want to see pics once you're set up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiedoobs Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hi, I've had chickens for just over a year now and absolutely adore them. I remember when we first got ours and freaked out a little when I held then for the first time. Now I love having cuddles with them! We have silkies, they get broodier more than a lot of the other breeds but love to be cuddled even more when broody! Plus they are adorable balls of fluff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hi I started with 2 girls three years ago, sadly one was put to sleep a couple of weeks ago and I got two new ones on Saturday - going by the advice on here it is best to introduce two new girls to an existing one. So I'm kind of feeling like it is all new again. I had forgotton how skittish they are when you first get them. But they are all FR round the garden at the moment under strict supervision, still have separate quarters most of the time. Chickens are hard work but totally worth it; both relaxing and entertaining at the same time. And so determined - if they want to destroy something they will! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hi, and welcome to to wonderful world of chicken keeping . As others have said, it's a great hobby and pastime all rolled into one. It can have its challenges, as any pet does, but the rewards are plain to see (and eat ). We had our first two Omlet chooks in 2005, and have never looked back. We're now up to 13 , and have reared over half our current flock from eggs, which is another very exciting experience for adults and children alike (but I would get yourself completely comfortable with your adult hens before even contemplating raising chicks). The picture below was our original Omlet setup, complete with my six-month old, as she was back then (now 8 and a half!). Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hi there and welcome, from one newbie to another:) Have you tried preloved, they usually have some omlet bits on there also gumtree has a few bargains. this is the best site for advice too, i have needed lots of help and always log on and wait for the help to come pouring in.... Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hello! Welcome to the forum! You'll love your holiday and come back with grand plans! I started with cube and extended run plus fencing now have Walk in run and have redone garden perimeter so they can't escape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hello chickchock - you have exciting times ahead. I don't think I'll ever forget that first morning after we got our first chickens. I am middle aged, but I was just like a child on Christmas morning as I litterally jumped out of bed to dash down and say hello to my new chooks. I hadn't felt that excited in ages Now, after 4 years with chickens, I still think they are the prettiest things in my garden - prettier than the roses or lillies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickchock Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. It's interesting to note that not many people seem to stay on two chickens!! ha ha! I had been thinking I might have to fence off an area to keep the rest of the grass poo-free for playing. I should be able to do that fairly easily I think but might have to look into something that is easy to take down again when they are back in the run. They won't be permanently free ranging unfortunately as we have so many foxes here that I would want to make sure I was in the garden with them when they are out. Are there any guidelines on how much time they should spend out of the run? Do they need have some free ranging time every day? I work from home so it's not impossible to let them out daily. So many questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Lovely to see new people thinking about chickens. I only joined this forum a year ago and got my first 6 chooks same weekend. Yep they are a little addictive and now have 19 of them....so far!! As a child was a bit scared of them and now think nothing of lifting a broody out of the nestbox outside etc. Totally besotted with them. As you mentioned you have a lot of foxes in your area I guess the advice from more seasoned members will be to make sure the run is totally foxproof, especially if you read the stories on here re what has happened to some. Please don't let that put you off as chicken watching and not to mention the excitement of the first egg is fab. My only advice would be get three, and not two hens......enjoy. p.s. tons of advice on here from the more seasoned chicken keepers, so check in and read, ask, whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Are there any guidelines on how much time they should spend out of the run? Do they need have some free ranging time every day? I work from home so it's not impossible to let them out daily. Providing you have not got too many chickens for the home you have given to them, then chickens don't *have* to be allowed to free range at all. However anyone who has watched a chicken bustling about the garden can have no doubt that free ranging as much as possible is their preference. So really it is down to you to provide a balance that can suit you both. Foxes are at their worst in the early evening and in Feb / March when they have their young to feed and are hungry. However if you have a lot around you they may be very bold and think nothing of coming into your garden in the middle of the day If your head is down working from home, you might not notice until a wild cackling alerts you when it will be too late for your chickens . This being the case you might want to look into electrified netting or a walk in run (WIR). Neither are cheap but both are excellent investments if you find that chicken keeping is your thing. Omlet and Flyte so Fancy both supply the netting (which would also make sure you had a poop free area for your children to enjoy). The real trick with this is to make sure that any growing grass does not short out the electric circuit Personally I'd rather a WIR. A local builder who can build aviaries could make you one of these probably more cheaply than buying one from a chicken place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickchock Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Ah yes, sorry I wasn't meaning that I'd be inside working while they were free ranging. I'd want to be outside with them. I just meant that with me working from home it would be easy for me to find an hour in the day where they could be outside and I could be with them. I think I'm going to go with fencing off an area rather than a WIR at this stage as it will suit the garden better (I LOVE my garden and work hard on it, so the chickens will have to have a permanent home and an assigned area rather than free run of the whole garden). I do have a fairly generous area in mind for them, though. This forum is a godsend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I work from home and love my garden and I put up a little picket fence to divide off the chicken area. I got this idea off the person I got my very first chickens from. Here is my cockerel and a couple of his girls looking through their area to 'my' area. Their area is still made nice with plants they don't destroy such as bamboo, day lillies (hemerocalis) and peonies. A better view of the fence I've got two wee ducks too and this is the picket fence with the duck house behind it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickchock Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Oh Shabbychic your garden looks fab! I'd love to do something similar with a picket fence in my garden, do the chickens not try and get over that, then? (spot the novice!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Well I have Silkies who don't fly, Frizzles who only fly a little and my Polands who are great flyers started off with a wing clipped and since then, though their wing feathers have by now grown back, they don't bother. Everyone just seems to be in the habit of waiting by the fence for goodies I've got a colletion there at the moment waiting for me to serve up 'chicky biccies' which they get around now when I have my coffee and shortbread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Welcome from me too. I started with 3 girls and now have 6 It is very addictive ( and gets expensive ) so watch out. And your holiday where you can have a trial first sounds perfect. I hope you have a good time there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
