SuburbanChick Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 This is the question - how difficult is it really to keep healthy chickens in a fixed run in a suburban garden? I've worked out the space, bedding, wood chip floor etc. but keeping an eye on the overall health of the chooks is stressing me out. Okay I can cope with worming and looking for red mite but when I looked at the thread on LICE I must admit I freaked out Bad memories of dealing with head lice when my children were at school So .... have many of you had to deal with the problem of lice? Is it a common or unusual event to find the little critters? And ....what would you say is the worst part of chicken keeping apart from the early mornings and of course the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Mine have never had lice. I think it's similar to treating red mite. As for early mornings, I don't get up until 7 (8 at weekends). During the spring and summer, in fact nearly all year round, I leave the pop hole open. The worst thing is when they are ill. the most annoying is when you can't catch them and you want to put them away The weather doesn't bother me. The mud does! I look forward to frost now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igobarefoot Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Aboslutely the worst part of chicken keeping is when they fall ill. They are amazing little creatures with unique personalities (I've had 10 so far and they've all been different), so endearing, fun to watch and be around, cheeky, naughty, funny, I could go on and on! So when they are unwell, its tough. They don't live anywhere near long enough so you have to prepare yourself for heart breaking goodbyes. But better to have them and lose them than never have them at all! Oh and say goodbye to spontaneous holidays! I never want to go on holiday anymore as I don't want to be away from them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 No early mornings here either. Mine go in and out of the cube with door open the whole time. We used to shut them in, now don't bother, they are in a secure run so we now leave them to their own devices. We have had lice twice over nearly 4 years. The first time was hysterically funny, OH trying to catch them and then me chucking powder on them. The last time it was a lot easier as only the 3 older birds had them. Chickens are easy peasy to keep, low maintenance for fabulous rewards in their personalities and delicious eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby22 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I totally agree - I thought it was just me not wanting to go on holiday and leave them anymore My other half is so glad he doesn't get dragged off on holiday anymore! I just miss them all the time and no one needs me to feed them at 7 am - not even my other half The best thing about them is, pottering around the garden with little voices chattering away to you and helping you with absolutely everything you try to do Did I say best? The worst is, I would agree, when they are ill, because the litter terrors hide it so that they don't get picked on and it makes life difficult and it is heartbreaking. Saying that, I wouldn't swap them for the world and don't know how I coped without them. Other than that, trying to introduce new girls and the punch ups that follow Boy did that open my eyes! By the way, in 2 years never had to deal with lice or redmite - touch wood. I wish you all the enjoyment in the world with your girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Ditto all the above, I have used the spot in treatment so have not had any problem with lice etc, the worst part is indeed when they are below par and the worry they cause but the good far outweighs the bad so you have your answer. Please remember that people ask health question on this forum when they are worried so it seems chickens are always ill but this isn't a true representation, chickens are hardy little things and I can't imagine not having then. I had the same worries as you as I live 10 miles from Central London so not at all rural x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I've kept hens for seven years in a suburban garden, first in an Eglu and run, then a Cube and run, and for the last four years or so in a walk-in run. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had lice, scaly mite or anything other than a single incident of red mite. All but one of my hens has lived an average life for a hybrid (2-3 years) and some have lived considerably longer. I don't pamper them - the door is left open in all weathers, the only treats they get are blown cabbages from my friend's allotment, or veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s and peelings, and they only get to free range when I'm at home in the garden, even in the summer that's not every day. Remember that very few people post on here to say that they're having a lovely time with no problems! They post here when something goes wrong and they need advice, so if you read this forum, and especially the Chicken Clinic, you could get a skewed idea of what can go wrong. Yes, hens can get ill like any animal, but most of the time, chicken keeping is fun and they are a lot easier to keep than cats or dogs. The worst part for me is the fact that hens need feeding/watering/checking whether it's freezing, blowing a gale or pouring with rain and regardless of whether you're tired, hungover, feeling sick, or late for work! It's all worth it though, they bring my garden to life and they've made me much more aware of the value of food and the way we live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I've only had to deal with lice twice in about 6 years. Very easy to treat with Johnson's spray so don't worry too much! Have also had scaly leg mites but again, the spray is easy enough to administer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Would just lie to second what a lot of people have said. We only write on the forum when we are worried or need advice about a problem I started with 3 hybrids 3 and a half years ago. I now have 13 girls in total all different breeds, including 4 ex bats. I would not give it up lightly. They are brilliant creatures. I've a large garden and rarely ventured out in it in cold weather, until I got my chooks. Now it's thoroughly utilized. They make me very happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Agreed - lice are dead easy to deal with. The best treatment is Johnson's Anti-Mite Spray. This is not licensed for use on chickens but it's a caged bird spray so perfectly safe to use and commonly used to treat lice in back garden flocks. If you find lice on the hens, you simply give ALL the hens a thorough spray (on the skin, not the feathers, so you need to part the feathers to spray onto the skin). Repeat the treatment a week later to catch any lice eggs that may have hatched. That should sort your problem. You will need to throw your hens' eggs away for 2 days after each treatment to ensure there is no trace of the treatment in the eggs. Job done. The worst part of chicken keeping? Definitely the MUD! Never underestimate how much mud a small flock of back garden hens can generate Plus the sheer volume of poo they can produce. But generally, it's the bad weather and all the jobs that still have to be fine regardless of rain, snow, wind etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 I agree with the others too. I've had chickens for almost 5 years in our suburban garden and not really had any problems apart from illness. Something that hasn't been mentioned is the amount of flies that come - once the weather starts getting nicer of course. Can't wait to see what you get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Oh gosh yes the flies, I almost forgot about that horror....gonna invest in massive bottles if citronella this year!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Whilst the flies are not pleasant, they are definitely not as bad as the mud! Well not in my opinion anyway. But yes, not very pleasant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I've not been bothered by flies . Just shows, we all experience different problems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 No flies here either...there ain't no flies on us!! Just lots of lovely eggs and amazing characters, chickens are the funniest animals? to have. Eg today, I was cleaning the girls out @3pm so decided no one else would be laying then...ha ha, I opened the cube roof up, went off to get a bucket of hot water, came back to find sweet little Crumble who reminds me of the little red hen squashed into the cube nest box alongside my basket of eggs I had left in there trying her best to lay an egg, bless her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Never had lice. Have seen the odd red mite but the cube is easy to sort out and with copious amounts of sprays and washes available it has never been a problem - plus lashings of diatom. I haven't had one outbreak of lice on me at all - I'm the one that gets most of it all over myself!!! Sioux suffered with scaly leg but the others didn't. Also the spot check is good and keeps everything at bay. Overall we've been lucky. They get used to being held. Although we started off with huge orpies and in hindsight it would have been better if we had smaller birds at first - those big fat ladies don't half give you a thump on the nose with their wings if not held properly!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Touching a huge piece of wood we haven't had life or red mite. I started off with 3 ex bats in an egos, and from there have had hybrids and then gone onto to our lovely flock of welsumers and legbars. I am lucky in that as we've expanded my husband has made some fantastic runs so none of ours get shut in at night, the only early starts are when it's frozen to make sure they have water in the morning. The downside, you get drawn in. Holidays aren't a problem, but with the pigs and dogs we can't manga much more than a long weekend anyway and the hens can certainly cope without me for a few days. I went from 3 ex bats in an eglu to buying 6 welsumers, then a cockerel, then hatching eggs, then the legbars and it just goes on and on. It is hard when you lose them but that goes for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Even with the number of chickens I have had at a time which is probably over 200 including lots of chicks I guess I have had just a handful of really bad times with health problems Most things can be avoided very easily and others can be treated very easily and quickly My number one tip would be to make sure you handle your birds regularly as otherwise treatments when needed can get very stressful for both chook and handler! handling them regularly also gives you a chance to spot problems more quickly. To hold a chicken correctly put its legs between your fingers so its sitting on the palm of you hand with its chest on your forearm and its head pointing towards your elbow. Once you have the legs secure thats half the battle. From this position you should be able to spread the wings in turn with your free hand and lift them gently to see underneath, tilt the hen towards your body to check the feet and part the fluff around the vent to check for any problems. Under the wings and around the vent is where you can see clear skin, if there are any nasties you will see them leg it across the skin to get back in to the dark feathers! If you are holding a chicken and it flaps or panics put its side against your tummy to secure one wing and use your free hand to steady the other Practice after dark when the hens have gone to roost as they will be much quieter. Before long they will be absolutely fine with being handled, I can leave any of my show birds sitting on top of a box unrestrained while I check it over, they really can become very tame indeed 9/10 times if you have a good hold on the legs the bird will not panic though In answer to your original question the worst part of chicken keeping for me is when the run gets wet and soggy so I would recommend good run covers, good shelter and even covers on the side of the run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claireabella Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I haven't had lice/ mites in my little flock either but have just realised after 2 years of chicken keeping that I've been holding my chooks wrong Worst bit for me is walking down the garden in a morning to let them out in rain, snow, ice, wind etc. in my dressing gown and wellies! Goodness knows what the neighbours must think The best bit - they are a fantastic addition to any garden, very funny little characters and you'll find that hours have passed while you've been watching them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuburbanChick Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thank you all so much for your replies - I'm feeling a lot calmer now Olly, gavclojak and sonyascott you are so right about people posting when they have problems. You have helped me put things in perspective Can't wait now until February/March when POL chickens are available again and the days are getting longer. Hopefully the rain will have stopped by then too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
