Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Egg_x]

Hi all,

 

My boyfriend & I have decided we want to keep some hens! It started off as an allotment idea but now I've bought a pretty coop & run I think if prefer to keep them in our garden! So there begs the first question... Which breeds would you recommend for gardens with neighbours in close proximity? i.e which are the 'quieter' breeds? Ideally would like for eggs as well

 

So far we've had Warrens, Blacktails & Silkies recommended to us... Before we make the big purchase I'd be grateful for advice from the forum I've had a search through the topics and haven't found a recent discussion on this but apologies if it's common and I'm making a rookie error with my first post!!

 

Thanks

Laura

[clucker1]

We initially bought pepperpots and gingernut rangers from Omlet. If you can't get them from Omlet, there are similar chickens available at other poulty suppliers nationwide. These chickens are fab for gardens and first time chicken owners....they have been really great for us. I have used this forum loads and found it very helpful. Good luck.

[Egg_x]

We initially bought pepperpots and gingernut rangers from Omlet. If you can't get them from Omlet, there are similar chickens available at other poulty suppliers nationwide. These chickens are fab for gardens and first time chicken owners....they have been really great for us. I have used this forum loads and found it very helpful. Good luck.

 

Brill! What were they like noise wise? Not sure why I'm so paranoid when we have loud roads / dogs / children in the area but you can imagine chickens stand out more and people do like a good whinge

[Lavenders_Blue]

The majority of the chooks I've had have been ex battery hens (warrens) and they are great to keep. Mostly quiet - they can sometimes get a little excited at the prospect of a 4am sunrise and have a little shout, or the excitement of laying an egg, but honestly, it's quite rare for them to make much of a noise. They are also very docile and easily tameable, plus they lay lots of eggs. On the downside they will wreck your garden. Really, they will.

[clucker1]

They are generally quiet. Occasionally, there will be noise of "I've laid an egg" but nothing too bad compared with the noise of children/dogs barking/traffic etc.

[moonmonkey]

Hi I have a small garden and have a Rhode Island Red and a Sussex who are both very nice pure breeds and are great in the garden, I did have a miss pepperpot and ranger a few years back but they have now died, the ranger I found to be very noisy and woke me and the neighbours up I used to worry I would get complaints so a box of eggs tended to keep the piece.

 

Chicken keeping is very addictive and enjoyable. I hope you get your flock soon.

[Egg_x]

Thanks for advice all! If we ever ran into any issues with noise at least we have the option to relocate them to the allotment but I'd love to keep them at home.

 

Going to call into some local farms this weekend that have hens to see what we think with an aim to be fully fledged chicken owners Easter weekend. Looking forward to it!

[newcountrygirl]

Do you want large hens or bantams? I have 3 bantams together with a bantam cockerel. 2 Wyandottes and 2 Pekins. They are lovely little things and dont make much noise - even the cockerel. The only thing is they stop laying in October/November and dont lay again until February. I also have two Polish Frizzles in another coop and they dont make any noise either.

[Egg_x]

Do you want large hens or bantams? I have 3 bantams together with a bantam cockerel. 2 Wyandottes and 2 Pekins. They are lovely little things and dont make much noise - even the cockerel. The only thing is they stop laying in October/November and dont lay again until February. I also have two Polish Frizzles in another coop and they dont make any noise either.

 

I don't mind but conscious of space for them as will keep in coop/run through the day when I'm not at home. It's a nice size but maybe bantams would be happier in it - is it all bantams that stop laying over periods of time? When they do lay, what are the eggs like?

[Guest]

I notice that you are Leicester, I strongly recommend Sunnyside Poultry near Burton On Trent, they have a website and facebook page.

 

I always buy my birds from there and find them a mine of information.

 

Go for a mixed flock of hybrids, black rocks and rangers/warrens are very good. White stars are excellent but tend not to like being handled but they do lay a white egg.

 

What size is your run as many of the purpose built ones are too small despite what the descriptions would have you believe.

[Purplemaniacs]

Welcome to the forum.

 

We had hybrids to start with two from Omlet with the eglu and two from Merrydale Poultry which is quite close to you. Since then I have had another four hybrids from them. The lady who is does the chooks is different now but I think they are still very good. It is worth a visit if you decide on hybrids.

 

We had a Sweetie from them and she was very friendly and lived to 6 a good age for a hybrid. At the moment we have two Snowbelles I think they call them, small white chooks who lay lovely huge white eggs but they aren't at all friendly. I also have two of their blue layers, mine lay greeny olive coloured eggs.

 

Chickens do make a bit of noise but I think of it compared to a barking dog and then they are quite as long as you only have girls.

 

Chrissie

[gavclojak]

Hi and welcome, I have the same worry, I live is the suburbs of London in a terraced house. I have ex commercial girls who are very quiet. They make the odd egg announce and they usually lay between 10-2 so that's no too offensive and the announce only goes on for a few minutes.

If they get freaked out by something they may have the odd cluck but nothing I would worry over.

My girls were waking really early, around 5am recently so I got an old lined curtain and that went over the cube before bed and I go and wake the about 7ish now....bliss

 

They lay pretty well although I suspect as they are two and a half they will start slowing down now.

 

Good luck and be prepared to pull your hair out with frustration but to laugh out loud at the antics!!!

[Egg_x]

I was planning a visit to both Merrydale & Sunnyside so glad they come with recommendations!!

 

The previous owner of the coop/run said he had 4 hens in 'and could've had more' which I'm a bit dubious about. Going to measure it up properly so I buy the right amount to give them space. I'm thinking 3 will be more than enough to start with

[Purplemaniacs]

Three is a good number, two is ok but if something happens to one you are left with a lone chook which can be a problem.

 

Here is the link to Merrydale just in case you haven't found it

 

http://www.merrydalepoultry.co.uk/

 

Karen who used to sell the chooks before was lovely and the couple of times I have met the new lady she seemed very nice too. I haven't been for a year or so as the last time was to buy stuff for hatching, actually it must be two years gosh doesn't time fly.

 

Chrissie

[newcountrygirl]

All the bantams I have do stop laying but maybe someone on here will have different breeds to mine and they may not. The eggs are lovely light brown ones and the Polish Frizzles lay ones which are bigger and white. Good luck and happy choosing.

[Egg_x]

Just been out to measure coop & run before farm visits this weekend and it's coming in at 160cm x 60cm! Smaller than it looks so it got me thinking is it still big enough for 3? So much to think about!!

[gavclojak]

That seems very small, what breed are you getting? Will they free range at all? Then again everything seems small to me, my 4 girls enclosure is 6 metres x 6 metres

[Egg_x]

That seems very small, what breed are you getting? Will they free range at all? Then again everything seems small to me, my 4 girls enclosure is 6 metres x 6 metres

 

I haven't decided! They'll be able to free range when we're home. I've had a look at measurements for the Eglus + runs & actually the size difference isn't much at all and they recommend 3/4 medium hens for them. But yes I imagine everything would seem small compared to yours!! I wish I had that much space!

[Egg_x]

Update! We've been to both Merrydale & Sunnyside this weekend, both v.helpful! Think we're going to go down the bantam route... As much as I love eggs I don't think we can get through the amount hybrids pop out!!!

 

Sunnyside had lots of Pekin Bantams in, what are people's thoughts on this breed? They look sooo pretty was mine!

[jackian]

My friend who has not got a lot of space has gone from big girls to bantams and is thrilled to bits and although the eggs are smaller they are not that much smaller .

The Bantams themselves are so pretty .

 

P.S. My 5 girls are in a WIR that is 5 metres x 5 metres I just have no garden

[Egg_x]

My friend who has not got a lot of space has gone from big girls to bantams and is thrilled to bits and although the eggs are smaller they are not that much smaller .

The Bantams themselves are so pretty .

 

P.S. My 5 girls are in a WIR that is 5 metres x 5 metres I just have no garden

 

Ah that's really good! Everyone seems to speak highly of the bantams so that's a good sign. Looking forward to getting them now

[newcountrygirl]

Laura - I had two Pekin Bantams a Golden Partridge - Madge who sadly died last year. She was the loveliest of all my girls and was very tame. I now just have one Lavendar Pekin - Holly and she is lovely too. I keep her with a Pekin Bantam Cockerel Percy proudfoot and 2 Wyandotte bantams - Matilda and Henny Penny. I also have two polish Frizzle bantams Chicken Little and Chicken Nugget but they are in a separate run.

[LolaLayla]

I have kept hens for four years now and started off with 2 Isa Warren/Browns. They are still on the go but only one of them now lays, about every 2-3 days. These ones are the egg layers plus plus and are the breed used in battery farming. At first they lay every day and this only declines a bit during the shorter days. Gradually this reduces as they age. It has only been in the last 6 months I have had to start occasionally buying eggs again. I would recommend them as first time owners girls.

I did add to my coop a couple of years ago with 2 silkies who have since died. They hardly laid as they were constantly going broody which is a hassle I would advise to avoid, at least when choosing your first birds.

With regards the neighbours you may like to do what I did before I got the girls and just ask how they feel about it. I think apart from the noise (which is minimal) is the perceived problem of encouraging vermin. If you bring their food in at night then you should reduce the chance of this happening. I also found at the beginning that one of my girls liked trying to escape and made her way over a four foot wall into the neighbours garden. I had to clip her wing and this helped the situation although she still managed to climb onto things and jump over netting. This problem stopped as she got older. I use Omlet netting to keep them in a sectioned off area of the garden as someone else has said they can destroy things really quickly and also poo a heck of a lot I look forward to hearing what you choose to get.

[Egg_x]

Laura - I had two Pekin Bantams a Golden Partridge - Madge who sadly died last year. She was the loveliest of all my girls and was very tame. I now just have one Lavendar Pekin - Holly and she is lovely too. I keep her with a Pekin Bantam Cockerel Percy proudfoot and 2 Wyandotte bantams - Matilda and Henny Penny. I also have two polish Frizzle bantams Chicken Little and Chicken Nugget but they are in a separate run.

 

Ah lovely! From my research it does sound like they are tamer and therefore ideal pets. Size wise I think they'll be perfectly suited to our garden. How did you find yours noise wise? From visiting the farm earlier given there were tons it was silent to me!! But that's slightly different to in the back garden

[Egg_x]

I have kept hens for four years now and started off with 2 Isa Warren/Browns. They are still on the go but only one of them now lays, about every 2-3 days. These ones are the egg layers plus plus and are the breed used in battery farming. At first they lay every day and this only declines a bit during the shorter days. Gradually this reduces as they age. It has only been in the last 6 months I have had to start occasionally buying eggs again. I would recommend them as first time owners girls.

I did add to my coop a couple of years ago with 2 silkies who have since died. They hardly laid as they were constantly going broody which is a hassle I would advise to avoid, at least when choosing your first birds.

With regards the neighbours you may like to do what I did before I got the girls and just ask how they feel about it. I think apart from the noise (which is minimal) is the perceived problem of encouraging vermin. If you bring their food in at night then you should reduce the chance of this happening. I also found at the beginning that one of my girls liked trying to escape and made her way over a four foot wall into the neighbours garden. I had to clip her wing and this helped the situation although she still managed to climb onto things and jump over netting. This problem stopped as she got older. I use Omlet netting to keep them in a sectioned off area of the garden as someone else has said they can destroy things really quickly and also poo a heck of a lot I look forward to hearing what you choose to get.

 

To be honest I'd not really thought about how long they would lay for, doh! I guess they'll reach a natural end at some point but so long as it's not a few months in that's fine.

 

Each of the farms I have visited can clip the wings so hopefully that will overcome any potential escape plans

 

Yeah I imagine, with normal maintenance they will attract no more than any other animal living outdoors!

 

Thank you! I'll be sure to post some pics as well!