philyc
In the Brooder
Evening all,
I have used this forum quite a lot in the past few weeks in the build up to getting my first few hens, so thought I should jump right in.
So me: 25, married, 8 month old daughter, live in Suffolk, England.
My wife and I decided to take the plunge and get our own chickens, ok, well, I persuaded her to let me have chickens. I built a run out of dug in chicken wire, it measures roughly 5m x 7m, I basically wanted as big as I could reasonably get without my wife biting my head off.
My neighbours had previously said that they had an old coop sitting around their garden that they weren’t going to use. I went and retrieved it from the weeds and put it together and lime washed the inside. I needed to recover the roof and make some new perches inside but its secure, stable and was big enough for what I wanted.
It was then that I realised I couldn’t get the coop through the door of my run. So it all came apart again and put together inside the run this time… woops.
Then I went to collect my two new hens. They were being rehomed due to the owner moving and unable to take all of her chickens with her. So away I came with 2 eight-month old Exchequer Leghorns and £20 less in my pocket. They are now known as Rosemary (white tail) and Thyme (black tail)
They went straight into the coop and seemed very happy.
Now this is another confession I have, I didn’t believe in the phenomenon you call ‘’chicken maths’’, but it has somehow taken effect and I now have 4 hens.
Today I convinced my wife that we should get a small Peking bantam for our daughter (9 months old) to interact with and grow up with, so she consented. When at the local chicken man, I may have slyly made her realise that we should really have two so they have a friend and introductions to the leghorns would be better. So we have come away with a Partridge Peking (nutmeg) and a Buff Peking (ginger). They have gone straight into the coop tonight with the others tonight after a short run around while the leghorns were in their coop.
The two leghorns were the only two big hens in their last flock so hopefully they should be ok with the two new girls. I’ve also just been out to check on them and I found a small white egg which I am now having soft boiled with soldiers. So guessing it’s a Peking egg as it is barely a mouthful.
Anyway, sorry for the long rant, I look forward to using this forum often, and indeed have done already and produced 12 suet blocks for the girls tonight.
Please enjoy a few pictures of my coop, run and 3 of the girls.
I have used this forum quite a lot in the past few weeks in the build up to getting my first few hens, so thought I should jump right in.
So me: 25, married, 8 month old daughter, live in Suffolk, England.
My wife and I decided to take the plunge and get our own chickens, ok, well, I persuaded her to let me have chickens. I built a run out of dug in chicken wire, it measures roughly 5m x 7m, I basically wanted as big as I could reasonably get without my wife biting my head off.
My neighbours had previously said that they had an old coop sitting around their garden that they weren’t going to use. I went and retrieved it from the weeds and put it together and lime washed the inside. I needed to recover the roof and make some new perches inside but its secure, stable and was big enough for what I wanted.
It was then that I realised I couldn’t get the coop through the door of my run. So it all came apart again and put together inside the run this time… woops.
Then I went to collect my two new hens. They were being rehomed due to the owner moving and unable to take all of her chickens with her. So away I came with 2 eight-month old Exchequer Leghorns and £20 less in my pocket. They are now known as Rosemary (white tail) and Thyme (black tail)
They went straight into the coop and seemed very happy.
Now this is another confession I have, I didn’t believe in the phenomenon you call ‘’chicken maths’’, but it has somehow taken effect and I now have 4 hens.
Today I convinced my wife that we should get a small Peking bantam for our daughter (9 months old) to interact with and grow up with, so she consented. When at the local chicken man, I may have slyly made her realise that we should really have two so they have a friend and introductions to the leghorns would be better. So we have come away with a Partridge Peking (nutmeg) and a Buff Peking (ginger). They have gone straight into the coop tonight with the others tonight after a short run around while the leghorns were in their coop.
The two leghorns were the only two big hens in their last flock so hopefully they should be ok with the two new girls. I’ve also just been out to check on them and I found a small white egg which I am now having soft boiled with soldiers. So guessing it’s a Peking egg as it is barely a mouthful.
Anyway, sorry for the long rant, I look forward to using this forum often, and indeed have done already and produced 12 suet blocks for the girls tonight.
Please enjoy a few pictures of my coop, run and 3 of the girls.
from Yorkshire UK
Chickens are so addictive and there is no way of stopping it! I too was like you at first, just a couple of hens to start with but over the years I got to nearly 50 at one point! I've thinned them out now down to a more manageable number. I have loved reading your intro and looking at your pics. 
