New to chicken keeping

[istanley24]

Good Afternoon all.

This is my first post on this site, and I am looking forward to many discussions and picking up tips from you all.

I am getting some chickens for my garden. I have a house and am in the process of building a run. Hopefully, I will have some hens in there by the end of the weekend. What best tips could you give an absolute beginner?

Do chickens mind the rain? We are having so much of it down here (I live in abingdon, but not affected by the floods) so was wandering if I had to do anything special to protect them? Or do they just get on with it?

I want to be organic, but am struggling to find anywhere that sells organic chicken feed and corn. Any tips?

I look forward to chatting with you all.

Cheers,

Ian.

 

[lacyloo]

welcome,chickens do need to be sheltered from the rain,and i think u can bye chicken food online but forgot the website, oh i found it look ant the bottom of the page,,

http://www.mypetchicken.com/Feed_and_Feed_Supplies-c13.aspx

 

[joebwe25]

Welcome!

I am getting some chickens for my garden.

If you put them in the flower garden they will tear EVERYTHING up.

Do chickens mind the rain?

Like Tayler (lacy_94) said, chickens need to be sheltered.
My hens don't mind tho.
Feel free to ask me any more questions!
Joe W.​

 

[robin416]

I'm smiling as I post this. My neighbor was given some bantams to keep the bugs down in her yard. She was so excited because she has young children. Until she realized that all of her pretty flowers were gone, that they had to fence off the vegetable garden because the birds were destroying the plants there too.

Most that use birds for bug control in the gardens use guineas, they don't do the damage that chickens do.

Shelter is very necessary, not only to protect them from the elements but to protect them from predators. That same neighbor just left her birds out, they steadily dissappeared during the night.

 

[V Chic Chick]

Chickens need access to shelter from the rain (i.e. their coop) but they do not need to be protected, if you see the difference. Then again, they're not the brightest of creatures and I'm always finding them looking a bit soggy and depressed after yet another downpour (summer? What summer?)

As for a feed supplier, then Countrywide and Scats do it, and Mole Valley Farmers might do it.

However, I buy from the local independent feed merchant, who I found in the Yellow Pages.

They don't actually need corn, and TBH they are probably better off without it as it is empty calories - a bit like Smarties.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Welcome, Ian. The chicken world is a fun one. Can't give you any advice on organic feed; across the pond and all that. I just feed mine a layer feed and let them loose to free range in the back garden. I don't use any chemicals to treat bugs, or herbicides because the birds are always on the grass. If you don't mind chicken poo on the patio, it works great.

Karen