- Feb 16, 2013
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Hi all,
I'm wondering if I have suitable conditions to keep chickens. I'd love someone with experience to advise me! I saw some lovely bantams the other days when I was picking up quail and it got me wondering.
First of all, I am in an area that allows up to 6 hens per suburban household, so that's fine.
I have a 500sqm property, more or less (about 1/8th of a acre). The backyard has 6ft high fences. The entire backyard is grassed except for a small deck, but as it's a new house it doesn't have any trees or bushes yet. I plan to plant some trees and make a raised veggie garden over this coming year (fenced if I have chooks).
The grass is quite short and a little motheaten since we have had very little rain recently. At the edge of the section there is an area with longer grass where a lot of crickets and small lizards hang out.
I also have a few quail pens on the grass and an enclosure with rabbits and guinea pigs.
If I bought chickens I would probably only get 2 or 3 and I would have a chook house somewhere sheltered, with an attached run for nights but would let them out during the day to roam my property and forage. I already feed my quail and other animals a variety of fresh and formulated foods every day, and would read up on the nutritional needs of laying hens and provide a good balanced diet.
Do you think that's a workable situation for 2 or 3 bantam hens? What about full size hens? My sister says I don't have enough insects for them to eat in my yard as I don't have trees and bushes. I always thought I could supplement extra protein if the insects were scarce - am I wrong about this? Is it really too small to support even a pair of hens? I wouldn't want them to be unhappy
Love to hear your advice.
Cheers
B
I'm wondering if I have suitable conditions to keep chickens. I'd love someone with experience to advise me! I saw some lovely bantams the other days when I was picking up quail and it got me wondering.
First of all, I am in an area that allows up to 6 hens per suburban household, so that's fine.
I have a 500sqm property, more or less (about 1/8th of a acre). The backyard has 6ft high fences. The entire backyard is grassed except for a small deck, but as it's a new house it doesn't have any trees or bushes yet. I plan to plant some trees and make a raised veggie garden over this coming year (fenced if I have chooks).
The grass is quite short and a little motheaten since we have had very little rain recently. At the edge of the section there is an area with longer grass where a lot of crickets and small lizards hang out.
I also have a few quail pens on the grass and an enclosure with rabbits and guinea pigs.
If I bought chickens I would probably only get 2 or 3 and I would have a chook house somewhere sheltered, with an attached run for nights but would let them out during the day to roam my property and forage. I already feed my quail and other animals a variety of fresh and formulated foods every day, and would read up on the nutritional needs of laying hens and provide a good balanced diet.
Do you think that's a workable situation for 2 or 3 bantam hens? What about full size hens? My sister says I don't have enough insects for them to eat in my yard as I don't have trees and bushes. I always thought I could supplement extra protein if the insects were scarce - am I wrong about this? Is it really too small to support even a pair of hens? I wouldn't want them to be unhappy

Love to hear your advice.
Cheers
B