UK Member Please Say HI

[Silkielad]

@Warriorgal been keeping them 6 month now it's not many it's just chicken maths

 

[Warriorgal]

@Warriorgal been keeping them 6 month now it's not many it's just chicken maths

Been about 6 months for me too. Always new stuff to learn.

JemimaP, have you put anything around the base of the run to prevent any animals climbing under. Someone suggested burying the wire in the ground. But what i did was put large blocks and heavy bits of wood around. Not sure what others do?

 

[Warriorgal]

You could put some pics with the chicks you have now. Could you cross silkies with Polish and try for a frizzle?! That would look amazing!

I was actually googling that, im not sure if its a gene thing or not. I think now im really keen so see what these chicks turn out like that my broody hen is sitting on.

 

[Warriorgal]

Hi from East Anglia, UK.

I own Call ducks and Muscovies!​

Hiya Wales here, I had once thought about keeping ducks once many years ago. Do show us some pictures sometime.

 

[Warriorgal]

They're so sweet! They look like little buggers though!

I could watch them for hours, they are so funny

 

[JemimaP]

Been about 6 months for me too. Always new stuff to learn.

JemimaP, have you put anything around the base of the run to prevent any animals climbing under. Someone suggested burying the wire in the ground. But what i did was put large blocks and heavy bits of wood around. Not sure what others do?

Hello, no I haven’t. I did think about this but I’ve designed the run more to keep the chickens in for now rather than keeping anything out as their coop is predator proof and I have an automatic door closure. So I’m thinking of it more as a temporary pen. I’ll post a photo. I’m hoping they’ll freerange a lot when they’re older.
Do you think that’s a mistake? I’m bringing their food and water in at night to deter rats. We have wild foxes (as opposed to bolder city foxes) nearby but we have 6 foot fences around the garden, a dog that wees everywhere and my husband is home a lot pottering in the garden.
I can buy some thick mesh to go around the edge if they might get attacked during the day? Though I’ve only used chicken wire around the run so they’d be able to chew through that anyway?

 

[JemimaP]

 

[PouleChick]

I think I popped my head in a while ago to say hi but life has been crazy so I thought I'd say hi again. I'm in France but funnily enough not alot of Frenchies on here to chat to . I'm also hoping that you guys will be able to help me sometimes with the name of stuff here in Europe as sometimes I wonder if we can even get the same products at all as what the Americans are talking about (and then I have to translate them into French too ).

I've been very busy with my chickens - I also started 6 months ago with 3 x 5-7 week old laying girls who started laying early April. In late Feb I got 2 1-2 year old Silkies to start my build your own flock program which is working (too) well! The first went broody 3 weeks after I got her and I have 4 chicks from her (one I think I'll need to cull as it has really bad scissor beak and i'm thinking 2 are roosters which leaves me 1 Araucana hen hopefully!). The 2nd went broody 3 weeks later and I have 5 gorgeous 5 day old chicks (Orps, Australorps and 1 Faverolles). 3 weeks after that my young Sussex laying hen went broody as well and is now sat on 12 egs (BCM, Blue CM, Splash CM, 1 precious Cream Legbar, 4 Vorwerks and one little bantam Pekin) so my garden is sprouting new little broody coops faster than I can keep up and life is all fun! Can't believe it took me so long to have chickens in my life I love them!

Look forward to chatting!

 

[CCUK]

View attachment 1417643 View attachment 1417642

I think your run looks OK. If you have a six foot fence around the outside of the garden and it is completely enclosed with no gaps you should be OK. Im guessing the six foot fence is sat on concrete plinths? All you've got to do is think ahead like what could get through. We don't get raccoons and possums and coyotes here but we do get foxes cats dogs and hawks. I only have chicken wire around most of my coop and run because my garden is also fully enclosed. I only use the welded mesh (hardware cloth) on my quails and pigeons because I've had magpies try and attack. One thing to think about is that your chickens at some point will start digging! They like to make dustbowls! I have had to put bricks around some parts of my fence as they are nearly under it!

 

[CCUK]

I think I popped my head in a while ago to say hi but life has been crazy so I thought I'd say hi again. I'm in France but funnily enough not alot of Frenchies on here to chat to . I'm also hoping that you guys will be able to help me sometimes with the name of stuff here in Europe as sometimes I wonder if we can even get the same products at all as what the Americans are talking about (and then I have to translate them into French too ).

I've been very busy with my chickens - I also started 6 months ago with 3 x 5-7 week old laying girls who started laying early April. In late Feb I got 2 1-2 year old Silkies to start my build your own flock program which is working (too) well! The first went broody 3 weeks after I got her and I have 4 chicks from her (one I think I'll need to cull as it has really bad scissor beak and i'm thinking 2 are roosters which leaves me 1 Araucana hen hopefully!). The 2nd went broody 3 weeks later and I have 5 gorgeous 5 day old chicks (Orps, Australorps and 1 Faverolles). 3 weeks after that my young Sussex laying hen went broody as well and is now sat on 12 egs (BCM, Blue CM, Splash CM, 1 precious Cream Legbar, 4 Vorwerks and one little bantam Pekin) so my garden is sprouting new little broody coops faster than I can keep up and life is all fun! Can't believe it took me so long to have chickens in my life I love them!

Look forward to chatting!

Hi @PouleChick. It's great to see that chicken math has got a complete stranglehold on you! But it sounds like your doing a great job managing it! You can never have too many chicks...can you?!
I know what you mean about the availability of certain things for hens. There are alot of things over the counter in America that aren't over here and I have no idea about France but I should imagine it's pretty much the same. But we're here to help each other and share tips and advice so things can be made better. Your have to post some pics. It seems everybody has chicks at the moment. I have 4 Araucana chicks. They are only two weeks old but growing fast! I just hope they are all hens!