Keeping chickens

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Keeping chickens
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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 9:08 am Post subject: Keeping chickens

After Chris' revelations about my current chicken supplier I realise the only way to ensure that my chicken is decent is to raise it myself, so what do I need for:

1. Meat production
We probably only eat a chicken a week (maximum) but if we're keeping them we'll most likely supply my mums needs too, that's around 5 a week. So total is 6ish a week.

2. Egg production
We use about a dozen a week, mum gets through probably 3 times that

Do we need discrete areas for the two types of production?

I assume the meat birds would be raised in batches, do these batches need to be kept apart?

How big an area should I fence, and how? We've got plenty of land.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 10:17 am Post subject:
The river cottage book has quite a good chapter on chickens (and is quite a nice Sunday afternoon read!)

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 10:21 am Post subject:

Tahir,

If you've got plenty of land, why not just fence the veg ?

We've got about 25 adult hens (and loads of chicks!) and they give us about a chicken a week and three dozen eggs (sometimes more) which goes down to less than a dozen when they don't lay.

We've two cocks (changed every year) and we let them breed naturally, but we do swop eggs when a tiny hen (the best sitters) starts going broody.

We have a lot of crosses but the meat's good and we don't separate the meat from the egg producers although it's probably more efficient to do it that way.

When the boys start to crow and bother the girls, we do the deed. We sell the young hens and keep the best for replacement.

The chickens are lovely to have around, they clean up the garden, they almost feed themselves and you always have something nice to eat when you've got chickens.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 10:23 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

The river cottage book has quite a good chapter on chickens (and is quite a nice Sunday afternoon read!)

I NEVER have a free sunday afternoon. Is it the meat one?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 10:25 am Post subject:

hardworkinghippy wrote:

If you've got plenty of land, why not just fence the veg ?

What about foxes and badgers?

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 10:33 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

wellington womble wrote:

The river cottage book has quite a good chapter on chickens (and is quite a nice Sunday afternoon read!)

I NEVER have a free sunday afternoon. Is it the meat one?

Well it is Sunday, and you did ask! It's the cookbook - very informative. You could try an evening, maybe? Actually, probably a free half hour would do!

I also have starting with chickens (mum keeps dropping hints) but no room just yet due to excessive building rubble. You're welcome to borrow it if you'd like. I think it only covers eggs, though.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 10:35 am Post subject:
Has anyone any practical experience of the HFW-recommended henhouse on a pole, accessed by a wobbly (foxproof?) ladder? I'd prefer to put my trust in fences, less romantic though that might be...

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 11:00 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

You're welcome to borrow it if you'd like.

Only if you can lend me an afternoon to read it too

Don't think I've got the cookbook.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 11:04 am Post subject:
Now there's an idea. An afternoon's weeding for an oven ready chicken? The cookbook's the first RC one, so you prolly get it from the library - I'd offer to post it, but it's a big one (although not quite as big as meat!) and likely to be available even to buy for less than postage, by now!

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 6:02 pm Post subject:

Ooops - I don't have starting with chickens, I have the complete encyclopedia of chickens. It reccommends (amoungst others) Dorkings, Favorolles, Jersey Giants and Sussex. Hugh tried Dorkings, Wyandottes and Welsummers crossed with Indian Game and reckoned they were all good eating (and the Dorking was the best) and also reccommends Ross Cobbs and Indian Game (which my book says was too lazy to be a fighting bird, and turned into a table one.) The encyclopedia also has lots of detail on temperament, and which birds are inclined not to fly (very useful, as himself's latest anti-chicken argument concerns them escaping and annoying the farmer, and I am worried about them ending up on the road)

For example, it says the Sussex is friendly and calm, easily tamed and a number of cockerels may be kept with sufficient space. it's robust and strong and suitable for beginners. They are excellent layers, laying regularly and through the winter and make good mothers. Fast growing chicks and generally disinclined to fly.

Dammit, I want some now!

How on earth does your mother get through five chickens a week?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 6:32 pm Post subject:

Well our Buff Sussex seem to go broody all the time (up to three times in a year!) and I think they would make excellent mothers. They're meant to be a good multi-purpose breed and we'll get some more for eggs and the pot once we move. Ours aren't the best layers though.

As for fencing, I think you can guarantee foxes Tahir and you also have footpaths with dogs so some form of fencing would be best IMHO.

I'm also a little sceptical of the HFW hen house with my experience of foxes - they seem to be able to climb all sorts of things and if a dog can learn to climb a ladder I'd expect some foxes could.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 9:20 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

How on earth does your mother get through five chickens a week?

They live with my big bruv and his family, 7 all together. I don't think they have any meals without meat content, usually loads of it.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 9:21 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

As for fencing, I think you can guarantee foxes Tahir and you also have footpaths with dogs so some form of fencing would be best IMHO.

What type? How high?

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 9:23 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

wellington womble wrote:

How on earth does your mother get through five chickens a week?

They live with my big bruv and his family, 7 all together. I don't think they have any meals without meat content, usually loads of it.

You mean she doesn't use your saag recipe?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45704
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 07 9:32 pm Post subject:
I'm the only reason she still makes the stuff

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