# Keeping hens in the garden



## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

Finally caved in to my wife's request for some hens today and we have ordered 3 bantams which we collect in 2 weeks. I've ordered a large coop with a nesting box and run today which I plan to stand on some flagstones in the garden with some hard wood chippings on top. I'm also going to build a fence around it to give them some more roaming space but keeping them away from my plants. I need to order some sort of feeder, water dispenser and get something to hold soil for them to mud bath.

If anyone else keeps them, is there anything else I should be looking to get before they arrive? If you have any photos of your setups for a bit of inspiration that would be great


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## enc (Jan 25, 2006)

couple of rat traps ... out of the chicken run obviously :thumb:


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## storm2284 (Oct 2, 2016)

disinfectant is a must! bedding, something like easychick or softwood shavings, not hay or straw. I'd also recommend limewashing the inside of the coop before putting birds in as redmite are a nightmare to eradicate once you get them. Apple cider vinegar is a handy one to have in stock, unpasteurised from the feed store rather than the refined stuff

a very handy book is the haynes manual (yes they do one for chickens!) and when you build it some way of being able to enclose the top, although birdflu restrictions are lifted currently it is a surefire thing that the restrictions will come back into place and one of those requirements is to have birds completely undercover. preparation is key here if you've not yet set up as if these restrictions come into place it is enforcable by law


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Have you got neighbours nearby? 

It'd drive me nuts if my neighbours had hens making a racket.


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

I keep chickens, you'll not know you've got them unless they've just laid an egg.
A nice trough with bars over the top is a good buy, else they'll scrat all the food out onto the floor. I just use old ice cream tubs for water. I keep mine on an old patio and they sleep in a tin shed. Get some soil from the garden and put a nice layer in a box they can get in. They love to dust bathe. I use kiln dried sand but they're all different and have their own likes. If you do let then free range in the garden, they will eat all your plants and scratch your lawn up. Mine love an afternoon on the lawn.


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

https://www.solwayfeeders.com/poult...eeders/galvanised-hen-trough-50cm-p6210-c394/


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

Thanks for the responses. I will certainly look into everything that's been suggested. 

I do have neighbours close by but to be honest I'm not to worried as most are old and deaf and own dogs that they let out to go to the toilet in the night and they bark to get back in and then set off all the others, so in comparison my hens shouldn't be a problem!


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## storm2284 (Oct 2, 2016)

To celebrate your decision to get hens.. this one hatched out today as a total surprise!


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

i got this one from auction yesterday


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

We have nearly 30 now. It was an enormous learning curve. 

Check and clean the coup regularly. Things like red mite pop up so so fast and can basically ruin the girls and or coup, you would loose both. So be vigilant

Boat varnish is what I think we used on the insides of the coup to completely seal it, that way if needs be we can jet wash it out should we need to. This also gives mites less places to hide/penetrate

Check the girls regularly. Even though they are essentially dinosaurs they still get gamma feet and stuff

If your coup doesn't have a perching system fit one. They much prefer it 

Watch for brewdy girls and deal with it quickly, they can be violent to other girls and are a total pain

Know that they can and will fly so get everything right before they figure it out lol


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

Thanks for the further responses. Storm, that's so cute 

I bought some boat varnish today and will paint the inside of the coup with it as suggested. I also got a washing up bowl to use as a dirt bath and a water holding device. My local petshop (an independent specialist one) actually has no one who knows about chickens, and although they were sure they do stock the cleaning/anti-mite things mentioned, I couldn't find them and they didn't know what they looked like or where they were, so i'll try somewhere else at the weekend!


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

Country stores are always good places to look. If not there's always amazon


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## storm2284 (Oct 2, 2016)

unless you're in the city you'll find many stores that keep stuff in, countryside stores etc if there's farms anywhere near you will 100% find something. the smaller shops and chain pet stores are jumping off the back of many people keeping chickens as pets and charging a massive premium. there's lots of good poultry groups on the likes of facebook if you use that too


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## streaky (Dec 2, 2006)

Make sure their perching rail is of sufficient size. They have big feet so like a good size rail to grip


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Ideally I would say get a coop that is anything but wood so you can actually disinfect it properly- there is a reason commercial chicken farmers build housing out of anything but wood.

Anyone with chickens- worm them from time to time, you add the drug to their drinking water. Egg production nearly doubles.

If you let chickens loose in your garden you can kiss borders, veg plots and ornamental beds goodbye- they WILL go at it until it is torn up. Lawns are slightly safer.

They are messy sods and will spill food everywhere. I used to try to keep them on tighter rations so that they ate up the spilled stuff.

They need a supply of layers grit. Some layer rations contain it, but not all, check the label.

You will get rats or mice eventually.

If you still want more punishment. Dig a pond and try keeping ducks. The next step after that is Geese. You have been warned.

Oh, chickens can fly all right. Right up until you clip the feathers on one wing. Then they loose the desire to do so.

Fed up with opening/closing doors to housing? Fit a sunshine door.

Beware bumblefoot. Keep the housing/litter clean. Personally I would use shavings/saw dust rather than straw. The vast majority of commercial poultry farmers use cardboard sheet and shavings.

The more space there is in their run/housing the less scrapping you will get I always found.

If you have fences/trees don't be surprised to find the beggars roosting up in them one day!


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## storm2284 (Oct 2, 2016)

ollienoclue said:


> Ideally I would say get a coop that is anything but wood so you can actually disinfect it properly- there is a reason commercial chicken farmers build housing out of anything but wood.
> 
> Anyone with chickens- worm them from time to time, you add the drug to their drinking water. Egg production nearly doubles.
> 
> ...


ALL OF THIS!!! :lol: 
wormers can be given within the feed too, marriages and haygates are 2 brands i know have wormer in. and they won't lay all year

Oh and you say 3... just remember that number because it won't stop at that.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

storm2284 said:


> ALL OF THIS!!! :lol:
> wormers can be given within the feed too, marriages and haygates are 2 brands i know have wormer in. and they won't lay all year
> 
> Oh and you say 3... just remember that number because it won't stop at that.


Never a truer word spoken. Last time we lost a hen my missus went to get another 4, came back with 10. Then she went for another one to even up numbers, and came back with 3. Literally so we can try and lay roughly equal numbers of each colour egg, so my ocd is in tact when boxing them up :lol:


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

Thanks for the continued responses. To be honest its all quite daunting, I know my wife will get bored off them after a few days and they will become my responsibility. Luckily I work from home and mostly outside in the garden/summer house so will hopefully have time to learn everything I need to know!


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Lots of help been given here , I know my dad used to keep loads on hens when he had a croft many years ago, they made a huge amount of mess and noise I would not like to live next to you that's for sure with hens in the garden.
Good luck I prefer to get my chicken and eggs from the butcher its far easier


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

Get yourself a book, it'll be a great source of knowledge. That's what my mate said when he got me into keeping chickens. 
Always remember-if you hatch, you have to despatch. No one wants ****erels.


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

Found a country store today and there was a young lad who worked there who showed me all the things mentioned. I was surprised how cheap it all was. I think I now have everything I need apart from the hens. My neighbours all know I'm getting them and are excited about it. I think all but one of them grew up with pet chickens, maybe because I'm in Yorkshire and their old lol. I won't be getting a ****erel, just 3 hens and I don't plan on breeding them, just enjoying them and their eggs. I am diagnosed with OCD so keeping them clean shouldn't be an issue, I clean our rabbit out 3 times a week already and I already have conposters which I use.


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

I give my chicken poo to my mate who has got an allotment. He says it's great stuff to put on your compost heap as it helps break down the compost. 
Mine live on a patio when not mooching about the garden, easy to sweep once a day. Keep trays with newspaper under the perches, so easy to take the top layer off and bin. And a little shovel to pick the poo up off the lawn.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

TBH the kind of chicken muck you are going to accumulate isn't anything that offensive, it's kind of dry and lumpy, I used to collect a lot of it off the lawn with the lawnmower and chuck the whole lot in the composter.

There are a number of good books, probably some poultry forums as well. There isn't a huge amount to go wrong in all honesty.


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

Hi everyone, thanks once again for all the advice. I have been wanting to update with some photos but when it comes to technology I'm about as bad as an 80 year old. Anyway I found imgur so here goes!

The first 3 we picked up just over 2 weeks ago, Fran, Coco and Penny










Then a week later this happened, good call by the person who said it won't stop at three!










The white ones got pecked for a few days by Penny and I was worried they would need to go, but they are all friends now





































I have bought some wood to extend the nesting box out to the left and the run underneath it, so that's the next job, then maybe a few more  I haven't minded cleaning them sometimes twice a day and they have been so quiet, all the neighbours think their beautiful!


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

Like the silkies, they'll go broody without a doubt. 
Picked up some new ones myself at auction.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Never ceases to crack me up seeing how they cram themselves in together to fit in those nesting boxes.:lol:

That mesh looks a lot more substantial and fox proof than the old wire mesh stuff I've seen in the past.


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

ollienoclue said:


> Never ceases to crack me up seeing how they cram themselves in together to fit in those nesting boxes.:lol:
> 
> That mesh looks a lot more substantial and fox proof than the old wire mesh stuff I've seen in the past.


Yeah it's quite funny to see, I thought the original 3 had disappeared yesterday as all 5 were crammed into one box and I couldn't see them because of all the white fluff!

Also bathed the silkies which they seemed to enjoy. My wife had given them half a water melon which they ate but it turned their white fluff all pink lol


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