Talk to me about chooks

[Willow]

After months of talking about it, DH and I have decided we're going to get some for the backyard.

I don't really know where to start so thought I'd ask here as I know a lot of BBers have chooks.

Firstly, a bit of info.

• We have a pretty big backyard, lots of room for them to roam around happily
• We have a cat next door - is this a deal breaker??
• I'm probably not going to have much time to care for them once the new bub comes along, so DH will be taking them on for at least the first 12 months or so.

Ok, now for some questions:

• Which breed? I'm thinking bantams but like I said, I'm pretty clueless
• How many would you recommend? I was thinking 4 max. Our council allows up to 6 adult birds.
• Did you build your coop or buy it?
• If you built it, what materials did you use, how big is it, did you find a plan somewhere?
• Are they a lot of work to look after? What do they eat etc.
• How many eggs do you get from them?
• Are they a good pet to have with young children?
• Where did you get your chooks from? Breeder? Pet shop?
• DH is planning on putting hte coop and pen next to our avery (which will have two princess parrots, some finches and quails) - any probs with this?
• Can you recommend any websites for pics, info etc?

OK, think that's all for now but will come back as I think of stuff.

[Kazbah]

After months of talking about it, DH and I have decided we're going to get some for the backyard.

Congrats, they are wonderful

I don't really know where to start so thought I'd ask here as I know a lot of BBers have chooks.

Firstly, a bit of info.

• We have a pretty big backyard, lots of room for them to roam around happily
  ahh, nice happy ethical chookies
• We have a cat next door - is this a deal breaker??
  My 2 cats live in the coop with the chooks (to keep vermin down) and are scared of the chooks.
• I'm probably not going to have much time to care for them once the new bub comes along, so DH will be taking them on for at least the first 12 months or so.
  why just the first 12 months?

Ok, now for some questions:

• Which breed? I'm thinking bantams but like I said, I'm pretty clueless
  We have rhode island red. Pretty much you want a laying chook, not an eating chook. Lots of breeds, PM me for a great link about chook breeds
• How many would you recommend? I was thinking 4 max. Our council allows up to 6 adult birds.
  How many eggs do you use? We had 4 chooks which gave us more than enough eggs to use + sell 2 doz/week. Most chooks lay 1 egg/day once they're about 9 months old.
• Did you build your coop or buy it?
  Both. We were given an old avery which we adapted / clad and that works for us. There are some great plans for "chook tractors" on the better homes & gardens site.
• If you built it, what materials did you use, how big is it, did you find a plan somewhere?
  Ours is about 2mx3mx3m, split level with the top part for the cats.
• Are they a lot of work to look after? What do they eat etc.
  You need to keep on top of the chook poo, about an hour or so each week. About 15-20mins/day to potter round will do it, else 5 mins/day to collect eggs, water & feed them. I put scraps out each morning (everything except onion & pineapple peelings) and my hubby also gives them red hen laying pellets. They need some dirt to scratch/bathe in and grass to eat.
• How many eggs do you get from them?
  see above - usually 1/day but this will drop off as they get older / moult / temp changes
• Are they a good pet to have with young children?
  Pip loves feeding them with the garden waste etc, but you have to make sure they don't eat the poo, as they can get a few diseases.
• Where did you get your chooks from? Breeder? Pet shop?
  I can send you a link to breeder directories, but we got ours from a egg farm, they cost us $2 each and they were 1 year old, which is when they drop from 3 eggs/day down to one. Else they get put down.
• DH is planning on putting hte coop and pen next to our avery (which will have two princess parrots, some finches and quails) - any probs with this?
  Shouldn't think so, as the king parrots etc come into our coop
• Can you recommend any websites for pics, info etc?
  PM me

OK, think that's all for now but will come back as I think of stuff.
Your biggest concern may end up being vermin & foxes. To get it fox-proof, the fence should either be dug into or along the ground for about a metre, and have a partial roof. Or lock the chooks up each night, they will go into their coop themselves, you just have to lock the door.

Good luck!

[Phteven]

My chooks are in disgrace.
I found them on my dining table helping themselves to the boy's left-over cereal this morning(maybe it's my fault for not whipping the plates away straight after they finished).
They are sooo not allowed in the house, let alone on tables!!!!

I bought a coop for them - they spend some time in that and some time free-ranging. They are not fussed by the cat and they are bigger than my little rat dog so they aren't worried by her (but I don't leave them out while I'm not home just in case).

They eat scraps and some chook pellets.

They are Isa Browns and we got them from the Enfield Produce shop. I think they sourced them from a battery farm because they were a bit freaked out by grass and space on their first day.

[christy]

We got our chooks that we have now from the vet clinic I work at as they were found wandering around the National Park...

We don't have a huge yard, but we have a coop and our chickens free range around 2-3 hours a day everyday. They are around the size of a large cat so most cats won't go them.

If you google city chicks you will find help and information

[Willow]

Thanks so much for all that info.

I was planning on letting them free range while I'm home but locking them in the coop when we're out and at night. I was really worried about the cat next door, so I'm relieved to hear that shouldn't be a problem.

OK, this might be a bit stupid, but i think I'm a bit scared of the big ones Are they pretty placid sort of animals or does it just depend on the bird?

they cost us $2 each and they were 1 year old, which is when they drop from 3 eggs/day down to one. Else they get put down.

Wow, that's so sad We've got quite a few egg farms within 20 mins of us, so I'll let DH know that maybe we should start there.

Kaz - will PM you.

[BellyBelly]

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/health/feeding-the-chooks

[Phteven]

They are really placid, mine are quite affectionate and sometimes they decide to fly up for a hold - having a chook fly straight at you is bit disconcerting.
Some breeds are more placid than others. Mine are Isa Browns which are very tame. My Dad has some Leghorns and old English game hens that are really skittish and won't go near you and Buff Orpingtons that are super tame and eat from your hand.

[Kazbah]

Our "rescued chooks" are very placid too - they crouch down for a pat when we approach. They also follow DH around the yard as he's gardening etc.

It's prolly a bit late in the year for chicks, but "point of lay" are the right age to start laying eggs, and they are a lot more hardy than chicks. A lot of commercial egg farms use Rhode Islands as the male chicks are black, and the female chicks yellow. Plus they give nice brown eggs

There are heaps of chook breeds - pity you didn't go to the Royal Easter Show and check them all out!

[Danni]

getting chooks was the best thing we have ever done! We built our coop from scraps from the tip! Basically latice, star pickets, bit of mesh, a door, a tin roof, a big wooden box to lay and sleep in and cable ties!

Ours roam around the yard all day and go to bed at night when we lock the door. Make sure no foxes or dogs can get it.

We have Langshan hens which are amazingly gorgeous black hens with green feathers, and fluffy feat. they are big girls but very placid and let mason pick them up with ease.

You will normally get an egg a day, with a day off laying every 5 days approx.

There is a website called Backyard Poultry which is a must read.If you click on "info centre" it takes you to their forums which is sooooooo valuable. lots of people buying and selling poultry on there too. Lots of auctions around so you can have alook and ask the sellers questions about different breeds etc.

Your chooks will be great for eating all your scraps. Just dont give them potato peel, citrus, or onion. And you shouldnt give them much meat, if at all.