Keeping chickens

I have spent most of my life in it, so think maybe I am immune. However, there are more rats by the Louvre than there are by us.

www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/28/parisian-public-gardens-tuileries-louvre-rat-infestation

Apparently Manchester had a plague in 2008, Winchester had one when they remodelled the poorhouse and a prison wing, I believe Newcastle has a huge problem. they are everywhere. I think I read somewhere that you are never more than 5 yards from a rat. I think maybe most of that is in our drains.

And tetanus from stabbing your foot with a garden fork.

Sure is a good life in the country

You can become infected with Weil's disease from rats' urine too. I do know someone who had that, although he was fine after a course of antibiotics.

True, as I said it is a rare disease, but my brother caught it and it was life threatening.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) states around 50 cases are confirmed in England and Wales each year, so I don't think GN chicken-fanciers need to worry unduly!

When keeping chickens beware of Psittacosis pneumonia

It is a type of bacteria found in the droppings of birds, birds spread the infection to humans.

However it is a rare disease, in the US, there were around 150 cases reported in a year.

We would have a rat problem if we didn't poison regularly. Two large cats and two Jack Russells also help. Team effort really.

Yes it does get very muddy although we tend to go in the spring and autumn. DH likes to buy lengths of wood as it's so cheap but it means bringing it home on the roof rack which I hate as I'm always scared it's going to work its way loose and end up through the windscreen of the car following us.

I love the deadstock sale. Full of rubbish but every now and then there's an absolute gem. I managed to get a full sized milk churn for £10 which looks lovely packed with nasturtiums tumbling down the side. A large box ball in a terracotta pot for £6 was an absolute bargain.

Sadly, we can no longer go in term time because I have to collect DGS from the school bus at 3pm and as it's 45 mins away we'd have to leave before all the good stuff goes up for sale.

I'll keep a look out for him. It reminds me of hobbit land because we often go in the winter months, and you know how muddy it can get there! So what you see is a sea of rotund people (all dressed in many layers of clothing so making them look fatter) with huge boots that are caked in several pounds of mud, many not very tall and the males all wearing flat caps.

Yes, the flowers/plants are really reasonable. I bought a rabbit hutch and rabbit for my son there years ago too. Several men there thought I was crazy to buy a huge hutch for £20 that I had seen online for well over £400! They said they were only prepared to go to £15. So I would never sell anything there.

mishap yes, the rats do come, but as they are there already because our neighbours keep chickens, sheep and pigs we just think, we might as well join them, and we do have very long gardens. I am extremely careful about what goes in my compost heap and rat poison is sadly a fact of life. I didn't have any rats at all until my next door neighbour decided to keep chickens too. I suppose two lots of feed was just too attractive.

When you say going to Hobbit Land you must have spotted our good friend Paul (Butch) Smith. He's not very tall, has a long ginger beard and wears navy blue shorts - even in the depths of winter.

Good place for plants as well.

Yes Merlot! We go to Holywell Row or Swaffham. Mostly Holywell Row. It's like going to Hobbit Land, isn't it? Especially for the Christmas auctions, when we go to buy a goose.

We've had chickens for several years now, we've got about 12 at the moment. We buy them from a neighbouring farm, just brown barenecks. And we have a few white ones that we got from the market, they're good layers.
We get a few cockerels which are more meaty for eating. The brown ones are about 7€ each.
The only problems are that you need to protect against predators, and they're tying - if you want to go away you need to find someone to come in twice a day.

We nearly went for having chickens, then a friend told us that the food attracts rats - and since we already had a rat problem it rather put us off!

My daughter had ex-battery hens. They only laid for about a year then died off one by one. They had a lovely life, free-range in her big garden, but were not much use at supplying eggs. Also, made a terrible mess and attacked her little dachshund, surrounding her and all going STAB! STAB! STAB! at once.

I don't have any chickens, but I had a letter from the Council last summer, telling me that a neighbour had made a complaint about the noise they were making. Anyone close enough to hear next doors chickens is also close enough to see that they're not mine.

Are they the Fabian Eagle auctions, janer? We go to the Mildenhall one.

My chicken coops are ready for a coat of paint this summer I think DGS3 will be looking for some pocket money so might be a job for the holidays.

I have 4 hens, Whittaker, Peck (Gregory), Hen(rietta) and Webster. The first three live outside and eat nothing. Webster lives on the hearth next to the woodburner. The outside ones light up at night. Forgot to mention - they are all made of metal. (Sorry!)

I have been a subscriber to this newsletter for years, the lady who runs it lives nearby although she has subscribers from all over the world.

www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/Newsletter/march15/index.htm

It is very funny sometimes, and very informative. She is extremely knowledgeable and will happily answer any questions you may have.

They are, aren't they! So pretty. Yes, araucanas etc. can cost a fortune. I would like some beautiful lacy little wyandottes. We are lucky to have regular poultry auctions very close by.

jennycockerspaniel mentions an important factor if you like to make meringues - bantam eggs are nearly all normal sized yolk with less white, so hopeless if you want to make meringue or an egg-white omelette. Wonderful for GCs and boiled eggs though.

DBH calls my posh chickens 'designer chickens' They are all very spoilt though, and have very pretty blue and grey houses and in the summer they have shabby chic spotted sailcloths to keep cool under. I have a horrific antique chicken waterer obsession. I got them all out the other day to clean them. Oh dear. Most of the time they drink from old washing up bowls anyway! With a brick in the bottom so they don't tip it over. They do have a tendency to sit on the old-style water pots and tilt them over as they take off.

We have six Rhode Island/Light Sussex which are the best hybrid layers.

Our posh hens are Welsumers, Barnevelders, Cream Legbars, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Marans and Silkies - chosen for their looks, egg colours and temperament.

They look beautiful free-ranging on our field or round the outskirts of the garden....Living art!

Hybrids for me - they are regular layers and the eggs are delicious.

My three children all have hens, both DDs had battery hens to start with and it was nice to see them flourish and there were plenty of eggs. I also noticed DS's hens lay more eggs when they are let out to roam for a few hours each day. DS lives in a house on the corner and his hens never go past the front gate and they put themselves back in their coop at the end of the day.

DD2 has around fifty hens now and they are free to roam around every day. They wait patiently until someone opens the gate for them and then off they go, running along with their groups until they find their favourite spots. DD has different breeds and they normally hang around with their own breeds. Five of her six ducks disapeared and the duck left teamed up with the hens until one day she brought home two ducklings. The ducklings immediately waddled over to the single duck and they stick together now.

Posh breed? merlotgran Hens that cost a lot of money. I agree it's important that rare breeds are nurtured, but at the end of the day if all you want is eggs, eggs is eggs, no matter what rare breed or hybrid lays 'em

I had a Polish two hens and as you said did not lay well and also l they preferred to roost in plum tree and make such a different noise but I loved themx