Egg layers
I read that keeping chickens for eggs is becoming trendy. Hmmm. Chickens are great fun, they are curious, busy and forever looking for food. They scratch and scrape up anything soft including the leaves on lower branches of shrubs and trees. However, if you can produce a piece of ground safe for them without any precious border plants or vegetables they are fantastic. As you can see from the picture we have gravel paths, which take forever to weed. The ones in the chicken's area though I never weed, they do it for me. They also weed the children's barked play area, just leaving me the nettles they don't like. In return for their hard work and fresh eggs they ask little, a safe warm dry home, a fox proof run, some fresh layers pellets and clean water daily. They need cleaned out when the hen house is dirty, every couple of days to weekly depending on the time of year.
If you want to learn more a good starting point is www.omlet.co.uk .
If you are in South East Scotland and looking for Point of Lay Hens try www.deanbank.org.uk.
If you want to learn more a good starting point is www.omlet.co.uk .
If you are in South East Scotland and looking for Point of Lay Hens try www.deanbank.org.uk.
Chickens in winter
Winter presents several issues for chickens. As the days get shorter and the chickens aren't exposed to 15 hours of daylight they tend to stop laying. Mine also tend to start moulting in often the coldest of weather. It is improtant to keep good feed supplied and fresh water, it often needs changed twice a day as it freezes. Also make sure that they are closed in at night to keep them warm and to protect them from starving foxes. I tend to be pretty careful about when I let my chooks out at this time of year just because of the fox risk. It is also sensible to make sure their combs don't freeze. This requires some emulsifying ointment - Vaseline or the like - to be rubbed on them. Now in the summer mine wouldn't mind at all, but when they are moulting they don't like being handled so it becomes a more tricky job. The ointment also is thicker and more gloopy in the cold so it is more tricky to rub on, it does however, do the trick.
We also dig out paths for the chooks to get to shelter be it under the hedges or in the covered walk way between the house and garage - or their favourite is the woodstore.
We also dig out paths for the chooks to get to shelter be it under the hedges or in the covered walk way between the house and garage - or their favourite is the woodstore.
Meat chooks
Despite the increasing popularity in having egg laying chickens in the backgarden, for many people the idea of having table birds is uncomfortable. The way we see it, if we eat meat then we should take some responsability for it, ensuring the animal has a happy life, was well fed, lived as naturally as possible and was slaughtered humanely.
It is not easy to get hold of day old table chicks in Scotland. Now Deanbank Smallholding habe supplier, so we can put our order in with theirs and then collect from Deanbank. Our first twelve meat chicks we collected in March 2010, they were fluffly, yellow and cheeped just as you imagine they would. To keep them safe and warm we set up an unused dog crate, intially with newspaper on the floor, a heat lamp, feeder and waterer. To prevent draughts we covered three sides with old curtains. Here they lived for 3 to 4 weeks until they were fully feathered and ready to go out into their run. This is the kids old play house which I spent the autumn and winter of 2009 converting - see Sheds under Reuse.
We are now on our second flock this time of eight who are doing well.
It is not easy to get hold of day old table chicks in Scotland. Now Deanbank Smallholding habe supplier, so we can put our order in with theirs and then collect from Deanbank. Our first twelve meat chicks we collected in March 2010, they were fluffly, yellow and cheeped just as you imagine they would. To keep them safe and warm we set up an unused dog crate, intially with newspaper on the floor, a heat lamp, feeder and waterer. To prevent draughts we covered three sides with old curtains. Here they lived for 3 to 4 weeks until they were fully feathered and ready to go out into their run. This is the kids old play house which I spent the autumn and winter of 2009 converting - see Sheds under Reuse.
We are now on our second flock this time of eight who are doing well.
