Chickens have been in place a week now. The second and third laid eggs on day two. So for most of the week we have been collecting three eggs a day. Three very diffirent eggs, large, a larger medium and medium.
The chickens are very friendly and follow you around when you are out the back. Everything you have has to be tested in case it is food and they peck everything at least once, including the baby. They reside very comfortably with the rabbit but evicted him from his own home.
They can be quite intimidating for kids as they rush up to you all pleased to see you, if you shoo them away they run away but staying still just makes them stand by you looking expectantly up for food.
If you try and catch them they run away and they can run fast but they can easily be trapped as they come right up to you if you put your hand out. When caught they may squawk but they just stay there and don’t every try and attack you. No wonder people say chickens are ideal as dual purpose pets.
Moving the run around is a must but as it is heavy it is a two man job. A weeks worth of them browsing turning a grass patch into a completely barren patch. They need moved around daily really. As the back garden is sealed off I can let them out and they can wander where they want. Only thing is they are very nosey so if you leave the back door open they will be in looking for something else to eat.
The main bit of course is in the pudding or in this case the eggs themselves. Very tasty and a very much stronger yellow yolk. I won’t be buying any from the shops from now on. If I need more I’ll buy another bird.
All in all so far a very easy way to become self suffiicent. Doesn’t have to be expensive if you make your own coop but imo chickens are a worthwhile investment no matter how much you spend.
Chickens make good day time intruder alarms, Oh and if you want them to be calm and relaxed when you pick them up tip them onto their sides and hold them close to you, it calms them down almost instantly.
How do they take to stray pigeons landing?
That is one thing I forgot to put in. They are usually quiet but the cluck when they get conserned about something. The louder the cluck the more the concern. So I ould see them being a bit of an alarm.
The guy I bought them from demonstrated that technique of calming them. Seems if you hold them upside down they just relax completely.
Fred,
For some reason, whisles innocently, pigeons don’t land in my garden. So I’ll keep a watch out.
Im deffo up for getting chickens some poss 4 ,a lot of the lads at work have them so this past week ive been asking them loadsa chicken related questions !! and they all seem to have ones called “point of lay” or is it “pointer layers” and they reakon there the same as battery hens….but free !! and say if their happy they lay loads of eggs , they recommended a “dealer/farmer and you just point and say that one etc…anyway at 6 quid each you cant go wrong …so told the wife were getting them !!