I built the hen house but it's not perfect. I'm going to build a smaller
'night' house with egg access at the front and a door at each side. It will
be on legs with the food container hanging underneath.
There will be a 6 foot run at each side and I will open the door from which
side i wish them to roam, therefore letting the grass grow on the other
side. I think it's called the Balfour method but I'm not sure.
The triangle type house I've built already I am going to use for a brood of
chicks next spring. I'm hoping one of my hens will go broody so I can put
some farm bought free range eggs under her. It will only be a couple to see
how I get on with growing chickens for food.

I have three hens, a black one, a white one and a brown one ;-) I have no
idea of the models. The brown and white are hybrids but the black is a pure
breed and hasn't produced any eggs yet. I'm giving it til the spring and if
nothing by then it's going in the pot. Not that I've killed one yet! I'm
sure it will lay through.

The brown and white lay an egg almost everyday. Two eggs is just about
enough for a family of 3. We now probably get a large chunk of our protein
from this source. The eggs taste great too.

Got a problem rat though. It keeps tunnelling into the run I have at
present. The new runs will have chicken wire sunk in around the edges.

The chooks (as i like to call them; although my 4 year old son has named
them) like to come out in the garden for an hour of so a day and kick up a
row if they don't get let out. I won't be able to let them out if I want to
grow anything in the back garden (15x30 feet) so I will have to cultivate
and fence in the front garden (15x40) for my regular fruits and leafy
greens) but that's for another post.

The brown and white hens love cuddles and actively come over for a stroke.
The black pure breed is a bit skitty and harder to catch but never pecks us.
I think she will make a good mother so I hoping she is the one who goes
broody. I won't miss out on eggs then.

I clean the night nest out once a week and use a watering can to clean
(roughly) with household disinfectant. There is little smell from the birds
although they don't seem to care where they defecate. They also trample in
dog faeces if you don't pick up in time. My dog is old and I don't plan on
replacing her; she serves little useful purpose. I may consider a cat if the
rat problem gets worse although living in the town, there are cats all
around us.
You have to clear the poop from the nesting box every day or it sticks to
the eggs. The chooks really don't care where they poo!

Steve. (3 months into the Hen experiment)

On 22/12/2007, Richard Cook <richardscook@...> wrote:
>
> What have been your experiences with the 3 hens Steve? I presume you
> keep them in your garden?? I'm really keen to get into bee-keeping
> myself, but I have my reservations as someone once told me that they
> need a really long, clear run-in to the hive?? I've not been able to
> prove or disprove this one yet, I'm afraid
>
> Steve Simpson wrote:
> >
> > I'm very keen on the micro-holding concept. I have 3 hens and was
> > considering some of the low space, free yield farming types. For
> > instance is
> > keeping bees viable? What about a peignoir?
> >
> > Any other ideas for a small space smallholder?
> >
> > By the way, I have a 15 x 40 feet!!
> >
> > On 21/12/2007, Richard Cook
<richardscook@...<richardscook%40googlemail.com>
> > <mailto:richardscook%40googlemail.com>> wrote:
> > >
> > > Thanks for the advice John - much as I suspected really: goats = hell
> > > !! I forgot to include my garden measurements: it's about 20m x 18m.
> > > Not that that matters much now. I think I've pretty much decided it's
> a
> > > no-go, at least until we have a "back garden" like yours!! It would
> > > have been a bit of a long way off anyway, but I thought it would be
> wise
> > > to enquire while I had the chance. Hopefully the chickens will arrive
> > > over the weekend, and we can get to grips with them.... then a decent
> > > garden harvest next year... maybe some bees the year after... and by
> > > then, who knows where we'll all be!
> > >
> > > Thanks again!
> > >
> > >
> > > John wrote:
> > > >
> > > > It all depends Richard!
> > > >
> > > > First of all how big is the Garden?
> > > > Are you on an estate where you would be allowed to keep a Goat?
> > > >
> > > > I for instance have an actual back garden of just over 5 acres and
> > > > we kept 6 goats on it but even they struggled to keep all the grass
> > > > down. We've even had some 80+ chickens out on it but they tended to
> > > > soil the grass for grazing as they were free ranging!
> > > >
> > > > We got rid of the goats in the end and put out Geese, now that was
> > > > an experience in itself! They ruined the place in no time Free
> > > > ranging!
> > > >
> > > > Space is the question, Goats need to eat a lot of grass and herbs if
> > > > you intend milking, BUT they also eat anything they can get to grips
> > > > with, Tins, rubbish and the washing on the line if you don't keep
> > > > them under control. Forget Flowerbeds if they are not enclosed in a
> > > > compound for instance! Anchors? Some of the goats we had you would
> > > > have needed the anchors off the QEII to keep them in!...Lol
> > > >
> > > > If they escaped you could be in serious trouble with your
> neighbours!
> > > >
> > > > They really need to be in a controlled environment also consider who
> > > > would look after them if you wanted to go away for instance?
> > > >
> > > > The way things are going nowadays, you could end up needing to get a
> > > > license to keep rabbits in your garden!
> > > >
> > > > There are Laws now for keeping animals and I would check these out
> > > > with DEFRA before I'd do anything, unless someone here can give an
> > > > alternative opinion?
> > > >
> > > > Cheers
> > > > John
> > > >
> > > > --- In smallholding@...<smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>, Richard Cook
> > > > <richardscook@...> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Just curious... how practical is it to keep a goat in a back
> > > > garden?
> > > > > We're getting four long-awaited chickens for Christmas, and we've
> > > > built
> > > > > a movable house and run so that we can minimise the damage to the
> > > > > grass. But if we got a goat as well in the future, would that be
> > > > too
> > > > > much for the grass to bear??
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > welliless wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -Hi Karen, well Hubby is right, especially when they get in the
> > > > veg
> > > > > > garden. But then, think of the milk and meat and skins. And the
> > > > fun
> > > > > > when you take them for walks. When my children were small, they
> > > > used
> > > > > > to squat beside our goats as I was milking, all with mouths wide
> > > > open
> > > > > > for me to aim jets of milk there. Then would hold out their cups
> > > > for
> > > > > > filling as soon as I had filtered it. You can't get fresher than
> > > > > > that. They could all milk by the time they were about 4.
> > > > > > Happy days!
> > > > > > -- In
smallholding@...<smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk
> ><smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>, "Karen" <karence@>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thank you, I was thinking of bantams at first, but small eggs,
> > > > and
> > > > > > > relatively shorter lives so I have read. Looking forward to
> our
> > > > > > own eggs.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Don't get me started on goats, I love them, my husband says
> > > > they
> > > > > > are devil
> > > > > > > creatures!!!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Regards
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Karen
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > From:
smallholding@...<smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk
> ><smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > >
[mailto:smallholding@...<smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk
> ><smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>]
> > > > > > > On Behalf Of welliless
> > > > > > > Sent: 19 December 2007 23:08
> > > > > > > To:
smallholding@...<smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk
> ><smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > > Subject: [SmallHolding] Re: Chicken houses
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi Karen
> > > > > > > Yes we use some rabbit housing for hens to nest and roost in.
> > > > > > > Obviously they need to be out during the day and need to be
> > > > able to
> > > > > > > stand up straight, so no big breeds, also rabbit cages make
> > > > great
> > > > > > > broody coops too.
> > > > > > > Good luck with your plans, nothing like a warm fresh egg for
> > > > > > > breakfast. Beaten only by milk, warm and fresh from the goat.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In
smallholding@...<smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk
> ><smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> > > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk> , "Karen" <karence@>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Okay, next year I'm getting chickens which I am very excited
> > > > > > about.
> > > > > > > > However, I don't have a chicken coop as of yet, I do have
> two
> > > > > > > fairly newish
> > > > > > > > rabbit hutches, one is already raised off the ground and I'm
> > > > > > hoping
> > > > > > > to do
> > > > > > > > the same with the other one and then with some carpentry
> > > > skills
> > > > > > > (borrowed
> > > > > > > > from goodness knows where;-)) we hoping to amalgamate the
> two
> > > > > > > hutches so
> > > > > > > > that one becomes the nesting area - are we mad? Has anybody
> > > > used
> > > > > > > hutches
> > > > > > > > before with any success? Would you recommend just getting a
> > > > coop
> > > > > > > > straightaway and if I did, which type to go for? The choice
> > > > is
> > > > > > > huge.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > I did quite like the idea of the Vplas hutches, but they
> > > > seem to
> > > > > > > have gone
> > > > > > > > now a long time ago and you can't seem to get the hutches,
> so
> > > > > > maybe
> > > > > > > they
> > > > > > > > weren't great anyway.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Look forward to your comments.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Karen
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > x
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Regards
> >
> > Steve Simpson
> > Senior Network Engineer / I.T. Consultant
> > Steve Simpson Consultancy Ltd.
> > Tel: 07780 922396
> >
> > This message is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It may
> contain
> > confidential or sensitive information. The contents are not to be
> > disclosed
> > to anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients are
> > requested to
> > preserve this confidentiality and to advise us of any errors in
> > transmission. Thank you. Steve Simpson Consultancy is registered in
> > the UK;
> > No. 5716326. VAT Reg. 883 6700 95
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
>
>
>



--
Regards

Steve Simpson
Senior Network Engineer / I.T. Consultant
Steve Simpson Consultancy Ltd.
Tel: 07780 922396


This message is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It may contain
confidential or sensitive information. The contents are not to be disclosed
to anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients are requested to
preserve this confidentiality and to advise us of any errors in
transmission. Thank you. Steve Simpson Consultancy is registered in the UK;
No. 5716326. VAT Reg. 883 6700 95


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]