Originally Posted by borderer

chickens will wreck your lawn they will eat and scrat about on it

Originally Posted by Beowulf1976

.... am thinking of getting a couple of chucks for the back garden, I'd love some farm animals and they're probably the most legal animal I can go for, a goat or sheep would be lovely, but I'll settle with a couple of clucking chucks until I win the lottery and buy me a farm lol

On the serious note, I am seriously thinking, but like with all of the animals I have had and have now, I don't go into these things lightly, I go for total bombed out with research first so that I know EVERYTHING I need to know.

So, I wonder if anyone could help me with information.

Firstly,

How much would a couple of chucks cost to buy initially?

Depends what breed you would like and age. If you are looking for point of Lay pure breeds expect to pay around £15 or more per bird. Point of lay hybrids tend to be cheaper around £10 per bird. Day old chicks are only a couple of pounds each, but unless you get sexed chicks you may not end up with hens and you will need a brooder to keep them warm. Rescued Battery hens are well worth having a look at, they do need a little TLC at first but soon grow in to friendly healthy hens. Contact the battery hen welfare trust for prices as they can vary depending where you live. Mine cost 50p per bird.


How much would they cost to keep on a weekly basis?

A sack of feed costs around £7 each and would last a couple of hens a couple of months, bedding is about the same. (of course depends how you use it)


What exactly do they need (grain of some sort I know, but what else)?

Hens from point of lay upwards including ex batts need either a layers meal (mash) or pellets which is exactly the same thing but mash is more versatile but messy and pellets are clean. Ex batts need mash to start off with at least. If your hens are confined to a run, it is better to feed them mash as it will occupy their time for longer.
They will also want some corn, this should be given as an afternoon treat as it will warm them on cold days and give them energy. Don't overfeed it however as it will make them fat Corn = Chocolate in the eyes of poultry

What would be the best housing for them (for instance I saw a two storey rabbit/ferret hutch and run combi with a ladder up to a loft type house and the rest is run area, would this be sufficient for two chucks)?

Cottage Henhouse | Poultry Housing & Supplies
The link above is suitable for a few chooks, with a fox proof run attached. If you want 2 hens look for accomodation suitable for 4 hens, for 4 hens look for accomodation suitable for 6 hens etc, this will make it more comfortable.
Purpose made hen houses tend to be more expensive, mine live in a converted shed.
If the house you decide to go for is made out of wood it will need to be treated regulary for the dreaded red mite. I use poultry shield and diatom combination in mine.

Poultry Shield Red Mite Eradicator | Chicken Houses, Poultry Supplies & Equipment

Diatom Parasite Control Powder | Chicken Houses, Poultry Supplies & Equipment
If being confined to a run allday, they will need to be provided with shade and they will also need letting out for a bit of excerise when supervised.


Do they need solid ground or will a patch of lawn be sufficient?
They would be happy with anything as long as they could scratch about in. Since you have issues about your lawn have a look at this idea



Omlet UK | Guide | Chickens | Eglu guide | wood chippings
Will they wreck the lawn (we're renting so this is a biggy)?

in a word YES. Give them somewhere to scratch about and forage in that they are aloud to wreck like a mound of earth and wood chips. They appreciate some grass to peck at though and if you don't provide them with grass then you must provide them with some form of greens to replace it in their diet.

What is egg production like on healthy happy chucks?

Again depends on the breeds. Pure breed hens lay less than Hybrid hens. The older a hen gets her egg production goes less. My girls are ex batts from 6 hens I get an average of 5 eggs per day in the summer and 4 eggs per day at the moment. In winter egg production is less and during their yearly molt hens can stop laying


How much cleaning out is required and when?

Depends on the size of the coop and how often they are out. I do a daily clean. Removing all droppings daily then when I think it needs (once a monthish) give it a full clean


What bedding do they require?

Straw in the nest boxes. I use Nedz bedz as the straw is not hollow to try to foil the red mite, as they often hide away in the straw tubes. On the floor some kind of wood shavings. I use hemcore (Auboise) for its dust free and absorbant properties

I know I'm being cheeky listing questions like this but I think it's the easiest way to get the initial answers that I require, for instance if they cost out of my budget to keep or there is too much husbandry required they'd be out of the question because I am disabled and it wouldn't be too easy to clean them out from a wheelchair which means the better half would have to do it, and he's peeved enough about having to take over the husbandry of my rabbits :S but say if there is little to no keeping required, then he'll be a happy chappy for me to have a chucky or two rofl.

Originally Posted by Beowulf1976

thank you VERY much for that, incidentally, hemcore and auboise are two different products, they practically look the same but the hemcore is nicer and smells deliciously of lemons or something similar

Originally Posted by Beowulf1976

wasn't being awkward either sorry.

Originally Posted by Beowulf1976

wasn't being awkward either sorry.

their ickle feetsies would be hurt on the decking too.