can anyone help me out with this, im thinkning of getting some chickens and ive been told there are local bye laws regarding keeping them in residential areas

No...you can get some. I have three ex battery hens in my back garden. You don't need a cockerel, but if you want one it is a good idea to check that your neighbours won't mind the crowing in the mornings!

Happy to show you pics of my set up and contacts etc. Drop me a PM.

awesome fast responce

how noisy are layers ? i dont want to upset the neighbours

ive got a small stone shed i can convert for them

They grumble and cluck but nothing too bad. Never had any complaints. The noise is actually quite nice.

Shed sounds ideal. How many are you thinking of getting? Three hens gets me about 15-20 eggs a week which is too many for me! I sell them in work for £1 a box.

Are you buying new chickens or getting ex-battery hens?

I got mine from Brish Hen Welfare Trust. www.bhwt.org.uk

Please consider giving some of these hens a future!

was going to get 2 or 3, hadnt really thought of a source but may go down that route and give a few a decent home and life

You get your girls for free... they just appreciate a small donation to cover transport costs (I gave them a tenner).

Let me know if you want more info.

Andy

i will thanks andy

My sister's chucks.
This is Edwina and Maggie is in the hen house!
Sorry to those who have already seen these pics but,Jabber was away when I posted them.

cool bezzy, i need to sort a split door to the shed to make it fox proof, want to give the chicks free reign of most of the garden

You do know that they will eat all your plants and grass don't you?

even if i keep em very well fed ?

Oh yes!

Up until a couple of years ago I kept hens. Just bog standard Isa Browns etc. Nothing fancy. They are great time-wasters ! Wonderful to watch them establish a pecking order (sorry). Easiest thing in the world to keep. Keep an eye out for Red Mites in the henhouse though. I got batches of 5 or six. In retrospect too many really. More eggs than I could sell from the house, or give away to friends.

Eggs straight from the nestbox are a hundred times better than even the best "organic free range" stuff from the shops. Dark, rich yolks. Yummy.

If you are having a fixed, fenced enclosure, it might start off as grass, but towards the winter it will end up like the Somme on a bad day. Amazingly it does recover though - until the next winter.

Keep the hen house as clean as you can. Plenty of sawdust etc. Clean straw for the nest boxes. Go for it ! They all become great characters. Plenty of good info on the net on how to get started.

I'm sure Bezzy (if she's still speaking to me. ha.ha) will agree that they are great things to have around the garden.

our neighbour has three, good sized ones too. Shes talked me into getting some, missus not too happy, oh well, bit of peace and quiet while im in the dog house (henhouse??) then!!

You need to check your deeds that there is no covenant about livestock (or landlord if rented). There is no need to register if you have less than 50 hens, I guess you won't want 12,500+ eggs a year.

Indeed they are! Lol

We have 4 chickens and we get 4 eggs a day. I know u may not beleive this but they all have a name and when we call them by their name they each come to us. They are fantastic.There names are sage,tikka,paxo and dorothy. the daughter gave them their names haha.

Hmmmm,bit heartless calling one Dorothy! Lol

Maybe there should be a wikichicken section introduced.
I've been keeping them for about three years now.
Yes they all have names.
Yes if you let them on the lawn regularly they will destroy it(I've re turfed ours twice).
Yes you get the best eggs you've ever tasted.
Yes if they get poorly you take them to the vet(very entertaining in the waiting room--unfortuanately vets don't know much about chickens)
Yes they can be noisy(Normally in the early morning)not had any neighbours complain though.
Before I got them a few people said I had to check my deeds and I did and no mention of chickens.
Bottom line is get them.
They definately brighten up the garden.
If you need any advice PM me.
Cheers rockster.

many thanks for all the info guys

Here

Covenant in my old place stopped me from keeping pigs, it used to be church land and they didn't want any competition apparently when they sold it on
Good luck with the chooks, great idea.

Was thinking of asking my landlady if I can keep some chickens in the back yard. Not sure but I thought you needed a licence to keep chickens.

No Spanner chickens are fine,if you have a cock' then you would!