Does anyone here keep chickens?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Master of Foxhounds, don'tchaknow!

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Oh, ok.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Who would have thought it. A few chickens in CWALDs back garden leads to the rebirth of the East Dulwich hunt.

Marvellous.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Scary stuff

[Keef]

I'm not quite sure how one can be against hunting, yet willing to let dogs tear foxes apart if they come in to the garden. Sorry, but that doesn't sit well with me.

[Jah Lush]

I have a friend who lives down in Kent and she keeps chickens but doesn't have any problems with foxes. I like to go down to the country quite a lot and one thing I've never seen down there are foxes. Very strange you might think but it's true, I've never seen a fox in the country. Unfortunately, inner city London is riddled with them. I really do think you're going to have a lot of problems with the Urban fox but I wish you luck all the same.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I am pro-hunting. I understand and have sympathy with the anti-hunting, anti-cruelty arguement, but I feel that these are based on an essentially urban perspective on the nature of the relationship between man and nature. I am not anti-fox and quite like seeing the foxes about our streets, but they are what they are and they do what they do.

Foxes will kill chickens and indeed any other small animal that is kept outdoors, if the foxes dont get them the rats will and rats will be drawn to the chickens because of the chicken feed that will inevitably be scattered about.

At least the rats will kill the chickens to eat, foxes will kill for the sake of killing because that is what they do.

[LizzygotDizzy]

Foxes are a fact of life when keeping chickens, but I didn't think of the rats, and health risks that accompany that part of it, I didn't know rats could eat chickens to be honest, it just didn't occur to me, I just thought they came for the chicken feed, how awful, but hopefully the dogs will keep the rats at bay, I know chickens can get all kinds of fleas and nasty little critters, oh well, each to their own and good luck!

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

There is no way my dogs would be able to catch a fox, they might be able to scare them off but are definately not fast or agile enough to catch them, so I doubt I'd really have to deal with fox guts strewn all over my garden Keef.

[hundredandone]

I never heard of rats eating live chickens. I doubt they could do that. Eating scattered feed of course. But there's no special risk. We live amongst rats all the time, though we dont see them often. Its the 2 legged sort we should fear.

If the hunt is starting here I dont like horses much but i'd be happy to be a whipper-in if somebody could tell me what to do.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Just keep those pesky hounds under control. And practice blowing your horn (I'm sure Keef could advise).

[Michael Palaeologus]

Rats will attack and kill chickens, especially bantems which tend to be the most common urban chuck as they are small and fluffy.

There is no law against rat hunting with dogs though .........

[Brendan]

Don?t we traditionally use cats for rat hunting? Or perhaps Rat Terriers.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

There's a new poster on the forum called Renarde. Keep an eye on your flock Chav.

Is flock the right collective noun for chickens? A chuckle of chickens?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Haha is he a French fox?

[Michael Palaeologus]

Things that hunt what:

Hounds for foxes

Cats for mice

Terriers for rats

Germans for the French

[boosboss]

Chicken Out

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Chav - this may be of interest, it was mentioned on the radio this morning: good life in streatham

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Brilliant and very inspiring!

I read a few books on permaculture and forest gardening that use the idea of layering to get as much food from a small space as possible. You rely on the varying height of the layers ie the tree layer , then the shrub layer then the herb or veg layer and also the different times they all need sunlight for their leaves and fruit. So far, in my front & back gardens I have planted a family tree (mix of apricot, nectarine and peach), a cox apple tree, a grape vine, 5 redcurrant bushes, 3 blackcurrant bushes, 2 blueberries, a gooseberry, tayberry, plum tree, 2 nut bushes and rhubarb plus perpetual spinach and cabbage. I have my herbs seperate in pots because I'm not sure where I want them to be in the final scheme of things. I have given up my allotment because Mottingham is too far to go so will have to try to find space for my annuals, like beans, tomatoes etc in my garden - not sure how! Plus I now have the chicken coop - sans chickens at the moment, but when I get some time I'll rectify that!

You have to look at what plants need more sun than others and more drainage etc to maximise growth, but I'm a novice to this too, so I'm just going to see what thrives and what doesn't.

I've only had a garden since last February and when I moved in it was a jungle of brambles, so this will be the first summer with my new fruit & nuts growing. I'm sooo excited!

[SeanMacGabhann]

PeckhamGateCrasher beat me to it.... I must check out the youtube clips at some point

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

chicken links

Chav - some links that may be useful. How's it going, any eggs yet?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Havn't even got the chickens yet!

I've been foxproofing the coop, in between working, digging my garden (and working out how to get about 4 bags of horse sh*t from the stables for my veg beds), babysitting my granddaughter and entertaining my youngest. I only need about 8 bricks to secure the edge and I can go get them.

I also need to work out how to fence off the bottom of my garden to protect my fruit bushes and veg.

Hoping to get the hens v soon tho!! And I'll post pics, I promise!

[lozzyloz]

I can give you some bricks in exchange for eggs :))

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I never refuse an offer of help from such a kind gentleman as yourself!

[lozzyloz]

Let me know when you'd like your hod filled ;-)