Anyone got backyard chickens?

I'm thinking about getting backyard chickens. It would be great to get fresh eggs every day. But I'm not really sure where to start. Does anyone here have chickens and some advice? I like the chicken coop below but is it OK to leave the chickens in it all the time or do they need more space to walk around? I would be nervous about letting them out.

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KingStreetReno

My neighbours have chickens (inner city house) and they let them wander their backyard.

It wouldn't be very 'free-range' to leave them locked in a coop all day...

I imagine they could be locked up at night to protect them from any danger though.

Darren

Hi @AndreaNg,

We had chickens in our backyard and also had a similar coop to the one you have pictured. We used to let our chooks free range around the backyard - they loved wandering around and having a dig. It's not a problem so long as your backyard is enclosed, otherwise their inquisitive nature could lead them further afield. We used to shut our chooks in the coop each night to keep them safe from foxes (we also put chicken wire underneath the coop to stop any predators from digging under the coop).

Another tip - make sure your coop is easy to clean. Some coops have a removable floor for easy cleaning.

Good luck, chickens are lots of fun!

AndreaNg

Thanks. I would be happy with them roaming around when at home. I'd just be worried about them when at work or at night.

Jackson

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/437#Comment_437

Hi @AndreaNg, my parents have 5 chickens and they live in a coop that has a fence around it (the chickens, not my parents). During the day the chickens have free run of the coop and the larger area (about 3 x 5 metres), but they get locked up in the coop at night. This works well because if they're given free reign over your whole garden, there is a chance they'll be digging up parts of the garden you don't want them to (or even worse, your neighbours garden). Obviously it all depends on how much space you have to work with.

Another piece of advice - as well as making sure your coop is fox-proof, you should also try and make it rodent-proof. Chicken feed is pretty attractive to rats so you need to make sure they can't get in.

Blawson

Backyard chickens are the best pet to have! They supply you with more eggs than you know what to do with, they supply your garden with constant fertiliser and their melodic clucking soothes your soul! For small backyards (which I have) we got Peking Bantams which are a small breed and are less destructive in your garden and pot plants compared to other breeds. Our chickens happily live (at night) in a coup similar to the one shown. We live in an area that is prone to foxes so we actually put our coup on top of pavers. I wouldn't recommend this though if your chickens will be spending a lot of time in the coup- they love scratching in dirt! Let your chickens roam free! You'll have very happy and content chooks! Enjoy your scrambled eggs! 🐓

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/444#Comment_444

Many thanks for sharing your experiences @Blawson. It sounds like your chickens are very happy. And glad to hear they can also soothe the soul!

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to Workshop. It's great to have you as part of the community. Please post again soon. We look forward to hearing more about your projects.

Jason

timjeffries

We have chooks and they're wonderful. They eat our scraps, provide us with eggs and everything I clean out from their little home goes in my hot composting system to make amazing soil to grow great veggies.

You definitely want them to roam a bit. I built an enclosure around their coop so they can roam free and then just wander if for a sleep at night. This keeps them safe from predators (including my kelpie!) but also out of my garden. They love to eat grass and it gives a boost to their yolks that we really notice.

Hopefully you'll be able to find a local breeder around that will be helpful too.

AndreaNg

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/484#Comment_484

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to do some more research over Easter.

MartyH

I bought a carton of "jumbo" sized eggs at a market on the weekend. We've cooked 7 of them so far and all but one were double yolkers! I thought they were very rare? Does anyone who has chickens know what causes a double - is it heritary like people with twins?

Jason

Only 25 percent of the Workshop community would like backyard chickens according to our poll over the past week.

Feel free to keep the discussion going by replying below.

Jason

BIM_Engineer

@Jason you mean 4 people voted in the poll and only one would have backyard chickens?
Mate.. The average Battler & Punter doesn't really care about chickens

Jackson

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/2867#Comment_2867

@BIM_Engineer - my Mum and Dad have chickens and they're not the only people in their area who do. I think you'll find that interest in chickens depends a lot on the area you live in. I live in the inner suburbs of Melbourne so they're definitely a rare pet in my area, but I love dropping by Mum and Dad's place and grabbing some fresh eggs so I can understand the appeal.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/435#Comment_435

Hey @Darren,

I saw this article and thought of you - https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-pros-and-cons-of-having-backyard-chooks/

Perhaps the Workshop community could give you some tips for keeping foxes out.

Jason

Aussie-Garden

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/64840#Comment_64840

Reviving an old discussion, rather than starting a new one. Hope that's OK

I've never had much of an interest in chickens, unless it involved the letters KFC.

One of our daughters is autistic and she has had 4 chickens for a few years now.

We brought them over with us when we built and moved in year before last and I've found it quite enjoyable having them hang around and cluck away while I do stuff in the back yard. So much, that I have 3 Platinum Sussex chicks arriving this weekend. 2 for myself and one for my daughter.

The current chickens get locked up at night, but I let them out during the day to one side of the yard, while our 2 dogs have the other side. We have a large yard, thankfully.

I have a small orchard in the yard that is fenced off, so I've just finished a chicken coop there for chooks to hang out and scratch around in there.

Now keen to make a DIY feeder and water system for that coop. Was looking online and Bunnings has pretty much all the bits I need like poly, elbows, end caps etc...

How is everyone else going with their chooks?

Do yours have names and come to you when you call them for instance?

Do you have a particular breed for any reason?

TheSaltyreefer

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/95819#Comment_95819

We have around 50 chickens and 10 roosters at anytime, perfect for eggs and meat we process our own regularly, easy to keep and easy to maintain

ours free range we have 4 paddocks that we rotate 2 in and 2 out, and then we use them for natural weed maintenance, they are better than any mower you could buy 🙂 and we sell them also

Ginger60

Hi Andrea I had this chicken coop & no you cannot keep them locked Inside this 24/7. Depending on the size of your yard they will get overheated & die. I was on acreage. I also built a large pen around the coop. I put a layer of bird net over the roof of the pen & sewed it onto the chicken wire. This is to stop crows & hawks& goannas getting in. If you have a large grassy (not weedy) lawn you could build a chicken tractor & pop the birds in that for the day to forage & just wheel it from shady place to shady place a day. If you let them out to free range do it about 2 or 3 hours before sunset that way they put themselves to bed when sunsets. They need a high protein laying mix for egg formation & feather regrowth after malting. Collect egg cartons -

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/9012#Comment_9012

@Ginger60,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're so pleased to have you join in the discussion and share your experience and knowledge with other members. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you have something to share with the community or need a hand with a project around the house and garden.

We look forward to reading more about your projects and plans soon. Let me know if you ever need a hand getting the most from the site.

Thanks,

Jason

mich1972

We have 6 girls. They are in a ‘run’ and they sleep in a metal coop at night. They need to free range so I personally would not like them confined to such a small space. This coop is great for lock up at night but definitely let them free range during the day xoxoxo

Kayles77

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1571#Comment_1571

Double yolks are apparently more common than people think! They are usually attributed to young hens, as they have an abundance of ovum. My Nan always told me they were lucky, so buy a lotto ticket! 😁

mich1972

Hi @AndreaNg I have been sharing our Coop Life with everyone if you would like to have a look 🐓🐓🐓

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/68149#Comment_68149

Thanks for joining in the discussion @Kayles77. It's great to have you join the Bunnings Workshop community. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you have something to share with the community or need a hand with a project around the house and garden. And feel free to let me know if you ever need a hand getting the most from the site.

Thanks again,

Jason

Kys

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/95819#Comment_95819

We got chickens due to my youngest three, who all are autistic too, my older two aren't too bothered with them.

We got them in March and every day they do their jobs, one checks for eggs, one checks their water and food and the other gives them scratch mix or scraps or lets them out.

They are quite Wonderful for them

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/115624#Comment_115624

Hello @Kys

Thank you for joining the discussion and sharing how your kids are interacting with the chickens. Do they look forward to doing their jobs when it's time to inspect the chicken coop? Would it be possible for you to post your chicken coop? I'm sure our members would love to see what you have set up.

We look forward to seeing the chickens.

Eric

Mishmash

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/62531#Comment_62531

We have chickens and we adore them. I’m always looking at ideas and strategies to keep them clean and tidy and fed well. We love our boys and girls they are amazing with individual personalities.
I call them my dinosaur’s. 🦖🤪

we have 40 chickens, I rescue them and people re home them with us also. They are super spoilt and we free range them during the day and they get put away for safety at night due to predators.

we are on acreage so noise from cockerels etc is not an issue for us.
we are just moving over to a hardwood chipping for them for their coops due to weather and cleanliness.

Im always looking for vitamins and supplements to keep them healthy and they have fruit and vegetables daily.
They are cleaned three times daily with water and food checks throughout the day, I fit them around my work.
They come when they are called also which helps with so many.
We don’t get too many predators passing through occasionally a dingo but they very rarely come up to the house where the chickens are, our dog keeps them safe.
It is so great that Bunnings have a chicken community on here as ideas are alway helpful from different people. 🤲☺️

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/104882#Comment_104882

Great stuff @Mishmash. Many thanks for sharing your experience with the community. We will have to draw on your knowledge whenever there are chicken questions from other members.

Thanks again,

Jason

Mishmash

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/119547#Comment_119547

I would be happy to help ☺️

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