Six Chicken House and integrated run

[Prepper1]

Well from my experience and other stuff I've read, after a while a pecking order reveals itself ... ha ha I made a funny...

No really it does, then the dominant female take over the cockerels role if there's not one about.
She gets first dibs on the food etc...

They're not as noisy as cockerels but not far off in my experience.
The smell is very farmyardy after a while....
unless you get rid of the poo.
We composted the poo in the compost heap but after 3 months or so the smell was .... aromatic.....

It was an experience having them, and one I'm glad I had.

BUT If i did it again I'd start off with one or two on a hardstanding or flagged pen maybe 12 foot by 12 foot with a shed as a coop with sawdust on the floor (cheap from sawmills) integrated laying boxes inside, (wooden fruit boxes)the large shed eases cleaning as the still poop inside heir coop sometimes. and wooden broom handle perches.

I actually found a small but thick branched tree the parks dept had cut down and left, so I appropriated it and lay it down flat and secure, and they loved perching on that, they are birds after all.

As mine were free range, they ragged the garden ceselessly digging for worms and grubs and such.

You cant have tasty plants growing because they eat everything in sight and dont underestimate them, they're part of the raptor family and very clever.

If they can figure ut a way into your lettuce bed, and they will, they're gonners....

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AND if you leave your door open and they're free ranging they'll be in.....
they get over that initial shyness after a week or so....

They used to chase the cats for there food...

And you cant walk anywhere near the with food, they can jump quite high so say goodbye to your kids happy meal......

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All in all an experience worth having, BUT dont underestimate the amount of poo, and cleaning you do in exchange for the eggs.

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One last thing, unless their coop in totaly and I mean totaly light proof, not even a crack of light, they'll make so much noise at dawn to get out........

BUT maybe I just got a rowdy bunch?