All Creatures Great and Small

First of all JM and I should start by apologizing that it has been so long since we last updated our blog. We would like to cite conflicting work schedules, the demands of caring for our brood (of children, not chickens) and the general business of life as being the causes for our very long silence. In addition, I began to think to myself 'Are we all alone out there in cyberspace? Maybe no one else cares what we have to say about our chickens. Surely people have more interesting things to do with their time than read our blog.' So we let the blog updates lapse. Yet recently we have been getting comments from friends and family asking us when the next installment was due, and we were flattered by the questions and comments put to us. So in response to this demand for More! More! More!, (okay, the outcry was not vigorous) here is the latest update in our saga of urban chicken keeping.

JM and I have been surprised by the amount of wild life which has been attracted to our garden since we acquired the hens. In addition to the number of cats who come to stare at our chickens (and dream of an alternate universe in which it is actually possible for a cat to capture and eat such a large bird), there are certain member of the bird and rodent family who are enjoying almost unlimited access to the chickens' food.

JM has always described squirrels as being nothing more than rats with good PR. This may be true, but living in Peckham we did not flatter ourselves that we would attract anything as posh as a red squirrel. We are visited daily by a pair of grey squirrels* who have figured out how to open the bags of bird seed we have stashed in the garden shed. Many a time, I have walked into entrance of the garden shed, to have something grey and furry fly past my face, land in branches of the oak tree and scamper away to safety. Many a time I have found what I thought were well secured, sealed bags of bird seed, with large gaping holes in the side and a neat pile of empty sunflower seed shells laying on the counter.

One morning, after the hens had escaped into our garden (again!), I went out to clean the chicken coop. I was greeted by the visage of a very large grey rat who was helping himself to a mid-morning breakfast of layers' pellets. I looked at him and he looked at me. Since I was standing by the only exit, he spent a few seconds shuffling from one side of the coop to the other looking for an alternative escape route. Then he looked at me again and appeared to shrug its shoulders as if to say 'Look, I'm a rat. Cadging free meals is what I do. Nothing personal. Now do you please mind stepping aside so I can get out of here?' I stepped aside to let him pass and he waddled out into the garden and disappeared under the fence. We are very careful at making sure there aren't too many layers pellets or grain laying scattered around the coop and in the shed because we know this can attract rats. But we are realistic that there will be a certain amount of rodent foraging.

Blackbirds* and wood pigeons* are among a few of the different types of birds who visit our garden, hoping to sample some of the chickens' food. They are not as dexterous as the squirrels at getting into the bags, but they do okay at picking up any left over mixed corn seed that's been scattered in the garden.

JM and I are not the only ones to notice all the wild life visiting our garden for an easy meal. The hens appear to be getting fed up with all the freeloaders and will chase them away if they are spotted near their food dispenser. In spite of their best efforts, the local wild life appears to be flourishing with all the extra feeding. The squirrels and rats look sleek and well fed and the birds look fat with glossy feathers. We're glad to be doing our bit to support the local wild life.

Of course I have left one creature off the list of our local visitors, but we feel he deserves his own blog spot. So stay tuned.


* Images:
grey squirrel - photo taken by DAVID ILIFF
black bird - licensed by Creative Commons
wood pigeon - licensed by Creative Commons

Hard Lessons

What I have learned about chickens:

• chickens poo everywhere, they are not discreet about it like a cat might be
  
• chickens poo A LOT
• chickens prefer to be free-range, not left in an enclosed/fenced in area
• free range chickens will ruin your garden with all their pecking, scratching and pooing
• once chickens have experienced the joy of being free-range, they will make every attempt to escape from their fenced in area and back into your garden

It's really all my fault. You see, I had this notion (call it a chicken fantasy) of having my hens pecking and scratching away happily in my garden while the sunlight dappled their feathers through the leaves on the trees. My hens would stroll around through the grass contented and clucking happily, coming up to gently peck bird seed from my hand.

Yeah. Sure. The reality has been a little different.
It is true that the chickens do look charming in my garden. But the garden (which has been big enough to withstand their scratching and pecking), is starting to look a little worse for wear around the edges. Also, the chickens have been dumping poo not just in the grass but all over the pavement which means walking in the garden has become something of an obstacle course.

JM got fed up very quickly and considered the situation to be unhygienic. I felt guilty because I was sure the chickens would be happier if they were allowed to roam free. JM pointed out that they were just chickens after all and would be reasonably content in the fenced-off area. We decided to compromise and agreed the chickens could be let out into the garden once a week. So back they went behind the fence. But we hadn't considered the chickens' opinions on the matter.

This leads to my final point:

Sam aka Number Six (for those you who would appreciate the reference to The Prisoner), has decided her mission in life is to find as many ways of escaping from the fenced-off area as possible.
As soon as we learn of one escape route and block it off, she discovers/creates another one. Once she's out, the other three follow her lead. Before you know it, they are all back out in the garden. This has been going on for a week now. We leave home every morning with all our hens clucking away innocently inside their nice, chicken friendly area. We come home in the afternoon to find them running free in our garden.

Now you may be thinking to yourself 'Come on, chickens are not that bright. How hard can it be to keep four chickens fenced in?' We've been asking ourselves the same question. In our defence, we only devote a few minutes each day to blocking their escape, they have all day to think up another way out. I've been considering buying a portable run which is over 1.8m in height. This may stop Pie, Camomile-Mae and Ludwig from trying to fly over it, but probably not Sam/Number Six. She is one determined hen.

Eggs, glorious eggs!

This is a photo of Theo displaying the first egg laid by one of our hens (Camomile-Mae we think). It was a very exciting moment when we found this little brown egg laying on the ground in the middle of our chicken run. Because the hens are new to this, we forgave them for not using the nesting area.

Over the next few days, more eggs were laid. We learned that each hen will lay an egg that is unique to them. So the paler of the three eggs shown below was laid by Ludwig. We are so proud. We always knew she had it in her.

To date, we have had seven eggs which have quickly been made into omelets and other tasty dishes. In theory, we should be expecting each chicken to lay one egg a day. But so far Pie seems more interested in pecking the other hens thereby establishing her top position in the coop, and Sam has been focusing on escaping (three times so far) into the main garden. We will discuss more about their emerging personalities another time.

The girls

With new hens, it's recommended they spend the first 24 hours in the chicken coop and run so they get familiar with the place and know this is where they are supposed to roost every evening.
When I got home from work this afternoon I decided to let the chickens out into the fenced off garden area so they could have a good scratch around. They seemed to enjoy themselves, digging for worms, nibbling on weeds and pecking at their images in the mirror Marly installed in the coop. And guess what? When the sun went down, all the chickens filed into the coop where they were locked in safely for the night by myself and Theo.

There was much discussion within the family on their names. So now, after much debate and consideration are photos and names of our hens:


Camomile-Mae: a speckledy hen named by Marie-Louise who felt the chicken should have a hyphenated name like her's.



Ludwig: She has a silver breast. Named by my son Theo because he felt he should name it after a boss on world 7 on new Super Mario bros wii.



Pie: another speckledy hen named by my daughter Naima because she looked like a 'pie'.



Sam: a black, copper breasted marran. Named by JM, it's short for Samantha.

The children and I had a lot of fun watching the chickens this evening. The only 'down side' was when the neighbour's cat Bella decided to do some stalking. She eventually realised our birds were too big for hunting, but not before making them quite nervous. I didn't feel the need to interfere because we have a lot of cats in our area. The chickens are going to have to get used to them. And by the end evening, the chickens seemed to come to terms with Bella's presence. Our cat Angel seems to be taking a more laid back approach to our birds. Perhaps because she is too busy hunting down mice. Hmmm...

Exclusive pictures!

The hens in the coop, settling down. They will stay for 24 hours inside so that they understand it is their new home and they can safely lay eggs there. We put fake eggs inside to give a hint and encourage them to lay.

The cat, Angel, is unsure about all this: new friends/foes/meal?

The chickens have arrived!

After trawling the internet and ringing a few poultry farmers/chicken breeders, we finally found what we were looking for: POL (point of lay) hybrid chickens, reasonably priced (under £20), vaccinated and available immediately upon collection. Yay!

So off I went to Teston, Kent to the Hen House Poultry. This is a small, family run business overseen by Ben and his very helpful and knowledgeable son. On a Sunday, the journey took about an hour by car and I only got lost once.

Upon arrival, I was directed to the back of the house to what I can only describe as 'chicken paradise'. Lots of green space, chicken coops and runs of various sizes, and some of the most beautiful chickens I have ever seen, hybrids and pure breeds. I should have taken photos. This is not a promotional space for Hen House Poultry, but I will say that Ben was helpful, informative and even clipped their wings for me.

Although there was not much variety in the colour of chickens available, Ben said he had more coming in on Tuesday. But I really did not feel like making the journey twice. Also, I could see more customers filing in to the garden looking to purchase chickens. So I quickly had Ben and his son grab four and put three of them in a large box and one in the cat carrier. I payed the man £54, loaded the girls into the back of the car, and off I drove back to London. Yee haw!

Fox-proofing

Today is a very nice spring day in London, one of the few we have every year (and with luck tomorrow's London marathon will also have a nice weather for the runners). It is time to start digging to insert a wire mesh around the coop to prevent foxes from going under it.

Then Marie-Louise and I inserted the mesh (cloture en fil de fer) in the hole:

Then we recovered the dig back with the ground:

Finally, time to put the coop (poulailler) in its new location and set up a little notional fence for the hens (polite chickens should stay hopefully within that part).

It was past time - overdue really - for an 'apperitif', but a little pastis was well deserved!

Ex-battery Hens

Battery hens are kept in cramped conditions in large warehouses where they are not allowed to roam around. Chickens only lay eggs during daylight hours, so battery hens are kept in almost constant artificial light to get the maximum amount of eggs out of them. They only last about two years as layers and then are discarded. It's very sad.
Fortunately there are poultry farmers that rehabilitate these ex-battery hens, teaching them how to walk, perch and nurture them until their feathers grow back. They then sell them on to good homes where they can have the opportunity to live out the rest of the lives as happy, normal chickens.
Initially I was not very interested in acquiring an ex-battery hen, but now I am having second thoughts.
The search for hens continues. There are lots of farms out there (but not many in London). We would prefer hybrids (make the best layers) that are already vaccinated, costing under £20. Surprisingly (to me anyway) raising chickens is very popular and it ain't so easy to find birds. We may have to wait until late April early May for the next batch to become available. So I am currently sending out e-mails to different farms. Will we have chickens by the end of this weekend or will we have to wait? Watch this space to find out...
In the meantime, I am going to enlist the children in helping to set up the run and fox-proof the coop. Get out the shovel and the wire mesh kids, because we are going to get our hands dirty!

Image courtesy of www.chickenandchicks.co.uk

Sundries, part II

Alrighty. JM and I went to B&Q this evening to buy wire mesh to put around the chicken coop. By the time we're done with fox-proofing this coop, it's going to look like Fort Knox. If any fox has enough savvy to climb up on the roof of the shed, leap over the wire mesh perimeter, burrow underneath the wire mesh buried a foot into the ground surrounding the coop and then figure out how to unlock the hen house - he deserves a chicken. But hopefully our precautions will discourage the rest of the opportunists who are just looking for an easy meal.

Perhaps I can get the children to help me wire off the perimeter tomorrow evening. If all goes according to plan, this Friday I can go buy some actual chickens - the point of all these preparations. Oh yeah, I also need to buy some chicken feed but I can pick that up on the way to the chicken farm at the local (Blackheath) Pets at Home store.

Until next time...

Sundries

The hens bedding has arrived in the shape of a 4kg woodshavings bag. Enough to nest and start laying these eggs! Unless the red mite is quicker: it is an insect that feeds on poultry, and hence we also got products to prevent any infestation.

Strangely, hen psychologists devised a 'boredom buster pecking ring': this device also contains a small bell. This, plus the mirror that Marie-Louise installed in the run, should keep the hens amused. I wonder how stressed hens react? Cackle away like crazy? Stay in the coop and only go out for feed (that'd be a teenager hen)? Run maniacally shouting 'hen! hen! hen!' when seeing her reflection?

If that donut-shaped boredom buster does not work, we could try old episodes of Foghorn longhorn!

The Chicken Coop arrived today!

It has landed, in a flat pack, the hens house: Chicken Coop: The Dorset

Maisha and Marie-Louise assembled it in no time, 25 to 40 minutes according to the instructions and in about 2 hours according to the other sources.

A bit smaller than what I expected; my dreams of grand chicken detached coop with air conditioning, living room for the winter, a separate perch for roosters, free-range freehold got somewhat reduced to a largish shed (I am talking from a hen's perspective here!).

The finished product looks sturdy.

We now need to fox-proof it: put up 'no fox' signs, cctv. And create a protected area where they can trash the garden to their liking.

I have been told that some charities rescue battery chickens - around 2 year old ones - from being slaughtered, and give them to caring new owners. We might look into this further.

JM.

Why we want to raise chickens

As is typical of our marriage, JM and I have agreed that we will blog separately but about the same topic. Coming from different cultures, countries, languages, ethnic backgrounds and sexes, we find we work better when we are in agreement, but apart. After 11 years of marriage, we find this works best for us.

So, why did we decide to raise chickens?

1) We have a very large back garden and I know next to nothing about planting and growing things beyond watering my house plants. I am aware there are lots of books/television shows/blog spaces and gardeners with loads of helpful advice to give. But the truth is, you cannot really interact with a plant, no matter how pretty it is. I know there are people who do talk to their plants and hug trees, but I always thought those relationships were pretty one-sided. So if I do not have the patience or inclination to tend to a garden (besides pay someone to clear out the dead leaves and cuttings once a year), what else can I do with all this green space and still enjoy it?

2) JM and I have been in discussion for a number of years about getting another house pet besides the one cat we already have. The discussions usually went like this:
JM: Let's get a rabbit.
Maisha: Too much work. Besides, a rabbit is a rodent and I don't like rodents. No.
JM: Let's get a ferret.
Maisha: Eeew. Too much like a rodent. No.
JM: Let's get a guinea pig.
Maisha: Aren't those rodents? Besides, the cat will try and eat it. No.

So last week I was sitting in my garden pondering what do do with all this green space and it occured to me that having a few chickens pecking around out there would be nice. For parts of my childhood, I was fortunate enough to have chickens and I know they can make nice pets. Granted I would not recommend having one curl up next to you in the bed at night (that's what cats and husbands are for), but I remember them as being lively, curious and friendly. And you get fresh eggs every day. So not a bad deal.

3) Being an urban eco-goddess is not easy. Especially with a large family. I try to cut back on the amount of food we waste with limited success. But if we had chickens, all that stale bread and vegetable peelings could be put to good use by very grateful recipients. Some people would suggest we get a compost bin for all that food waste. But then we go back to the whole issue of using the compost for planting and gardening - and I've already explained why I have been hesitating on that one (for those with short memories - read point #1).

So those are my reasons. I will leave JM to explain his reasons. Until next time...