Chooks :)

[Lilli33]

Nah ours never have either. We have a liid to lift up to collect the eggs, and give access to clean out the straw. Very easy. Ours isn't huge as we were lever going to have too many, and they then have an enclosed run around it. We don't really have trouble with foxes here thankfully... Just possums.. Lol

[Meagan]

  As they don't seem to have a base you would need to sit it on heavy wire mesh so that foxes or dogs cant dig under.  

Chookie do you need mesh on the bottom if it is on concrete slabs or just on soil? We plan to put it in the skinny 1mt deep garden bed in our court yard and I am not sure if we need slabs or just leave the soil?  I think I need to do more reading and research!

[cookie1]

After reading the posts I had another thought. Meagan if you are having a wooden chook house and it is sitting directly onto the ground be aware of white ants.

[achookwoman]

Meagan, It is the soil that the foxes dig under.  You need to place the heavy wire under the cage, sticking out at the sides and pin it through the cage and wire into the ground with tent pegs. 
Cookie, hadn't thought about ants. Might be better to have a metal frame.

[Meagan]

Hmmm I think it might be easier to have it on slabs as wire sticking out may be a bit dangerous for the boys and if it ends up wider than the garden bed strip then I would have to remove brick pavers to nail in tent pegs.

[Meagan]

Still talking and thinking about chooks. I am a little worried about how much work it will be and how much cleaning of the pen etc is needed    

[dede]

http://www.animaltuckerbox.com.au/xmas%20catalog/DPC0061_XmasCatalogue(WEB)_Dec2011.pdf

We have a half tank chook cage which fits 3 chooks comfortably. I often let them out during the day and lock them up of a night although we don't have any problems with foxes in Tassie. They are pretty easy to move but need two adults to move the cage but we leave the cage in the one spot as the chooks are out and about most of the time anyway. We love our fresh eggs, the color difference of free range eggs to shop brought eggs are amazing. I choose not to have a rooster because of the noise. It's also great to be able to give all the scraps to the chooks rather than throw them out. Good luck with finding the right cage for your needs but I'm sure you guys will love having your own chooks cause I know my lot do.

[Wonder]

meagan, are you still going ahead with the chooks? We are also looking at getting some and I'm a little worried  that it all sounds like a great idea but they will end up being more work than I anticipated.  We are in an area of Melbourne that has foxes so will need to ensure the coop is fox proof but DH used to be a builder so as long as we run through all the necessities I'm sure we will end up with a great coop, it just might take a little time. i would love to hear others view on chook ownership and how much work it realy is. Also we are going on holidays at the end of March for a month so if it's going to be too much work to leave for our neighbour we will need to wait until we come back and then I'm a little worried we wont' get many eggs as the weather will be cooler??

[dede]

Me personally think chooks are really easy to keep, as long as they have fresh water and grain/scraps and some where safe to perch then there shouldn't be to many hassles. I do think they need room though. I wouldn't like to keep mine locked up in a small cage permanently. Mine are free to roam most of the time during the day but I don't have issues with foxes or other animals to harm them. They don't need walking or brushing or cuddles like cats and dogs. My kids collect the eggs daily and I check their water levels every few days. We have a self feeder for grain which I check each week and top up and then give them scraps when the scrap bucket is full.

[Wonder]

Two other things - we have no grass, lots of deck and lots of garden beds where they can roam during the day but no grass for the them to feed on, and we have a small dog. My husband says we wouldn't be able to train our dog to like the chickens but I'm sure they would eventually be able to live together, the dog is an inside dog most of the time but he follows us where ever we go so is generally outside if we are.

[achookwoman]

Wonder, I would get my chooks when I come back from holiday.  They will be POL,  that is point of lay,  and probably won't lay for a couple of weeks from when you get them.  They need time to settle in.  If you get Isa Browns they will lay for a year from when they start,  probably 6 eggs every 7 days.  make sure the wire is under the ground and fine enough not to let any wild birds in. ( sparrows).  they eat the food and bring diseases.  they really aren't much trouble once you are set up.

[jkmt]

Wonder, a small dog shouldn't worry them. We have a border collie-cross who is fine with our chooks roaming. We have a dozen chooks (we live on a rural property), and they are really easy to look after - have a self feeder and self-watering set up, and free range most afternoons, providing we're home before dark to shut their door. Friends in town have three on their suburban property and find them very easy. They will definitely scratch up your garden beds though. Also pooh on your deck if they are out for a long time each day (they get sick of scratching and like to hang out near the house). The eggs are awesome though.

[CarolineW]

Two other things - we have no grass, lots of deck and lots of garden beds where they can roam during the day but no grass for the them to feed on, and we have a small dog. My husband says we wouldn't be able to train our dog to like the chickens but I'm sure they would eventually be able to live together, the dog is an inside dog most of the time but he follows us where ever we go so is generally outside if we are.

We have a Staffordshire bull terrier Wonder, and trained her to be fine with them no problem.  While she got used to them we had her on a rope so that they could get away from her if they needed to.  Once she was used to them we let her go free.  We never deliberately left her alone with them, although occasionally it would happen accidentally.  Never had any problems.

[dede]

We have a jack Russell and she doesn't worry about them at all, although she will snap at them when they are trying to steal her food. I usually let mine roam around my garden for a few days before I mow the lawns, then I lock them up and clean up where they have scratched my garden beds and mow the lawns. That way my lawns stay nice and tidy until I let them out again a few days before I am due to mow again.
I have a back yard and front yard but only let the chooks scratch around the back area, although a little bantam I have squeezes under the fence and roams around the front lawn as well.

[Meagan]

We still haven't organized anything yet. I was thinking we would go for pullets ( ready to lay chooks) but after visiting a friend who has had hers from day olds I can see how much the children would get out of having chicks and seeing them grow!