I'd like to keep some hens, but I have a problem

johngalway

Problem being I am not home every day of the week.

I could be gone a day or two each week.

So how do I get around this and get to keep my hens, and keep them well and properly.

I am hesitant to ask others to help out, so for the moment lets rule that out, when I can I like to do things myself.

Planning to keep them on my farm, for eggs at first, but I'd like to get some broilers at some stage *licks lips*.

Suggestions please folks

Askim

Feed & water would not be a problem, train them to spring feeders for pellets & grain, I top mine up once a week for 7 hens, water I hang up a 5 gallon can with diy tank fittings and then too a auto drinker.

Your red friend & minky will be the biggest problem, saw river cottage with a really high hen house & shaky ladder, might work for fox, but would don't think it would keep mink out.

if mink are around the plenty of traps

A bit harder with broilers, very dopie & slow, they wouldnt roost.

Just my 2 cents

A

johngalway

Yeah, I've posted on a couple of forums about this and the feeding/watering issue doesn't seem to be an issue.

I was thinking of a secure run, weldmesh construction. The problem is with the floor, I'd like to move the run about, just to keep things fresh, but I don't want a fox or badger digging under to get in.

There are mink about, but there are lot's of people trapping them every side of me. That's not to say they're not a threat, I've plenty of traps myself too so I can attempt to cover that angle.

I saw the RC coop in the sky on another forum Bought the book on the back of it, I agree that it wouldn't keep mink out.

moy83

Hi john I dont want to sound lazy about it but we have about 30 hens at home and only about half of them are in the shed when i close the door at night . They just dont like going in and I dont like hunting them in .
I think we lost two to the fox in the last couple of years which is nothing major .
I know for a fact there are foxes and mink close by but they just dont seem to bother them .
The only downside with not closing them in at night for me is that some of them lay all over the place , but egg hunting is a bit of craic for the young lad so its not the end of the world either .
A fella not less than a mile away from me has a fort knoxx attitude to his birds and has lost alot more than I despite his best efforts.
So my attitude is feed them plenty , enjoy the eggs while they are laying and leave them to figure out their own security measures . They might just be able to keep themselves alive longer then us humans
Thats just my 2 cents worth , I dont think everyone would agree with it though

Graces7

moy83 wrote: »

Hi john I dont want to sound lazy about it but we have about 30 hens at home and only about half of them are in the shed when i close the door at night . They just dont like going in and I dont like hunting them in .
I think we lost two to the fox in the last couple of years which is nothing major .
I know for a fact there are foxes and mink close by but they just dont seem to bother them .
The only downside with not closing them in at night for me is that some of them lay all over the place , but egg hunting is a bit of craic for the young lad so its not the end of the world either .
A fella not less than a mile away from me has a fort knoxx attitude to his birds and has lost alot more than I despite his best efforts.
So my attitude is feed them plenty , enjoy the eggs while they are laying and leave them to figure out their own security measures . They might just be able to keep themselves alive longer then us humans
Thats just my 2 cents worth , I dont think everyone would agree with it though

We lost three, our whole stock, who were in a coop, to a mink.

So no, I don't agree with this.

arctictree

In my experiance of keeping hens (over 10 years now), the best security solution by far is a good hunting dog (spaniel).

Lock the hens up at night and leave the dog with them by day. Since we started doing this, we have had no losses to mr. fox.

lakill Farm

i have a few hens and ducks . they go into the shed at night mostly but the odd time they go stay out in a cattle shed. Lost a duck in winter 2010 to a fox (Duck had a bad leg).

My attitude is, sure let them enjoy life out and about.