tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3738756270662190439.post8471755072677495662..comments2023-11-17T23:46:42.524-08:00Comments on The Urban Potager: More weather for ducks!Sarah McGrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11000471798663271622noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3738756270662190439.post-90128686489931933242010-06-07T14:04:12.051-07:002010-06-07T14:04:12.051-07:00Hi Wider Sky,
Looking at a 1.2 meter high fence a...Hi Wider Sky,<br /><br />Looking at a 1.2 meter high fence and the rest of our garden is fenced again, I will let them free range for half of the day or after they have laid. I am not sure if we can get those breeds of chickens in Australia. I was looking at Rhode Island Reds and Australorps, good layers and not flighty! I think 3 will be enough, I was aiming for 4 but my husband loves his garden (mainly the lawn)!!!! He will be very upset to see it destroyed. I am sure he will fall in love with the very yummy eggs and tolerate the odd little patch of dirt here and there!<br />Thanks for all your advice.<br /><br />SarahSarah McGrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000471798663271622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3738756270662190439.post-26621586134117688382010-06-07T09:51:24.930-07:002010-06-07T09:51:24.930-07:00Hi Sarah... sounds good to me and I love the look ...Hi Sarah... sounds good to me and I love the look of the posh chicken coop. 2 or 3 sounds like a good start, but I'll bet you'll want to get some more quite soon.<br /><br />I'd advise against hybrids - they lay plenty of eggs but don't seem as healthy as pure-breeds. We've found Cuckoo Marans to be great, they have a nice look and temperament and they lay nice dark brown eggs and we love our Cream Legbar, who is naughty but lays lots of nice pale blue eggs.<br /><br />I'd think they would hop over the picket fence (even if you clip their wings) from time to time but that's ok if you don't mind seeing them on the lawn. They will eat some of your nice green plants but this will just make the yolks a deeper orange!<br /><br />One final warning - they'e great time wasters as you watch their antics.<br /><br />Good luck.<br /><br />Wider Sky.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3738756270662190439.post-5964962693328585202010-06-06T14:10:56.162-07:002010-06-06T14:10:56.162-07:00We have a very large front garden approx 600 squar...We have a very large front garden approx 600 square meteres, with lots of trees and quite a tall front fence with big gates. So they won't be very accessible to passers by. Also by placing them out the front they won't be anywhere newar the neighbours. We are thinking of 2 or 3 chickens at this stage. Please let me know your thoughts as I am new to the chicken "thing"!Sarah McGrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000471798663271622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3738756270662190439.post-69101907617927984152010-06-06T03:33:46.640-07:002010-06-06T03:33:46.640-07:00Chickens are great, but if you are worried about w...Chickens are great, but if you are worried about what the neighbours think bear in mind that chickens scratch a lot and will wreck the grass or whatever is underfoot. They also make a large number of smelly deposits, which neighbours with sensitive noses could find offensive.On the other hand, I'm sure your neighbours would be glad of occasional gifts of fresh eggs.<br /><br />I don't know how large your front garden is, but I wonder if you are more likely to get eggs or even your chickens stolen if they are so much on show to passers-by? I feel ours are safer out the back, but then our front garden is quite small.Karinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03742282701625568386noreply@blogger.com