cheep!!! GOLD! Agreed...there shouldn't be a smell, but by golly they can excrete their own body weight in a day. If that's a problem keep their runs contained a bit. Best thing EVER is fresh eggs.

Keep em away from the house re smell. We often use sawdust instead of straw as the latter keeps getting more expensive. Can combine with ducks.

nope..no room..no time ..plus we want a life where we can just lock up and leave whenever ..a no fuss life ..

Not sure I could get a chook run happening on my balcony, but it's got me dreamin'!

I used to when I was younger on a 1200m2 section,but on a 750 section I decided it was impractical. Yes, they can be kept in a cage/coop all the time but I think they go better let out to roam occasionally.

Anyway, moving to a small block soon, cant wait to get some scratching around, clucking and squawking! :-) And yes, Suzi, the EGGS.....

I would love it but I wonder if many suburban gardens are too small and sometimes they don't always get the love they need because people do not understand the full responsibility and I do sometimes see them wondering the streets and wonder which house to return them to. There is also a risk of cat / dog attacks so if I was to have them they would have to be fully contained and to me that takes away their freedom of foraging. I have a nice garden that I take pride in and I don't know if I would like them wrecking my plants. I also do not eat many eggs (never buy any) so currently I have no intention of getting hens but longer term I dream of a life style block and then they will be part of my organic ecosystem and they will always be rescue birds and will be well loved and provided for.

Ours are in the run during the week, but have a ball free ranging our yard on weekends, when we tie up our Jack Russelcross dogs, and someone is out there with them, to protect from foxes , cats and eagles.

you can get "chook tractor" runs, easy to make, that can be moved around.

Check Local Council regulations before going ahead with chooks. There are minimum distances they have to be from the house and neighbours' houses too and these can vary from Council to Council. Buy or build a good quality coop to keep them in at night with a mesh floor to keep predators out and a enclosed run for daytime scratching. Be prepared to clean the coop daily and smell is not an issue, it doesn't take long to do. The chooks will tame and don't mind being picked up and petted so are great for young children - in fact they are great pets for teaching kids responsibility when they can clean the coop and feed them.

Like Trek said, you can let them run free if you are home to sit and relax with them, just an hour or two here and there will keep them happy.

If you do go away, there is always someone to care for them - who wouldn't when the bonus is fresh eggs for their efforts.

This is the most amazing hen house I have ever seen. I looked at further photos, shows it is set up in the back of a garage sized shed. It looks so clean, like the way the nesting box is at waist height for ease of collecting eggs, and the screened in yard for them on the other side. You would hardly know there were chooks there. Clever.

We are in a bushfire area near fields, so chose a metal aviary, which we insulated the roof of, on concrete pavers so predators cant get in. There's a heavy blanket over the mesh in Winter. They are let out every morning to the run, under deciduous fruit trees, which faces 3/4 away from the house. Right now they are free ranging.

Our four free-range every day when it's up to me, and only for an hour or so before sunset if it's up to my other half. Until summer that is, then I'm happy to keep them safely locked away from the snakes that are surely slithering about our couple of acres. He reckons they scratch up the property too much. I reckon the rake needs a workout now and again...

I wouldn't say we're getting "free" organic eggs. Aside from kitchen scraps, you do have to feed them, at least where we are you do. It is probably cheaper to just buy eggs, but at least this way you know the chooks are happy and well cared for. Our local doves and pigeons love chook food. We've just spent a small fortune on a step-on feeder to stop the pesky free-loaders getting into it. Was funny watching the girls trying to get used to it.

Tribble, I lined their colourbond sleeping quarters with that aluminium insulation stuff. They love it, it's given the dark space of their roost a bit of a disco vibe. Well, it would be if there was music and flashing lights...

Good idea, jdub. I agree the good chook food is not cheap. They are more pets than anything , the straw adds up too. To keep birds out, I have plans to roof the run with chicken wire, but hubby hasn't got around to it, was a bit worried about bird flu at one stage. Never hear about it lately?

our insulation on the roof is backs of styro fruit boxes, butted together then topped with scrap corrugated steel. Very cheap at the tip if you can find good bits. Made it bigger than the aviary for extra shelter.

Hey Tribble, I only just saw your reply. We had a chicken that used to cough...freaked me out for a while there, lol. She was fine, just a cougher.

You've gotta love styrene. We used it in the shed when we lived in it (while building), although it did have a tendency to outgas pretty badly on really hot days. Not an issue in the chookpen though.

Yes, it's on top of the aviary, like a sandwich, the deciduous trees stop it getting too hot anyway. They have the coolest spot in the yard. A garlic clove in the water can help some health problems.

yes this kind :) how cute are they ? wanted to take them home today..had to restrain myself :)

Awww............................. well I know never to go shopping with you Vy.

olldroo hehehe why is that olldroo ? then you can spend for both of us :)

I think we would lead each other astray - I am such a sucker for cute things like that but I try to keep it to Christmas ornaments.

olldroo I love stuff that's not mass produced and ones with personality

We have a small inner-city backyard with three chooks. They live in a chicken tractor which we built to sit on top of our raised veggie beds. After a harvest is complete, the chooks clean up, till and fertilise the soil. They get let out to free range, and we throw any garden clippings in there, as well as all the food scraps from our kitchen (we have a toddler so there's no shortage of scraps). I buy pellets for $1.50/kg from our local pet wholesaler and they eat about a kilo per week. The coop is totally vermin/fox proof because it's on raised veggie beds, and it doesn't smell at all. It makes our veggie gardens much more productive, with very little work from us. Plus we get 2-3 eggs every day!

@twitofalili Love your setup!