Working Over view :>

We hope to (after our course on 27th Feb 2011) to buy our chickens...We have already purchased our equipment for feeding and watering from Hadleigh Pet Supplies and are just finishing off the last of the building work... This is our over view of how it will all work :)

We each purchase (from the same flock at the same time) a chicken..The club will purchase 2 extra (see below for details why). We are each individually responsible for the health costs (and maintenance ) of our chicken...This will ensure that all chickens are kept to a high standard of care and accountability...We have an isolation coop for any ill or broody chickens...We pay jointly for the costs of feeding (and bedding)  all of the chickens - dividing the monthly cost between all of the members...

We are responsible for the feeding/letting in and out/cleaning of ALL of the chickens on our day (see rota for details).....On our rota'd day we collect and keep ALL eggs that are laid on that day..If a chicken appears to be unwell we notify the person who owns the chicken...Our individual care is to our chicken and any that are purchased by the club.(see rules).

We considered collectively paying for ill chickens BUT realised that the Treasurer would need to get ALL of the members to agree vets fees...Peoples opinion on when to consult a vet varies...Also if more than one chicken is unwell then the person whose day it is could spend all day sorting it out..If they don't manage to sort it out it then it could overspill onto the next day..Some people wouldn't deal with it (as it isn't on their rota'd day) whilst others would....Each looking after just the one chicken is easier, quicker and requires one agreement  :>

The club will purchase 2 extra chickens (10 members plus 2 of the club making a total of 12)..This ensures that if any chickens unfortunately die then they can be bought from the club without the introduction of any new chickens...Also if some of the chickens don't lay..hopefully *fingers crossed* we will still have the possibility of 10 each day :)

Keeping the chickens (or should I say hens!) collectively means that if we are on holiday/away we can swap with another member on our feeding day..Instead of having to do this daily this will be approximately only about three times per month...We should get about 30 eggs per month (more than enough)...We can dispose of our greens from our allotments and the cost will be lower than shop bought eggs with more free range  vitamins...YUMMMMMM :>

And the last reason...we meet friends and get to keep our chicken (our hen!) on our allotment  :)

How our rota works :>

The rota really is as easy as numbering the calendar days from 1 to 9 (our current members) and then back to 1 again.. When you sign the memberships and hand them in they will be numbered 1 to 9.

(Example  - Bob's membership form is "number 8"). Say we get the chickens in Dec – Our writing on the calendar is in red (numbers 1 to 9). The purple numbers are the printed calendar.... Bob will look for all the red number "8" and that will be his chicken feeding day. So he will feed the hens on ;-

Wed 8^th Dec, Fri 17^th Dec, Sun 26^th Dec (and Tue Jan 4^th)

The cleaning Day would be done exactly the same way :)

Printed calendar in Purple

Mon  Tue   Wed  Thur  Fri   Sat   Sun           

                   Dec

                        1     2       3      4       5                          

                        1     2      3      4        5           

Mon  Tue  Wed Thur   Fri   Sat   Sun                

6        7      8         9    10     11     12           

6       7       8         9        1        2       3           

Mon  Tue  Wed  Thur  Fri  Sat   Sun

 13    14     15     16     17   18    19

 4       5       6       7       8        9      1

  

Mon  Tue Wed Thur Fri  Sat  Sun

20     21     22   23    24   25   26         

 2      3       4      5     6      7     8               

Mon  Tue  Wed  Thur Fri  Sat   Sun       

 27    28     29     30      31  1Jan   2

9        1       2         3     4      5      6                 

Mon  Tue  Wed  Thur Fri  Sat   Sun       

3        4       5        6      7      8    9

7        8      9        1      2      3     4               

Our Rules :>

Being a co-operative we decided that we needed rules so here are some of the points that you may need to consider when making yours....

1. The amount of chickens agreed (by the local authorites/Town Council) for the area allocated for your chickens .

2. The amount of space needed to keep the chickens healthy - we wanted free range. A good idea would be to limit 10 members to a coop ensuring that you get eggs every 10 days. We have a Summer and Winter area allowing the chickens a change of grassland.

3. You must have held your allotment tenancy for a minimum of a year. Some people give up allotments during their first year - this would ensure that the person was serious about the commitment of having chickens.

4. A maximum number of members (we have 10). The membership is signed by the plot holder but a family member (over 18 years) can help them.

5. We decided that larger families could have more than one chicken (So if you owned more than one plot (or half plot - as allocated by the Town Council) you could join and have a membership number / go on the waiting list for each plot/chicken required).

6. Should the plot holder relinquish their tenancy then one month notice to the club will be required before they remove their chicken. The replacement member can be advised and then included in the following months rota.

7. On joining the club the member is acknowledging shared liability for all expenses relating to the housing/fencing/feeding of all of the chickens whilst a member.      

     

8. On joining the club the member is acknowledging shared responsibility for the maintenance of all housing/fencing/feeding equipment of all the chickens whilst a member.

           

9. All eggs are for our own consumption (NOT for sale under any circumstances). We felt that this was an important point - it isn't a money making venture.

10.No cockerel(s). *You may need to check if you want one that you are allowed one*. Hens can lay without one.

 11. On joining the club the member is acknowledging the shared responsibility of the cleaning/feeding/letting in and out of all the chickens as per rota.

12. We are purchasing our chickens from the same flock at the same time. There will be 12 (10 for members plus 2 extra that will be kept collectively - should a hen die then one of the two "spare chickens" can be purchased from the club by the member to replace their chicken. This will ensure that no new chickens are introduced to the flock.

  

13. If you are on holiday/ill when you are responsible for feeding/cleaning the chickens then it is the members responsibility to arrange cover with other members. Having many members we are all able to offer support to each other  : )

14.All members pay a joining fee of £20.00 (per chicken). This ensures that a float (as well as fundraising money) is available to replace equipment when required. Therefore keeping our outgoings to a minimum.

15. When you leave the club all the jointly acquired assets are transferred to the club and its current members.

Fencing

After placing the posts into the ground we dug down (atleast 12 inches) so that the wire could be placed into the soil and then bent back (outwards) so that if a fox does dig down he will hit wire.

The wire will be done in three sections - the first into the ground and upto waist height.Then upto head height and then the last wire will be bent outwards (onto the pieces of wood attached to the posts) so that if a fox does climb up the wire he will fall back onto himself. You attach the sections of wire together with tying wire pulled taught and secured at one end.

We planted excess raspberry and blackberry plants near to the wire..Great for the hens to eat the bugs and the prickles should help to deter predators.

Nearly finished!!!  But its time to go home :)

Re-erecting A Foodstore

We decided that we needed a foodstore/general hut for our medicine cabinet, egg laying count book,bedding etc.. A shed was donated and rebuilt onto our site...

The coop is on the left (with the ladder leaning against it)..Foodstore on the right.

Making a Chicken Coop :>

We got our idea for our chicken coop from this wonderful site - It allows you to look at the plans as long as they are only for your use. We have amended it to suit our needs and send a big squeezy hug of thanks to them for their wonderful information. Here is their link;-

http://www.buildeazy.com/chicken_coop_metric_1.html

Side view of the coop with the window on the left..

Finished coop with the egg box (where the hens will lay their eggs).

Waterproofed laying box

From the side...We still have to sort out our two exits (one that goes into our Winter pasture and one that goes into our Summer pasture).

Chicken Course

We have booked our chicken course for the 27th February (Sunday) in the afternoon 1 - 4 ...Our hosts are Ann and Ben - Here is their website;-

http://www.gardenandchicken.co.uk/

It's funny how we are so nervous yet excited - our building work is about to begin again after the Christmas break..Not long until we have our chickens : >