Rural Gardening: To CMoxon...question about your Eglu, 1 by DrDoolotz

DrDoolotz wrote:
Oh, don't feel silly at all. The Eglu IS for urban chickens. It was just that I loved the design and never intended to have more than 2 or 3 chickens, so I thought it would be perfect despite my land amount. I mean, I really was more of a gardener, and I have this land because I love gardening and never really intended having animals beyond my greyhound. But...now look where I am!!! And if I had stuck to 2 or 3 chickens, it would still be just perfect. It IS still perfect - but only for a small number of hens. I will continue to use it for either new flock members (as a quarantine location) or a "chicken hospital" for one or two poorly hens, perhaps growing back their feathers, etc. And, if I ever downsize, I would definitely use it on any smaller land parcel too.

The Polish tend to be a bit flighty but maybe if you raised one from a chick it would be less so. I have attached a picture of mine. The other chickens picked on her so she is growing back her head feathers. Her colouring is really pretty. She is a buff laced Polish. I bought a Chantecler chicken because they are Canadian, as am I, so I totally understand your mother's point of view!

I did not let my initial Eglu hens out because I was so afraid of losing them. Then as I got more chickens, I realized it was OK to let them out because they do come back to roost. I needed time to believe this concept!!! I am a doubter sometimes! Right now I am not letting them out because I am trying to figure out which of my hens that I acquired from a work colleage is actually laying. He said they range in age from a year up to 7 or 8 years old. Those probably aren't laying. So I leave them in there for a week or 2 to see if they lay anything. If I let them free range, they could lay eggs anywhere, thus defeating the purpose...