I am Tom Gardner's daughter.

1. There's no reason to kill them once they stop laying as they really do
become pets, and believe it or not, they have lovely individual
personalities. Plus, most chickens never completely stop laying, they just
slow down to the point where you are getting one egg a month if you're
lucky! In short, they lay 80% of what they laid the previous year.

2. I've never had a problem with rats. I know that there are a few mice
around, but they were there before the chickens were, and there hasn't been
any increase to my knowledge. It's more common to see next door's cat with
a garden bird in it's mouth than a mouse. Just clear up any spilt feed, and
you won't have a problem.

3. You won't have a complete lawn with chickens. If you get an ark
(triangular thing) and move it around, you will just end up with a
gradually thinning lawn. IMHO it's easier just to resign yourself to losing
a small amount of lawn, and leave them in that place.

4. Are you allowed to keep chickens? Check the property deeds, and the
local bylaws. Most towns will state no cockerels (due to noise), but hens
will lay just as well without them, and they won't be terrorised by their
constant raping. However, if it is in your house deeds, then more than
likely you can get away with it. The number of violations I have seen of
house deeds around here is astonishing (I'm assuming that they all say the
same thing, as they were built at the same time by the same builder in the
same style). However, if your neighbours complain to the council, then if
you are in violation of the bylaws, the bylaws could be used against you.
Appease them with some eggs.

5. I learnt the vast majority of what I know (a lot, my website
www.allaboutchickens.tk is only a portion of what I know, and is constantly
being updated, if and when I have time) from a message board called
backyard chickens at http://p072.ezboard.com/bbackyardchickens and the
people there are really friendly. I am known there as V Chic Chick if you
want to come on over

6. Feel free to message me with any questions via the contact us page on my
website, or by PM on backyard chickens.

7. Think about what breeds you are going to get.
Pure breeds are prettier and can be shown. DEFRA has also promised not to
cull any healthy pure breeds in the event of a bird flu outbreak. However,
they lay less eggs per year, but don't burn out after 18 months like
hybrids do.
Hybrids are less pretty, but they do the job if all you are after is eggs.
But they tend to just be a boring brown colour.

8. You can look at lots of nice pictures of different chicken breeds at
www.feathersite.com

9. Don't bother with one of these eglu things. They're overpriced and
undersized for anything larger than a couple of bantams. Much better to go
with a nicer bigger wooden one, either bought in, or made yourself (much
cheaper, and built to your own requirements).

Helena.