Quote: DaButt @ August 1 2009, 2:24 PM BSTAre you allowed to have chickens? They'd be against the rules in most neighborhoods in the States. Probably OK in the very rural areas, but not in the cities and suburbs.
They're allowed in most areas - especially as during the war people were encouraged to keep them. We have ducks and peacocks, so I guess it would be okay.
I think only a boy chicken would make enough noise to annoy neighbours. Girl chickens mostly make that nice comforting clucking sound. Aw.
I want chickens and a fox. But not at the same time.
You could probably quite easily arrange to have the chickens first, and then the fox?
I have foxes. Hence the guinea pigs sleep indoors and the chickens may be a problem.
I grew up in the country, so we had a goat named Otis, who was very cross-eyed. He used to try to ram us, so we had to arm ourselves with a plastic child's baseball bat. Ah, memories.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 1 2009, 3:37 PM BSTI have foxes.
A fox ran in front of my car on my drive to the office yesterday. It's only the second one I've seen in the wild. You don't see many in the places I've lived, but I know they were around.
I saw a Florida panther in the wild when I was a teenager. There are only a dozen or so left. We also had a bobcat that used to eat the little bunnies in our back yard. 
Quote: DaButt @ August 1 2009, 3:45 PM BSTA fox ran in front of my car on my drive to the office yesterday. It's only the second one I've seen in the wild. You don't see many in the places I've lived, but I know they were around.
I saw a Florida panther in the wild when I was a teenager. There are only a dozen or so left. We also had a bobcat that used to eat the little bunnies in our back yard.
Pet bunnies or wild? I don't mind them getting the wild ones.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 1 2009, 3:50 PM BSTPet bunnies or wild? I don't mind them getting the wild ones.
Wild.
My former in-laws have a 60-acre farm with cows, horses, donkeys, llamas, chickens and turkeys, but they're ready to give up on the fowl because coyotes keep killing them. They've yet to find a way to keep them out of the coops. They leave a rifle near the window of the upstairs guest room (it's a converted barn) and encourage visitors to shoot any coyotes they see.
Quote: DaButt @ August 1 2009, 3:56 PM BSTWild.
My former in-laws have a 60-acre farm with cows, horses, donkeys, llamas, chickens and turkeys, but they're ready to give up on the fowl because coyotes keep killing them. They've yet to find a way to keep them out of the coops. They leave a rifle near the window of the upstairs guest room (it's a converted barn) and encourage visitors to shoot any coyotes they see.
They're Wily. 
Quote: Aaron @ August 1 2009, 1:47 PM BSTNoggetFred; Eglu?
No, conventional ramshackle affair.
Girl chickens mostly make that nice comforting clucking sound.
Except for when they lay their eggs, they go "cluck cluck cluck cluck SQUAWK cluck cluck cluck cluck SQUAWK..." repeatedly for several minutes. So with my four, that's four times a day.
But the great thing about chickens is that they are so ludicrously funny, which is why you'll never see a chicken on BBC Three.
Quote: NoggetFred @ August 1 2009, 4:44 PM BSTBut the great thing about chickens is that they are so ludicrously funny, which is why you'll never see a chicken on BBC Three.
Are you listening. Danny Cohen!? 
How are they for care? Do they require a lot of attention? Ideally I would like to let them roam the garden and pen them up at night, but I might have to get them an enclosure. What happens if you go away for the weekend, can you get away with someone just popping round to check some food in?
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 1 2009, 4:48 PM BSTWhat happens if you go away for the weekend, can you get away with someone just popping round to check some food in?
yes. The poo builds up a bit under their perches, but it's OK for a couple of days.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 1 2009, 4:48 PM BSTIdeally I would like to let them roam the garden and pen them up at night, but I might have to get them an enclosure.
You mentioned that you have a fox, and that could be a problem, although for some reason the foxes here ignore our chickens.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 1 2009, 4:48 PM BSTHow are they for care?
Easy.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ August 1 2009, 4:48 PM BSTDo they require a lot of attention?
Yes officer, that's why I sleep with them.