Keeping chickens on a narrow boat

[mark99]

I'm sure I saw a boat on the GU with a large floating trailer which was an aviary. Strictly no livaboards on the Wey nor Pyrford Marina.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by mark99

[Machpoint005]

1 hour ago, Chris Williams said:

Some of the old boaters used to keep chickens, they lived in the cratch, and ran free when the boat was tied up.  One old boy started up his engine and started off - the chickens ran to the next bridge 'ole and jumped on, one by one.  Read that in a book somewhere.

 

Quite plausible, I'd say: chickens are not as stupid as they look. Live ones don't behave like the proverbial headless ones. It helps to consider them for what they are: feathered diminutive dinosaurs.

 

We don't keep ours on the boat.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

4 hours ago, Tumshie said:

This is totally not relevant but it was too cute not to post - it's a narrowboat FOR the chickens 

 

 

Could you keep humans in this narrowboat?

[Chris Williams]

8 minutes ago, mark99 said:

I'm sure I saw a boat on the GU with a large floating trailer which was an aviary. Strictly no livaboards on the Wey nor Pyrford Marina.

 

 

Back in the seventies I met a lady and her daughter, who lived on a plastic cruiser, which towed a raft with a large kennel for their two large dogs. They travelled extensively.

[Ray T]

John Blunn, a retired Black Country Boater kept chickens:

 

[Alan de Enfield]

5 hours ago, Tumshie said:

This is totally not relevant but it was too cute not to post - it's a narrowboat FOR the chickens 

 

 

 

Wouldn't the chooks on the 'ground floor'  (or should it be cellar) get a little damp and short of air ?

[Jerra]

36 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

Back in the seventies I met a lady and her daughter, who lived on a plastic cruiser, which towed a raft with a large kennel for their two large dogs. They travelled extensively.

Nobody seems to have mentioned it but wouldn't these towed animal houses need a licence albeit not terribly expensive.

[rusty69]

I would be worried that towing a raft of chickens would fowl the prop.

 

 

 

Ok,ok.....i'm going..........

[Tumshie]

1 minute ago, Jerra said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned it but wouldn't these towed animal houses need a licence albeit not terribly expensive.

If it didn't have an engine would it not be classed as a butty and therefore be subject to the same licence but I think AdeE mentioned that Victoria Plum's Garage is classed as a canoe because they didn't know what else to class it as. 

 

 

[Jerra]

4 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

If it didn't have an engine would it not be classed as a butty and therefore be subject to the same licence but I think AdeE mentioned that Victoria Plum's Garage is classed as a canoe because they didn't know what else to class it as. 

 

 

Don't canoes need a licence unless they are members of an organisation which has "done a deal" with CRT such as the BCU.

 

Edit.   Just had a check and yes canoes and kayaks need a licence unless members of BCU or WCU.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Jerra

[Tumshie]

1 minute ago, Jerra said:

Don't canoes need a licence unless they are members of an organisation which has "done a deal" with CRT such as the BCU.

Yes - I'm sorry I didn't make that bit clear, what I meant was that CRT classed VP's G as a canoe but I don't know what they're charged. I also don't know when something is too short/small to be a butty. 

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Don't canoes need a licence unless they are members of an organisation which has "done a deal" with CRT such as the BCU.

Yes, and the CRT canoe licence is for a specific boat which may then be kept on the water, unlike the BCU agreement licence which covers any boat as long as the BCU member is in the boat at the time. 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Yes - I'm sorry I didn't make that bit clear, what I meant was that CRT classed VP's G as a canoe but I don't know what they're charged. I also don't know when something is too short/small to be a butty. 

 

 

Yes - it was something like £12 per annum (cannot remember exactly but it was almost 'nothing')

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Alan de Enfield

[Jerra]

5 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

Yes - I'm sorry I didn't make that bit clear, what I meant was that CRT classed VP's G as a canoe but I don't know what they're charged. I also don't know when something is too short/small to be a butty. 

 

 

Interestingly they say to be a canoe/kayak it needs to be capable of being launched and retrieve by the "crew".    I would love to watch the hens launching the hen house!   

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Tumshie said:

Yes - I'm sorry I didn't make that bit clear, what I meant was that CRT classed VP's G as a canoe but I don't know what they're charged. I also don't know when something is too short/small to be a butty. 

 

 

Unpowered portables up to 5m (16 feet) are £51.02 this year with prompt payment.  You need to pay the £20 to register them first.

 

By contrast, BCU membership (allowing you to use any canoe but not lend them to other people) is £45 for an adult this year, less for young people.  Membership also includes third party insurance when on the water.

 

Note that CRT allow one tender up to 3m included in the "big boat" licence, but subject to extra T&C's.

 

The butty discount only applies to vessels over 55ft.

 

Hope this helps.

[Tumshie]

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

Hope this helps.

Yes. Much better than me randomly blundering about in the dark. 

 

 

[Jerra]

4 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Unpowered portables up to 5m (16 feet) are £51.02 this year with prompt payment.  You need to pay the £20 to register them first.

 

By contrast, BCU membership (allowing you to use any canoe but not lend them to other people) is £45 for an adult this year, less for young people.  Membership also includes third party insurance when on the water.

 

Note that CRT allow one tender up to 3m included in the "big boat" licence, but subject to extra T&C's.

 

The butty discount only applies to vessels over 55ft.

 

Hope this helps.

Ah so with the right boat and following the T&Cs  a "coop" some thing in the region of 2m x 3m could be included in the "big boat licence".   That casts a different light on things.

[blackrose]

About 8 years ago I was moored next to a Dutch barge at Brentford on pontoons about 25 yards from the bank. The guy on the barge decided to keep a few chickens on his roof in a large but not particularly sturdy cage. Not long after a fox managed to get onto his boat and killed them all. He was onboard at the time.

 

I was quite shocked that the fox had spotted the chickens from the bank even though there were other boats between and then either swum or jumped the 2 yard gap to get onto the pontoons to get to them. I guess 2 yards isn't that far for a fox to leap. It must have gone that way because the bridge to the pontoons was 100 yards away and I really can't see the fox walking 100 yards to the bridge and then back down the main pontoon. Anyway, it just shows how drawn they are to chickens.

[Jerra]

4 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I was quite shocked that the fox had spotted the chickens from the bank

Possibly hearing or smell guided it to the chickens rather than sight.

[hilary morton]

Do many canal users tow a butty?

[Tumshie]

8 minutes ago, hilary morton said:

Do many canal users tow a butty?

Does it matter - if you want to have one then have one. 

 

I don't know, I doubt it but there are some and some a pretty nifty ones. This is a piccy that was posted on this forum, the short boat to the right fixes securely onto the bow of the main boat so as you see they come in all shapes and sizes. 

 

 

 

 

[zenataomm]

1 hour ago, Tumshie said:

If it didn't have an engine would it not be classed as a butty and therefore be subject to the same licence but I think AdeE mentioned that Victoria Plum's Garage is classed as a canoe because they didn't know what else to class it as. 

 

 

In other words it'd be a Chicken Butty!!!!

 

[Murflynn]

as if duck shite ain't enough  

[cuthound]

8 hours ago, hilary morton said:

 Chickens are very versatile creatures in my experience...  

 

Mine too. You can roast them, boil them, put them in pies, curries and even sandwiches... ?

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

Mine too. You can roast them, boil them, put them in pies, curries and even sandwiches... ?

Pullet the other one.