Allotments with chickens !

doddsy

beer2006

How long do you have them for eggs before they get the chop? And do you find they need sloooow cooking?

Can't wait to get some more - but we literally live three fields away from a RSPCA free range egg business, and until bird flu fuss goes away I will bide my time.

yours
Doddsy

aimeelister

My neighbours keep chooks up on their field where they keep the horses and they visit twice a day when they do the horses, but only seem to collect the eggs and top up water and feed. They have a run at the bottom and a ladder up to the top nesting box bit which seems to work fine, the thigns home made and is attached to retractable wheels which you put down then move it around to give them some new grass. They seem very content and there are no problems with foxes. Dont know whether its the same house as the whatsit-doodar blokey of the tv as ive never seen it, but from descriptions it seems sort of the same.

beer2006

doddsy wrote:

beer2006

How long do you have them for eggs before they get the chop? And do you find they need sloooow cooking?

Can't wait to get some more - but we literally live three fields away from a RSPCA free range egg business, and until bird flu fuss goes away I will bide my time.

yours
Doddsy

Well tbh these are my first and they should be in the pot now almost :rolleyes: but they are old breeds though, so go on laying longer than hybrids.

They're 3 yrs old now, although I got an extra one this yr to make up the egg count so I didn't have to kill them.........you see I don't like anyone to know, but I'm a big softy really

Had a bit of a disaster this yr and last when we tried to hatch eggs with a broody, 2 survived this yr, the one new hen and a cockeral we ate at new yr. If a load had survived I might have killed the original lot (ummm I doubt it tho) they are still laying well, would be different if they weren't.

On acountrylife.com theres a post or article on how to prepare an old bird for the pot without it being tough, I was just going to read that when the time comes, until then I have enough info I'm trying to fit into my head

in_my_wellies

I keep chucks on my lottie - 6 altogether, but it is at the bottom of my garden!

Wouldn't do it if I had to drive

Anastacia

Thanks everyone for the input. As you say I dont think it would be fair on them. The allotment is only 5 minutes away from the house (on my bike) just down a country lane. We dont have vandalism around here really, most threats for my them would be more natural, as we do have foxes. We 'll see how we go with the fruit & veg for a year or two & if we find we are down there a couple of times a day anyway then who knows, but not yet.
Just off to buy some seed potatoes, as they need attention but not quite so much. Other than that I'll have to wait until i have a bigger garden.

Thanks again
Panda
PS Forgot to mention someone has offered me some Bantam chicks . Good job I checked it out with you all before I committed to anything.