Daydream thread continues.....

rozeepozee

Is it just because we are living with Cardis (locals notorious for their tightness) or just a rural thing, that there doesn't seem to be much in the way of secondhand round here? I will look though. You're right. Chicken housing is for townies! Pah!

rozeepozee

Cochins. OH MY WORD! Love!!!!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

ooooo cochins 'sigh' brilliant birds... I do miss them, my lot died of old age...

my splash hen...

def going to get more this year. might even keep an eye out for eggs on the bay

rozeepozee

Eggs and chicks.... Now that would be fun! As a breeder myself (of humans) though, isn't it cruel to incubate them and to have no mummy? How do they learn how to behave?

If cochins go broody often would it be an inde to get some hens and then buy in some eggs?

I'm getting ahead of myself again...

Davesnave

Cochins would be impossible in the run where mine are ATM. Far too much mud!

I agree about the shed. When you're cleaning-out, it makes a world of difference if you can stand up properly to do it.

I think everyone has slightly different experiences with hen breeds. For example, I can't see why anyone would want to have Welsummers. We have a few from two entirely unrelated sources, but they aren't productive and they're just very boring.

Rummer

Oh I would love to have chickens

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I kept my cochins, silkies and pekins under cover, to keep their leg and head feathers dry and free from mud...

pekins are lovely little birds too,

agree with Alfie and Davesnave, buy a shed, and just add a perch, and some boxes for nest boxes.. I also find If for ever reason you need to keep them in for a day, there is plenty of room/space to keep them in... extreme weather, rain or snow..Those little coups/runs you see for sale in pet shops garden centres at over inflated prices are a joke...

alfie_1

rozee...... if i was you id get some half grown [when they know he from she ] and then you can let one of those sit on bought in eggs later on.
i think you need to think of it like a foundation stone....in this case the chicken BEFORE the egg !..;) :rotfl:

p.s. my butt/back/arms feel like theyve just come out of a war !:(

rhiwfield

I'll stick in my twopenceworth.

We chose our chicken breeds for egg laying and hardiness.

I'll get my coat.............................................

lostinrates

rhiwfield wrote: »

I'll stick in my twopenceworth.

We chose our chicken breeds for egg laying and hardiness.

I'll get my coat.............................................

Well, my Cochins Laid good quality eggs, and into great old age. not huge numbers as they got older off course but still got seasonal gluts, and the occasional winter egg.

Mine were on grass at the old place, and the leg feather was definitely better after we moved.

But my Cochins were hail, hearty and easy to get opn with.

I have been toying with buying some young modern commercial hybrids this year, just to see. The egg quality of my older breeds is definitely better than the ex batts. It cannot now be food because they have been here for ages and ages now, but the consistancy of both parts of egg is much better as is the colour. It's not a huge deal when making a cake, but when poaching or frying an egg it makes a big difference.

Quality is part of the game for me (and welfare, which incidentally is why I 'shop vegan' at lidl and aldi, not because I know their welfare is not good, but because I don't know what it is....). It seems crazy to give my animals a great life while subjecting others to lowest standards of farming in the EU!