Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

Gigervamp

This weekend, we've gone from having 8 girls to 13 girls and 1 cockerel!

Someone on freecycle was needing to rehome her 4 girls and we've taken them on. They're bigger than ours. One silver laced wyandotte, one orpington (she's absolutely huuuge!) and 2 copper marans.

We also bought a pair of silver sebrights. One of them is a boy. They're even smaller than our bantam silkie. And I've fallen in love with little Sebastian. :smileyhea

You can have a look at them here.

Money_maker

Loved the video - looks like you have a fair sized garden, ours is reasonable but would love your room! Was hoping to get a glimpse of your orpington as I raised one from chick many moons ago. Probably the most laid back and stupid breed but so gorgeous.

To the poster who mentioned cider vinegar on the last page, I use waitrose variety and used lots of sources to end up at 10ml per litre. HTH.

Gigervamp

It's not a garden. We had our girls in the garden until a few weeks ago, but they'd decimated it and were eyeing up the field on the other side of the fence!

We're very fortunate to have a couple of small fields attached to the house. The fields are owned by hubby's uncle and he suggested that we move them up there. We hadn't wanted to be presumptious and use the fields until he suggested it, but he gave us his blessing and even suggested using one first, then use the other when the grass has gone to give the first field time to rest. (Uncle was a farmer)

Have to say though, since moving them to the field, I rarely go in the garden. It feels dead without some chickens, so once the grass has grown back, I'd like to get a trio of pekin bantams in there.

ionahenor2

Gigervamp they are little beauties. What breed is Hattie? is the grey with rthe brownie head a bluebelle? The Seabrights are lovely too. Will you let them all roam together once they are settled?

I would love some new hens to add to my little gang.

Gigervamp

Hattie is an Orpington. The new grey girl (Maud) is a blue copper maran. She looks like a larger version of our bluebelle (and the black one (Betty) looks like a larger version of our Black rock).

The plan is to let them all roam together, but I'm not sure if that will be an option with the sebrights. I'm going to be asking for advice on that.

Belle laid her first egg for us today! It was bigger than we were expecting- we thought that it would be a similar size to a quails egg, but it was about half more bigger.

She's a very friendly girl too, but we need to get some more wives for Sebastian or Belle will get worn out.

redpete

Money_maker wrote: »

To the poster who mentioned cider vinegar on the last page, I use waitrose variety and used lots of sources to end up at 10ml per litre. HTH.

I doubt the stuff Waitrose sell is the same as this - http://poultrykeeper.com/common-articles-to-all-poultry/general/apple-cider-vinegar.html

one thing the article says...

Raw, unfiltered / unpasteurised ACV, can be found in health shops and many poultry / equine shops / outlets will sell bottles of it. Remember, the ACV you see on the shelf in your local supermarket is normally the filtered sort.

sparrer

Very excited - and not a little apprehensive - as I've just posted a letter to my HA asking permission to keep three chooks in my back garden. Sent them a diagram of where the coop and run will go, pictures of the type of structure I'm hoping to get, and, hopefully, proof that I have a little knowledge of keeping chickens, gleaned mainly from friends who have them, and some from the 103 (!) pages of this forum .

I'm away from 4th June so don't expect to hear before I go but keeping everything x'd in the meantime, and will keep reading all the valuable advice the lovely posters here have given to date

mardatha

My HA said up to 6 hens were ok because that came under "pets", but any more than that were "livestock" LOL

sparrer

mardatha wrote: »

My HA said up to 6 hens were ok because that came under "pets", but any more than that were "livestock" LOL

My initial phone enquiry went something like this -

Me: I'm enquiring about keeping 3 chickens in my back garden. I can't find anything in the handbook or on your website, can you let me know the HA's policy please?
Not Terribly Bright Young Man: Do you live in a flat?
Me: No, I have a semi-detached house
NTBYM: Cos we don't allow pets in flats, well, fish and that, but not dogs and cats. Well only if it's a ground floor flat with a garden
Me, with a sigh: No, I live in a semi with a garden. I'm actually asking about chickens, not dogs or cats
NTBYM: Oh, right. Well, umm, I don't know, bear with me and I'll look in the hand book (I hate that expression, I don't want to 'bear/bare' with anyone, especially a stranger :mad:)
Me: I've been right through it, but perhaps you have an updated version?
NTBYM: yeah - err - no it's the same one you get. Tell you what, can you write in with what you want?
Me, speaking slowly as if to a rather stupid child : Yes, I think that would be best. Who do I address the request to?
NTBYM proceeds to give me the office address
Me: Yes, thank you I have the address, I need the name of a contact?
NTBYM: yeah, err - well if you just write in they'll tell you
Me, trying to keep tongue out of cheek: Thank you for your help (?)

I'd say it's a universal HA staff issue but as I worked for one for 15 years......:rotfl:

dandy-candy

I grew up keeping chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, quail and pheasants; but that was 20 years ago now (!) and now my kids are big I would like to have chickens again (actually I'd like everything again but starting small first lol). I originally kept Rhode Island reds but I just want to check which you think are the best egg layers? Also my last lot I hatched from eggs but I wouldn't mind rescuing some ex-batterys now, but do you find they are still good for laying? Thx for any ideas