Hey.... Lets keep Chickens..!

ionahenor2

Just got the sad news that Raw Green Cottages of Barnsley is closing down.
Jody is selling all her hens and equipment .

Syman

Just been to the local farm shop to stock up on food for the school pets.

Only just managed to get away without getting some more girls.

was tough though,

HeatherintheHills

ionahenor2 wrote: »

Just got the sad news that Raw Green Cottages of Barnsley is closing down.
Jody is selling all her hens and equipment .

That is very sad, any idea what happened?

Symon, they will get you next time

happymum2010

Hello everyone :wave:,

On a misson tonight to design some sort of coop for a sick bay/temporary home for new chickens....must have more chickens.....must have more chickens.....must have more chickens *feeling feverish*. In my search for figuring out dimensions I found some more plastic coops. Don't know how I missed them the last time.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Chicken-Coop-Hen-House-10-Year-Warrenty/140792841514?ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1&ih=004&category=46292&cmd=ViewItem

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Chicken-Coop-Hen-House-Run-Cats-Rabbits-Ferrets-10-Year-Warrenty/140794969358?ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1&ih=004&category=46292&cmd=ViewItem

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Chicken-House-/320942442319?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item4ab9a9074f

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plastic-Chicken-Coop-/300739268544?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item4605750fc0

ionahenor2

Oh Syman. Looks like you're wavering. Do you not miss the eggs from not having your own girls or do you get them from school?

Happymum I want one or two of these.:rotfl:
http://www.wayfair.com/Miller-Mfg-Nesting-Box-Wall-Mount-in-Plastic-163620-MFG1093.html

This is the coop
http://www.wayfair.com/Chicken-Coops-and-Accessories-l2960-O46194~Natural+%5BS%5D+Eco%5BD%5DFriendly.html

No idea why Jody is giving up Heather.

Syman

Happymum, I like those coops. quite small though.

Ionahenor, Not a great fan of eggs to be honest, gave most of mine away. Enjoyed watching the girls more.

Heather, bought enough to get through the school holidays (which nicely fits in with my plans )

pinkpixie_2

Oh, I love the pictures of everyone's hens, I've become quite broody about the whole thing! (especially when I see a pic of a chick!). Not been on for a few weeks as had a poorly boy (human!).

I wonder if I could just quickly ask for some advice? We've now had our 3 girls for 3.5 weeks, they are 19.5 weeks old now, and we were told they would start laying at around 22 weeks, so bought some layers pellets ready to start feeding them these from 20 weeks old.

However, 2 days ago we went out to tend to their needs, to find an egg! It was small (about half normal size) and a mid brown colour (helps us to identify who laid it, as the will in theory lay 3 different coloured eggs). Then yesterday, we went out and found 2 eggs! They are different colours, one the same colour as yesterday and one a much lighter colour. One was broken. So here are my naive, inexperienced questions:

1) Are they ok to eat given that they are the first eggs, and they weren't on layers pellets when they laid them?
2) Will the eggs get bigger over time?
3) Did the 3rd egg likely break because the shell wasn't thick enough (due to not being on the layers pellets yet?) or because one of them stood on it/pecked at it?
4) Do hens always lay the same colour of eggs? Could the same hen have laid both the eggs yesterday? Seems a coincidence that two of them start laying within a day of each other?!

Told you I was inexperienced!:o

Thriftkitten

Hi al I found this thread and wanted to stop by to introduce myself
Single mum of 2 girls, 2 girl pugs, 1 girl cat and now 4 hens, We have recently moved to a property with HUGE front and back gardens and decided that the time was right to have our much wanted hens,
Rita, Sue and Primrose 1 yr old brown hens and Marj who looks like a grouse..... no idea her breed maybe someone can help me out, she also has fluffy feet and lays cream coloured eggs as apposed to the other girls who lay light brown eggs.
We absolutely love having the chickens and there is always a fight over who will clean them out or give them some evening corn treat, I have built a large run but would also like to update my coup as I feel they need some more space, 2 laying boxes but only 1 perch, the grouse look alike is really quite a big hen but the one that gets shoved about a bit, I looked at the links for the plastic houses, wow they look eggsellent, and soo much cheaper than the horrid omlet tiny things.
Anyway, Primrose is moulting and so not giving us any eggs, Sue hasnt layed since we have had her..... not sure why, possible moult but hard to tell, Rita and Marj lay everyday, however for the past 2 days Marj hasnt really been out of the nesting box a lot, and is presently sitting on an egg!!! I'm hoping she is just being fussy about the weather, however she is normally the one out first and in bed last, so maybe a broody, she has laid an egg but when my daughter opens the egg box she wont shift which normally she is out as soon as she hears the gate open.

Thriftkitten

Ok update from yesterday Marj is deffo broody, I decided today would be the day to move her to an old rabbit hutch as she is not letting the other girls into the coop without squalking ad hogging the nest boxes, she really put up a fight getting her out of the nesting box and finally gave in and went out for a stretch, I encouraged her(lol) into her hutch where she found a nest of 6 white bantam fertile eggs on one side and a water drinker and some pellets mixed with corn on the other, shut the doors and prayed she would hop on the nest..............4 and half hours later and she hasnt been off the eggs Yipppie!!!
I'm so egg sited I'm going to be a granny, the fertile eggs are going to be bantams called lemon millfleur sablepoot, georgeous looking bantams, marked it on the calender and counting the days down......whilst the other girls have gone to bed now I decided I would open the door for half an hour to see if she wanted to stretch her legs....... Most definately not, she didnt move an inch so I have tucked her up nice and safe and will invest in a run to attach to the hutch tomorrow so she can go out if she wants without the others going near the eggs as I will need one anyway once the chicks are born. Egg sited muchly!!!!:T

daisy_darling

Thriftkitten wrote: »

Ok update from yesterday Marj is deffo broody, I decided today would be the day to move her to an old rabbit hutch as she is not letting the other girls into the coop without squalking ad hogging the nest boxes, she really put up a fight getting her out of the nesting box and finally gave in and went out for a stretch, I encouraged her(lol) into her hutch where she found a nest of 6 white bantam fertile eggs on one side and a water drinker and some pellets mixed with corn on the other, shut the doors and prayed she would hop on the nest..............4 and half hours later and she hasnt been off the eggs Yipppie!!!
I'm so egg sited I'm going to be a granny, the fertile eggs are going to be bantams called lemon millfleur sablepoot, georgeous looking bantams, marked it on the calender and counting the days down......whilst the other girls have gone to bed now I decided I would open the door for half an hour to see if she wanted to stretch her legs....... Most definately not, she didnt move an inch so I have tucked her up nice and safe and will invest in a run to attach to the hutch tomorrow so she can go out if she wants without the others going near the eggs as I will need one anyway once the chicks are born. Egg sited muchly!!!!:T

Ohh you'll love them Sablepoots are darling little birds who are extremely sociable and very pretty too. Also, out of all the various breeds I've kept, these little birds get along well even with several cockerels in the flock.