Yorkshire Chickens

ViksB

North Yorkshire Smallholder society arranged some battery hen rehoming this year, if this is the route you want to take. Personally for someone with no experience I would buy from a small farmer or breeder and then you can atleast phone them up with questions.

Muppet81

www.bhwt.org.uk is the site for the Battery Hen Welfare trust who organise re-homing of ex-battery hens.
Probably the nearest coordinator for you would be Adele Hall in Haslingden. I am helping her with a rescue this Friday when just under 300 hens will be re-homed. There is a waiting list at the moment as a result of Jamie and Hugh and their wonderful work. But to offer a new life to an ex-battery hens is such a rewarding thing to do.
Please consider it and feel free to PM me if you want any additional information. I tend to forget to check for PMs and only today responded to someone who PMd me a few weeks ago about a similar issue. I promise I will try torember to check them.

MoJo

V_Chic_Chick wrote: »

Markets are ok if you know what you're doing (or have someone with you who does!) but if you haven't kept chickens before then you simply won't have a feeling for what constitutes a sick bird, and all those little tell tale signs to look out for. If you have an experienced friend with you, then fine, but otherwise, I'd avoid for now.

Pretty much what I was thinking, I've read the words of advice but have no physical experience. I'd like to find somewhere that has time to give me some hands-on advice. I'm desperate to get going but won't jump in blindly.

MoJo

Jnelhams wrote: »

you could try Eglu, I believe they supply the chickens too.

http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/homepage.php

Ta, but Eglu scared the pants off me with their prices

MoJo

Thanks to everyone who advised about battery hens.

I confess that was my first motivation but I'm not convinced I could do a battery hen justice. I've never kept poultry and I would hate to cause any of those poor hens more distress.

I figure there is ample interest in them at the present so more than enough time for me to start out with some healthy birds and build up some hands-on experience. I know that down the line it is not simple to add hens to an existing coop but by that time I will understand hens a little more.

Buying from a small farmer or breeder would be my ideal, but they all seem to prefer the southern climate

V_Chic_Chick

MoJo wrote: »

Pretty much what I was thinking, I've read the words of advice but have no physical experience. I'd like to find somewhere that has time to give me some hands-on advice. I'm desperate to get going but won't jump in blindly.

Have you thought about working on a city farm? That will get you some hands-on experience, but bear in mind that they aren't always examples of best practice.

MoJo

V_Chic_Chick wrote: »

Have you thought about working on a city farm? That will get you some hands-on experience, but bear in mind that they aren't always examples of best practice.

Is that an oxymoron?
Never heard of city farms, will have to look that one up....

Lotus-eater

I would advise you not to have battery hens, I can't honestly be bothered to write it out again as I've written it for a couple of threads before, if you search for it you will find it.

MoJo

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I would advise you not to have battery hens, I can't honestly be bothered to write it out again as I've written it for a couple of threads before, if you search for it you will find it.

I've read most threads on here about chickens so probably have read your post along the way. I'm not after Battery Hens, although I may do in the fullness of time. I was hoping to get some recommendations for where to buy hens in the North.

V_Chic_Chick

Theres a big list of all the city farms at http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/

You could also go on a course, but these tend to be quite expensive and not very MSE. However, I've never been on one, so I will reserve judgment on how useful they are. As and when you go to buy your chickens, don't be afraid to ask the breeder anything. Most are fountains of knowledge and if they aren't willing to help a newbie then they shouldn't be in the business I remember when I got my first pair of hens, when I mentioned to the breeder that they were my first, he looked thrilled (especially since I'm young and most in the fancy are old enough to have bus passes lol) and took me on a tour of his farm, before regaling me with tales of his poultry keeping youth