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anne
Gold Member
England
877 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 12:00:03 PM
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Always said this was something we were going to get when we got sorted so OH has got me one for my birthday 
Trouble is I have never had chickens before and don't know what to get or where to start.
Just looking for eggs as I know for a fact we will get attached to them and will end up with lots of old hens
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 12:03:53 PM
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What about rescueing some ex-battery hens? They will come to you practically bald and unable to totter about, but it will be wonderful watching them discovering the joys of life outside their prisons, blossoming into beautiful birds and they will go on to be very good layers for you. Here's a link with info
www.thehenshouse.co.uk
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
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angel2002
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2502 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 12:26:02 PM
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I have 12 hens and they produce the best eggs ever! We got given them by a chicken farm that was sending them to slaughter. Apparently they only keep them for 12 months then swap them for new layers. I get about 9-10 eggs a day from mine.
DO BEWARE THE DREADED FOX!!! That rotten bugger has killed over 30 hens of ours and our stunning cockeral. If I ever catch it I will shoot him!!!!! I wouldn't mind if he took one to eat but oh no, he chews the heads of every one and leaves them!!
Pet shops do books on 'garden hens' that are very good.
Good luck and happy baking when you get up and running :)) |
Angel
Passion Arabians
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anne
Gold Member
England
877 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 1:25:42 PM
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Yes Zan would like to rescue some battery hens but as we have never had before I think we will get a couple to start with and then look at it later just worried that I would miss any problems because I would assume it was due to their past if you see what I mean.
Thanks judith will have a look at that site at the moment I have no internet a home so try nipping on at work when I have a moment
Angel we got one with a run just in case |
..................................................................... Photo by David Evans |
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unicorn leather
Bronze Member
England
229 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 2:40:45 PM
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French Marans lay a lovely deep brown egg, Light sussex provide nice eggs too, you can add to the quantity by having some Rhode Island Reds, they are the best layers.I had crushed oyster shell readily available for mine, it provides them with the calcium they need for good strong shells on their eggs, don't forget to worm them regulary too and watch out for mites!
They come out at night on the perches, all of which are preventable and treatable!
Most of all, enjoy your eggs!
Oz:) |
Traditional Working Saddler |
Edited by - unicorn leather on 29 Mar 2007 2:42:14 PM |
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NatH
Platinum Member
England
2695 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 3:01:05 PM
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I love 'bantam' type hens. That's the small variety for those that don't know.
Pekins make lovely pets, they are very friendly, even the cockrels
I agree with Unicorn Leather than Marans lay lovely eggs. You can get bantam marans too |
Natalie
Chapel Lane Arabians
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 5:25:50 PM
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Bantams are adorable, our farmer keeps them as pets. They have lots of personality and the cockerels are lovely. Actually, I like chickens too!
You are lucky, what a lovely pressie, I'd love to have some!
Grey Girl |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2007 : 9:27:09 PM
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| If you want free range, no fuss, hard as nails, friendly, long living, excellent brown egg layers.........then I would say have "Black Rocks" they are beautiful large hens with black plumage (often hi-lighted with brown) that shimmers in the sunlight! They are long lived, hardy, friendly & lay lots of delicious brown eggs. they are hy-breds bred for free-range. Our oldest hen must be coming up for 9 years & still lays!! They also brave & are quite capable of sorting out dogs, cats etc!!! |
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macdonald
Bronze Member
England
226 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 08:21:43 AM
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Also welsummer hens lay nice dark eggs.
Louise
hunnyhill arabians |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 10:16:53 AM
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Hi there, I've had hens for years and years - various breeds including some rare breeds. I've lost literally hundreds to the fox. Your first priority must be to make sure they're in a fox proof area. Foxes are feeding young now and as the young get bigger they get more and more desperate and will scale very high fencing to get to your birds (or dig down underneath...).
Electric poultry fencing is expensive but a very good solution. Let me know if you need any as I have some spare and unused.
They are great to own, like goldfish, they're lovely and relaxing to watch as they spend their time scratching around for little bits.
Lulu Jenkins and her brother (who have the gorgeous Arab stallion Raymondo) 'liberate' battery hens. I bought a dozen a while ago after they advertised a batch on here. Heather McBreen had six of them.
I have her mobile number if you'd like to email me on roseanne_edwards@journalist.com. |
Roseanne |
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Libby Frost
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4711 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 10:22:30 AM
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| we used to have battery hens,so sad for the first week to 10 days watching them just STAND in the same spot for days then suddenly realise HEY! i can move forward!! This is great!! We have some where i keep Herbs and they are nice,but the pen must be fox/badger proof,and you need to enclose them in their pen totally for a few days so they learn where their new home is!!!good luck!! |
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Kais
New Member
England
17 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 11:41:32 AM
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Ann do not think that a run will keep the fox out
rember to put them in before dusk
have fun forget holidays
Kais |
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angel2002
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2502 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 1:36:56 PM
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I was going to say the same thing Kais, the fox went through the top wire of ours the first time, under the second time and ate through the wooden door the last time!! Apparently if you have dogs that wee around the pen area the fox will stay away, territory and all that. Must say that we did not have a problem before our dog died. Tried to get the OH to do the jobby but he refuses :)))
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Angel
Passion Arabians
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NUTTER
Platinum Member
England
2452 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 2:49:36 PM
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I got a chicken house and its used as our coffee room, very cosy a few of you on here have been in it and ive had no complaints as yet.
better stick this one on my other thread CHEAP SKATE!!!! bet no one can beat this one!!!! |
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Edited by - NUTTER on 30 Mar 2007 2:51:17 PM |
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Jingo
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3632 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 3:08:42 PM
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We also have Maran hens and the eggs are superb, really dark yokes!!! Ours are free range BUT their enclosure is attached to our electric fence system. One line along the top of the fence and one half way up, this seems to keep the fox out
We do fasten them in overnight tho |
Jude
www.auchmillanarabians.org.uk
      
photos:Anthony Reynolds,Sweet,Deano,Real Time Imaging |
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anne
Gold Member
England
877 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 4:39:14 PM
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Wow I have not had internet access since yesterday and are stunned at all your replies.
Will have to make this brief incase I crash again.
Thanks for all your words of advise and we will be looking around and hopefully get some hens in the coming week or two. I will have to get Rosie (the dog) on hen watch
Roseanne is the electric fence like horse fence  I could always wrap some of mine around it |
..................................................................... Photo by David Evans |
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CatQueen
Gold Member
England
545 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2007 : 7:08:52 PM
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| a fab present and hens do have characters .please watch the demon foxes ,i have lost hens to them .it's upseting when you cant find one that got left out only a few feathers about .i try to count mine at night. |
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anne
Gold Member
England
877 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2007 : 10:30:07 AM
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| Yes Catqueen I will be counting them in we are only planning to get half a dozen so hopefully we can keep our eyes on them |
..................................................................... Photo by David Evans |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2007 : 1:10:43 PM
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Hi Anne, No it's not like ordinary electric fencing. It's like an orange wire version of sheep netting. Squares about 4 inches sq and a long 50 metre length about 4 ft high. You use an energiser like ordinary e-fencing though.
At the stud where I used to keep my horses we had a big chicken run made which was chain link about 6 ft high but it had stand-offs with electric fencing wire about 3 in above ground level and again at that 6 ft level. The great thing was you could leave the hens to go in and out at dawn and dusk without having to shut them in yourself. However, it was a mighty expensive exercise - it was big and cost several hundreds, especially with the hen house! |
Roseanne |
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Debbie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1138 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2007 : 5:24:32 PM
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I use a fabulous electric netting all around the paddock which IS fox proof. My poor dogs have tried it out and won't go anywhere near the paddock now. I keep Black rocks, Blue Colombian buff brahma's, Marans, Black Cochins and another trio which I can never remember the name of. And then we have some crossed breds where the trio's haven't read the rules and mixed with each other
Good luck and enjoy your hens. I have kept them for years and just love having them - the free range eggs are gorgeous too and we sell ours at the gate and cannot produce enough to satisfy the demand. |
Debbie
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2007 : 7:13:37 PM
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| We've got the supposidly chicken proof leccy fencing (orange netting stuff)- to confine them - well our Black Rocks thought is was so silly - didn't keep them in at all when they were young! Still have it & will try it again as we need to get more BR's to keep up with B&B demand for eggs at breakfast! We only confine hens for a short while when we get them at POL - the they are totally free range! |
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Debbie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1138 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2007 : 9:00:27 PM
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Hi Judith,
Our babies do climb through the netting but cannot once they are fully grown. We use 3 full net fences fitted together to fence a completely large paddock for 18 hens which is all they were using anyway, so just makes it much more secure for them - and us! |
Debbie
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2007 : 9:06:12 PM
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| Debbie - so pleased to hear it works for you! I think our hens are shock proof - one is about 9 years old & still laying & still as bossy as hell! We have been very lucky hen keeping - over the many years have only lost about two hens & a goose to foxes......our many dogs are free range all day - think that helps as their smells are everywhere the chickens are! Also having excellent local vermin control!!! |
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natntaz
Platinum Member
England
2919 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2007 : 9:49:34 PM
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| If you are near elvedon you could go to the market there. The only prob if you are like me you end up coming back with all sorts as you see them and think oh thats cute or there pretty. At one point i think i had a mixture of about fourty chickens and geese and ducks. Oh and a lion head rabbit. Unfortunatly when i gave up the field i had to re-home them all. But i did enjoy having them and all the pressies they left me each day. I do miss having them but am now on a busy diy yard so cant have them there. |
   
Natalie Pix. Essex. Tariq ibn Radfan and Taroub |
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Debbie
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1138 Posts |
Posted - 04 Apr 2007 : 09:41:58 AM
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Judith, I think the fact that the netting is set against the hedge all the way around the paddock helps stop the hens getting through, but also a lot of mine are very big birds.
Also find having various dogs free ranging on the property helps as well. |
Debbie
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