celeste Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Both your hens are stunning I was quite content waiting for my house to arrive at the end of the month and then mooching about to find good breeders ( as well as the chap I'll hopefully get some Marans from)but after seeing all your beautiful birds......................I want them NOW It's quite surprising how limited we seem to be in Scotland for hen breeds, it seems to be quite a limited range, a lot of sites just seem to go on about Black Rocks which I think were developed quite near me in the Kinross area The guy with the Marans has French Marans and British ones, the Frenchies have feathering on their legs, but I read somewhere that you should steer clear of leg feathering if you lived in a wet climate as the feathers get clarty and make the bedding in the house damp...............what do you guys think ? I'm now looking for some decent books on keeping hens, any recommendations ? I'd like a general looking after them book and a disease book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 My garden is wet and muddy so I wouldn't keep feathered legged breeds here. I haven't got any chickeny books, everything I know I've learnt online. Although I do buy Practical Poultry magazine every month. Here are some good sites: Omlet Practical Poultry Forum Pekin Bantam forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Great pictures! What breed is Freya? I love chickens with that wonderful detailed patterning on their feathers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 She's a Columbine. It's a type of hybrid and she should lay blue or green eggs. I think she'll lay green eggs and any day now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 My garden is wet and muddy so I wouldn't keep feathered legged breeds here. My garden gets pretty wet too, so I will stick with the un feathered legs Thanks for the links Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 I yam not amused 12 eggs have arrived But 12 are still in the post somewhere They were posted yesterday using the very expensive Guaranteed Next Day Special Delivery service They should've been here by 1pm I can claim back a refund on the postage but that's not the fecking point If they don't turn up tomorrow the chances are they'll be ruined by spending too long in the post The 12 that did arrive are so pretty A variety of colours, a blue egg, a green egg and a couple of white ones along with the bog standard brown. I have no idea what breeds will hatch from those so that'll be really exciting I'm giving the stray ones a chance to arrive tomorrow but regardless the incubator will have eggs in it tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 I can come and join this thread cos I have just ordered my coop and run!!!!!! Probably be ages before I actually get any chickens to go in it but it's a start!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 Of course you can join What coop and run are you getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 my sis in law lost some chickens to a bloody fox this week. she came to visit today so i showed her the link to battery welfare trust and she has put her name down for 6 chickens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 "The Norfolk Coop" which is a self contained unit of raised housing and run.... the idea is that when I go away for the weekend with the dogs I can get the neighbours kids to open and close the door via the techie bit (basically a metal rod on the side so they don;t have to open the enclosure), and when I am home the rest of the time I can leave the enclosure door open into a bigger fenced off bit of the garden during the day. The chickens will be ex-battery hens so no idea what model they will be. Took the boys to a friend's to see what their reaction to hens was and they were more interested in eating the horse and goat poo in the field, so will have to get a bucket of that to scatter round for them on the day the chicks arrive!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 My delightful dogs think chicken poo tastes wonderful! Cream legbar eggs have arrived and will be going in the incubator tonight with the eggs that arrived yesterday. No sign of the wyandottes so somebody will be getting a strongly worded email and a demand for my money back. Still at least there are 18 wonderful little eggs full of hope. How I'll survive the three week wait I don't know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 My babies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Bummer about the Wyandottes At least the others have arrived. how long will it be before you know how many will be viable ?............is there a way to tell I've seen people using a candle but don't know if that just works in TV Land. Buddyboy I'm at the same stage as you, my housing won't arrive untill the end of the month, and lord knows when I'll get my hands on some chooks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 I'll have my first attempt at candling around day 8ish. In theory I should be able to see them who is growing and who isn't but as I've never done it before it might be all as clear as mud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 I tried candling early but really wasn't sure what I was looking at . I made another attempt at 15 days and it was really quite clear which contained chicks and which didn't - the little eggs looked full up with chick. Only one of ours didn't hatch and it wasn't fertile which was amazing for post delivered eggs. It supposed to be about a 50% hatch rate when theve been jiggled about on the road. Good luck with your babies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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