Topic: I gave in and got two chickens today

[Rosyred]

After losing our last 3 last year I finally gave in to myself and got two today. A maran and a Rhode island red, they didn't have many to choose from but these two looked nice. The maran well shes a big bird and the other is slighly smaller. I miss our Black rock we had as she was a little monkey but in a good way. I'm sure when they have settled in they will have little charactors too.

[Marymary]

Always good to hear of people getting chickies.  Are they laying yet?  Mine are getting on a bit so laying less but still enough to keep us in lovely fresh eggs. Any chance of pics?

[Rosyred]

They should be layers but will find out in a few days. I can't do pictures on here.

[slyfox-mal]

congrats on you chickens  hope everything goes well with them regards mal

[Rosyred]

Just waiting for the Maran to start laying, had eggs from the RIR.

[Marymary]

My RIR is usually top chicken but has just gone into moult and is feeling very sorry for herself.  She's the last out from their house in the morning & is just eating the scraps the others leave.  Why do chickens moult just as the cold weather arrives?  Last year it was freezing in October & most of my girls were naked & shivering - not a pretty sight!  :-[

[teresa]

Oh congrats on the new arrivals, marans do lay a beautiful brown egg , big birds my old ones use to eat for england ha ha.

[Heldi]

Congrats from me too !

[OliveOil]

Oooo congrats on the new chooks

My black rock is a character too - in fact if i lost her i really would be heartbroken.

I have my 3 hybrids down the lotty now with 4 silkies... and in my back yard i have 4 silkies, 3 cross silkies a bantam black orp, a black pekin and 4 bantam barred rocks... all babies apart from silkie mum....

We have a right menagerie... But all gonig down the lotty soon.

if anyone wants to buy any of the chicks let me know as i must get rid of them soon as i have too many LOL

[Rosyred]

If you was nearer then you might twist my arm. What sort of housing do you have down the allotment?

[OliveOil]

Funny you should ask that ROsy

My Plot had an old shed made of pallets on it... After 4 months of hard graft the people down the lotty said i could remove the lock that the last person left and use the shed as they havent bothered with the plot for 2 years and havent been back for the shed so its mine!

Low and behold the nutter turned up last sunday and went ape apparently coz i 'smashed' the lock off - did NOT, just removed screws!... and that there were chickens inside it... also removed his £4 tools fromwilkos that were next to useless!

Anyway man wants his shed back

So the chooks will be moving into the ark - man who runs lotty is goign to take my ark that is in my garden down to the lotty and we are going to remove morons shed from my plot for him to collect!

I also have the mum and babies in a rabbit hutch - which is a great broody house!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I wonder whether he'll ever be back for it, or whether it's just a case of him having seen that it was in use again?

[Rosyred]

Bet he don't use it after all the poo etc. Prob just being a git and doesn't really want it but doesn't want anyone else having it. Best of luck finding a new one.  Oliveoil do you let the hens free range. I'm kind of wanting more chicks but put them at the allotment only trouble is we have foxes down there so they might get in to them and also I would have to visit everyday.

[OliveOil]

We have foxes too! But also a couple of keen shooters down the lotty too!  I have a 5-6ft fence in place though the foxes could dig under if they really wnted to!

My philosophy is that the hens are fenced in  - 10m x almost 15m square pen... if fox gets em fox gets em!  They are locked in each night... nothing more i can do!

There is no floor to this pallet wood shed so its not really dirty at all, though i dare say it will fall apart when we move it LOL!

I'll keep you updated!