If anyone is reading as a guest, sign up! I did this morning after a couple of weeks of 'guesting'. Some of the tips and help are brilliant! :)
Anyway, does anyone out there show poultry? I have done for a couple of years now, and use my 'non show' birds as veg plot helpers, they clear weeds and pests and dig over the ground (a little too well if you let them).
Their manure is also excellent for fertilising the ground prior to growing squashes and pumpkins, which I tend to grow more than I can eat!
loz
No advice from me Loz, I'm afraid. Just wanted to say hello. Your chickens look really cute. I want to get some when we have a bigger garden.
And I'm obviously not awake yet - I read the title as "sowing chickens" ;D
Hi Loz, just wanted to say welcome to A4a. I have three hens but I don't show them. They are great having around the garden although I have had to build them a run (a fairly large one at that) to keep them in as they got over enthusiastic with my plants. They get let out for the last hour of the day to have a quick scratch around and gobble all the undesirable bugs. Their manure is good and I've got some liquid chicken manure on the brew as well.
welcome :)
i 'lurked' for quite a while before taking the plunge and signing up. all made me welcome, and people are very generous (you know who you are!) ;)
Thanks all for the feedback, I will try to post some pictures of chicks as they hatch.
It's nice to know that someone has read what I posted!
If anyone knows of a way to get white chickens white, let me know (glo white, which has been suggested in the past is a no no, as a judge can smell it!)
Loz
Keep, hens but do not show them. The Poultry Club site has lots of showing tips though. Take care one of my friends is a judge though.
I think we need to ask Dan for a "keeping chickens" board or a "livestock" board where we can also include info about keeping bees. I think chickens and bees go well with veg growing.
Good idea!
I've though about keeping bees too, are they difficult?
Every time I mention it to anyone, they all comment that they would be too difficult.
Loz
I don't know Loz, my husband kept bees when he was a teenager and he wants to start again. I don't have a clue what's involved but he says once you know what you're doing it easy. We wouldn't keep them at the allotment because we got some nervous reactions when we mentioned it but we're busy deciding if there's a suitable place in our garden to site a hive. Our micro-holding (that's our garden) is just too micro for all the things we want to do! :)