Jules. Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 (edited) It's Alexander's birthday next month & he has asked for a chicken He knows we've already got him his present, so this will be in addition. Hubby has just googled breeders in the NW without much luck. Alexander would like a silver laced wyandotte- but are these only in bantam size? I like blue egg layers, cochins and orpingtons. Naturally we will have to get two hens So...... where should we go that's not too far away? I think there is a breeder near Delamere forest, which is really close to us. The only problem is that Ethan is really adverse to change- he woon't want any more chooks, & when we do get them them he will want to call them all "Buzz"! We got our current girls from Preston. Edited January 4, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 What a great present My friend has bought her girls some chickens from Garden Poultry at Delamere, for Christmas and they were over the moon, one of them even laid on Christmas day They have a website, and it makes a great day out if you combine it in with a pic nic in the forest too Good luck choosing karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 I second Garden Poultry, thats where we got our girls from. Their website is www.gardenpoultry.cwc.net There is more breeds available than the ones listed though, they just haven't updated their website yet. And they have blue/green egg laying hybrids. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 28, 2007 Author Share Posted December 28, 2007 Thank you. I have emailled Garden poultry to see what they have available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 You could also go to the Wernlas Collection in Shropshire for a silver laced Wyandotte, if you can't find one any nearer to home. Although it is quite a long trip, it is well worth it - they have some amazing breeds there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 just had a quick look in the breeders section in prac. poultry magazine: buff orps, legbars. acorn poultry - 01253 836241 wyandottes. ashton greens poutry - 01744 20596 wyadottes, orps, legbars. linda burn - 01772 634889 pimlotts poultry - www.pimlottspoultry.co.uk jan cox (cheshire) - 07973 744848 field cottage poultry, cheshire - 01477 571368 let us know how you get on and if you find any in our area. im quite tempted to get some pure breeds come spring time! katie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 Thanks Katie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 no problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 How is wyandotte pronounced? why-an-dot-e or why-an-dot or something completely different!...... so I don't get it wrong on the phone! I'm going to phone Linda Burn first, as she has the wyandotte & legbar breeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 i pronounce it 'winedot' i might be wrong though! it must depend whick part of the country you come from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 Oooh I'm excited- I've just phoned Linda & left a message on her answer phone asking about a Silver Laced Wyandotte and a Cream Legbar I dislike talking on the phone so it was a big thing for me- hubby couldn't do it for me as he is at work today I can't believe that 8 months down the line of keeping chickens I actually know a bit about the different breeds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 How exciting where about is she? just incase I may need to go karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 I don't know where she is exactly yet.... but when I goggled it the area dialling code is the Preston/Southport area. We might get to go to the sea side on our way there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 aww thats great! keep us posted i think shes located near preston with the 01772 prefix, karen. kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Perfect day out new chooks and a play on the beach too karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 I had a phone call from Linda last night. She is in Freckleton, which she said was between Lytham St Annes & Preston, so not too far away. At the moment she has no Silver Laced Wyandottes or Cream Legbars but said she had put 4 SLW eggs into the incubator yesterday. She lets the hens go at about 12 weeks when she has sexed them, as it's quite hard to sex SLW, but the CL are self- sexing. She wil take orders if we are interested. I don't have a clue about prices- advice needed please. Last year she sold the CL for £15, but the price will be different this year, & she sells the SLW for more money, but didn't tell me how much. We have told Alexander that if he wants a SLW he will have to buy it out of his birthday money if he gets any as we have already got his present, & it will be too much for us to reserve a hen as well. I can have the CL for my birthday What's a good age of a new hen to introduce it to an existing flock? We thought that a good time to go & collect the new girls would be on the Whit weekend, as the boys will be on holiday from school that week & we will all be able to keep an eye on things. Does that sound reasonable? Plus it means that when we are at Disneyland that my parents won't have to look after 4 hens who are new to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 We had a Blue Laced Wyandotte from Wernlas and she was about £28, she was our most expensive hen, but she is beautiful. She was about 12 weeks when we got her Have a lovely trip collecting your new girls How exciting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I paid £20 each for my pure breed araucana and campine. But a cream legbar hybrid was £21 at another place. That was for POL - 18 weeks. I would say that POL is the best age - any earlier and they will be smaller so may get a beating from your bigger girls. Unless you can keep them seperate for a while until they've matured a bit. I bought 2 12 week olds and kept them seperate at first. The others knew they were there though and they were happy to let them free range after a couple of weeks, but it was another couple of weeks before I could put them in together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 Hmm Snowy that's what I was thinking - the bigger the new girls are the better really for introductions. I have no where to keep them separate unless I let my old girls free range in the garden & let the new girls free range at the bottom of the garden -they would be divided by netting. Or I could keep the newies in the eglu run while the oldies free range around them at the bottom of the garden. However they would all have to sleep together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 The bigger the better then Jules. We were lucky to be able to keep our newbies in our spare eglu and the big girls had the cube We kept the babies in the eglu for quite a few weeks as they were so small. They were then let out to free range on their own (with us supervising) and the big girls locked away As soon as they were big enough to free range together the babies kept going in the cube and always preferred tosleep in there much to the annoyance of Rose and Mickey who kicked them out until they were ready to go to bed Hence lots of pecking order and the like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 Thanks Debs Buzz & Poppy have never had any fall outs so all this pecking order will be new to me......but I know i can come on here for advice & help when the time comes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 I have just spoken to Lisa at garden poultry. She's given me food for thought by telling me the SLW are really big birds, & that her opinion was that my two girls plus a SLW would be just about what the eglu could hold at night time. What do you all think? My girls spend alot of time free ranging at the bottom of the garden & have loads more room than the 1 square metre recommended. Lisa has Cream Crested Legbars ready that are now laying & cost £20 apiece. I have loved SLW ever since i saw pictures of Clarets'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 HI - We have 4girls in ours one of whom is a HUGE Speckledy and they snuggle up so much at night that there would easily be room for 2 more. Our girls also free range all day and are only confined on the rare occasions that we are away overnight. Go for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 When I talked to one breeders, he said no more than ONE light sussex in an eglu ON ITS OWN! I now have a 2 s a light sussex, silver sussex and an English maran all in one eglu. Their choice, i do have 2 eglus but they all sleep in one. There is still space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted January 4, 2008 Author Share Posted January 4, 2008 I've gone for it!!! I've ordered a SLW & a CL from Linda. She's not a "professional" breeder, & just does it for a hobby. Since the SLW eggs should hatch around Jan 28th then hopefully she will have been able to sex them by the Whit bank holiday weekend. Linda didn't want a deposit from me when I asked her- she said she works on trust. She has promised to keep us informed so that Alexander knows what stage his hen is at She's a lovely lady to talk to. I'm looking forward to meeting her... and our new girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
