joe14 Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Good morning all First of all cracking forum you've got here!! Some great posts that will help me a lot. Anyway I've gone and done it- Ordered my 1st eglu!! Its coming Thursday and I'm off to a local supplier on Saturday to buy my 1st couple of chickens. I can't wait. I'm like a little kid waiting for xmas to arrive! The wife is a little unsure.... (but she'l come round to the idea) I think her main concern would be our flowers. We've got a nice chunk of grass though so I don't think it will be a major problem. Anyway I don't want to bore you with my life storey so my question is- What should I be looking for when I go to the supplier? What sort of questions should I be asking? What age chicken should I be buying? Any other advice would be great? (I'm sorry that was 4 questions!!) Thanks in advance Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome to the forum, Joe14 . Congratulations on making the leap into chickenworld - you won't regret it (and yes, your wife will come round ). What should I be looking for when I go to the supplier? Chickens . Seriously, I reckon chickens choose us - I went for 3 different colours so they looked pretty together (and they happen to lay different coloured eggs which is handy) What sort of questions should I be asking? Anything you ask will probably result in the supplier laughing at you or looking at you like you're mad . You could ask about vaccinations and wing clipping (could he do it for you). What age chicken should I be buying? You want POL (point of lay) usually about 16-18 weeks, I think? Any other advice would be great? Take a box with a lid & airholes - cardboard or otherwise with newspaper & bedding of some sort. It's advised that you give the hen a good look over but that's pretty hard when you're a novice and don't know what you're looking for. If it's a reputable dealer, you should be fine. Perhaps you could ascertain if they have a returns or replacement policy, just in case of behavioural or health problems (unlikely but you never know) ? Oh, and lastly, get 3 chickens - then you'll still have 2 if you lose one for any reason. And 3 looks nice in the garden . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Hi Joe & welcome, You have made a great decision in getting an Eglu & hens - life will never be the same again You should be looking for a POL (point of lay) hen which is around 18 weeks. She should look bright eyed & bushy tailed, & not have any bare patches, or other obvoius problems like a snotty beak. Ask if she has been wormed recently & checked for lice. There are basically 2 types of hen - Hybrid & pure breed. Hybrid hens are bred to lay eggs all year round,but have an overall shoreter life. They are robust & easy to manage. Pure breeds will stop laying over the winter,but will lay steadily in the other moneths for many years. There are heaps of breeds of hybrids & pure breeds to chose from. Meadowsweet is a good Hybrid stockist (Google them). My personal preference is to have some hybrids & some pure breeds. For a beginner 3 is a good number to have,then if you lost a hen you would still have a pair. Do let us know if we can help with any other questions Let us know where in the UK you are as I am sure someone can recommend a breeder near by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Hi Joe14, and welcome to the forum. I endorse everything ANH and Cinnamon have said. Definitely get 3 rather than 2 right from the start. When they start free-ranging you may need some movable netting if you don't want them to go on the flower borders. Chickens do not understand visual boundaries! Don't worry about the other paraphernalia at first. Layers pellets and water are all they need to begin with. Then you can browse and shop at your leisure for the medications and supplements etc. Enjoy chook-keeping. You will definitely not regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Good luck. All your questions have been answered. I would go for three too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy&cake Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome, one thing i'd look for in your chickens from the supplier is nice BRIGHT RED combs [the bit ontop of their heads] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome to the forum Joe - enjoy getting your chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome, one thing i'd look for in your chickens from the supplier is nice BRIGHT RED combs [the bit ontop of their heads] Good advice, but when I got my Omlet POL chooks, they had hardly any combs at all! They often take a few weeks to develop these, POL covers quite a wide age-range as I understand it. Welcome to the world of chickens, Joe - you won't regret getting your Eglu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome to the forum. You wont regret chickens or the eglu...chickens are very addictive! I agree with the others and get 3 chooks. Look out for perky bright chickens with red combs with clear eyes and pick out one that looks active rather than a quiet/hunched chicken. A healthy chook is perky and always scratching around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 - Ordered my 1st eglu!! Thanks in advance Joe That sounds like there will be more, good forward planning You will all love keeping chickens Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome to the forum Joe. I can't really add anything to all the sensible advice you've already received, except to say don't be persuaded to buy a cockerel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome to the forum Joe. I can't really add anything to all the sensible advice you've already received, except to say don't be persuaded to buy a cockerel. Good one! Joe, Welcome to the forum and enjoy choosing your chooks. Make sure they have clean bottoms, Try to get three that you will be able to tell apart from each other, Try to get three which lay different coloured eggs so you don't have to catch them in the act to know who's laid it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fur 'n' Feathers Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Welcome Joe14. Nothing else to add. Go for 3 . You won't regret it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe14 Posted April 22, 2008 Author Share Posted April 22, 2008 Cheers for the advice. I will buy three and I'll let you know how I get on at the weekend. Only other thing is I'm hoping to let them roam the garden when I'm about but for a lot of the week they will be locked up. So I want to build or buy a run extension that I can fit onto the end of the eglu run. Does anybody know where I can buy a run (3mx1m ish) from or does anybody have any plans/material lists? I've got the room so I may as well give them some more room when I'm at work. Thanks again Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...