Martin B Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 This is a question which was asked a lot at the Burghley gathering. So I was wondering how everybody did actually get hooked into keeping our feathery freinds. Well, my godfather's Dad kept chickens in a wooden pen at the bottom of his garden. When I went to visit them I always used to feed the chooks and collect the eggs. It was so satisfying and I googled poultry keeping and it came up with Omlet and I was caught. My godfather's dad still keeps chooks and he has a small flock including some blue egg layers! --Martin-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Joe was reading Dick Strawbridge's It's Not Easy Being Green and mentioned about the chickens. As I was using the laptop I logged straight onto Omlet and read up about the chickens. We've really changed our lives since the programme and as it was my birthday in a few weeks it seemed a good occasion! Within half an hour I had gone through the order pages and pressed SEND! and the rest, they say, is history! and of course I found the FORUM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 That's a nice story Andrew. So that big moustache made you get chooks. WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 You'll get my story in organic life mag next month...too much to go into now good question Martin BBxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 My mum always looked after horses and I was around chickens as a child on various farms and stables and she had said she would like some when she retired so it was really a gift for her, i don't know how i heard of eglu, i think it was on cbbc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiggle Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 For me, it was when tesco, who used to have the 'freedom foods' stamp on their own brand free range eggs, seemed to lose the accreditaion and took the stamp off their boxes. I was intrigued to know the reason why they lost it and why all the other major supermarkets seemed to still have it Was it to do with their standards not coming up to inspection or did they simply not want to invest in it anymore. Anyway, i decided that whatever the reason, it put me off (rightly or wrongly as i still don't know the reason, despite asking in store/email). Having become tired of walking down to the local farm (since at that time, tesco was the only local store), I decided that keeping my own chooks was the way to go. My MIL cut an advert from omlet out of a magazine, and the rest is history Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I didn't even know I wanted chickens - until I saw an advert in Organic Gardening for the Eglu and showed it to Carl. He had mentioned chickens before. It was coming up to his Birthday so we decided to order one. Eglu and chickens delivered in June 2004 - but the forum didn't start until the October. That's when I 'met' Kate, and the rest is history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 This is really stupid, but when I was really young (4, maybe 5 ), I was given a Hollie Hobbie colouring in book, and on the front cover was a picture of her, collecting eggs, surrounded by chickens. I was absolutely fascinated, and was determined from that point that I would have chickens one day. Then, many years later, I saw a feature on the Eglu on 'This Morning', laid the seed of the idea in chookiehubbies brain, then bought one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 This is really stupid, but when I was really young (4, maybe 5 ), I was given a Hollie Hobbie colouring in book, and on the front cover was a picture of her, collecting eggs, surrounded by chickens. I was absolutely fascinated, and was determined from that point that I would have chickens one day. Then, many years later, I saw a feature on the Eglu on 'This Morning', laid the seed of the idea in chookiehubbies brain, then bought one! I loved Holly Hobbie, nice memory Isn't it lovely how we all found a love of the humble hen. I remember sitting watching chickens as a child and really would never have believed I could have hens in my garden. Everyday they make me happy BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 (edited) I was taken in by the Omlet advertising I was flicking through Good Housekeeping the mnorning of our holiday to menorca last year & I spotted the ad "Hens in the garden - eggs in the kitchen" & was struck by the design of the Eglu. We had just had our Bunny put to sleep,so were missing a garden pet. I ripped the page out of the magazine & stashed it in my holiday handbag,then produced it one balmy Menorcan evening,after a lovely supper & some wine. The children needed no convincing at all,but the Hubby thought it would cost around £600,so said no,even though he loved the idea of having chickens. When we got back & I found it was £385,I talked him into it Edited June 6, 2006 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I can remember trying to talk Mikey into having them...I failed miserably so really did just book it and face the consequences. Mikey did bring the delivery date forward so his dad would arrive for a birthday bbq and the hens would be here (his dad loved the idea) I kept saying they won't mess up the garden and it's easy and Mikey kept going and 'told you so' for months then all of a sudden he changed and now really likes them and calls them the girls and is protective of them. He even said he wouldn't be without them I realised at the rescue when he was picking up the hens he has a real respect for them now Wine is a useful tool isn't it sarah! BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I used to keep bantams when i was younger! and i heard about the BHWT so wanted to help out if i could (with the help of mother hen) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 When I lived in Surrey I used to get a free glossy mag through the door. In the new products section was the gorgeous Eglu. I sent off for a brochure and was hooked but was unable to get one because we only had a communal garden. Within weeks of moving to my now new home I ordered my Eglu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kazaddress Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Paola I moved from Surrey to hampshire too Egham -> Farborough I was in shared acomodation so had to wait till i bought my own pad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I've always wanted chickens since I can remember (my Italian grandparents kept chooks in the war and always talked about them), but it had always been a dream that was shoved to the back of my mind (especially as my ex-husband was terrifed of birds). Phil spotted a yellow mark 1 in a Sunday supplement one morning and said - 'look at this design - it's fab' I was impressed, but not by the price. seeign friends' hens over the intervening years made me decide to get one, and when i worked out the costing I realised that the Eglu was much more economical and convenient than a wooden coop. I registered on the forum to get more information, and the rest is history... This is a great thread Martin, and I can't help thinking that it would be a good marketing tool for Omlet, perhaps you should send a link to it to James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookie Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 My earliest memory is of my Grandfather's hen house. He was a vicar in Sheffield, lived in this enormous old Victorian vicarage next to the church, and kept hens in one of the out houses/garages that were part of the vicarage. They'd free range all over the vicarage garden. Sheffield is really hilly and I remember being driven up the incredibly steep hill to the vicarage in the back of my grandmother's old car. She'd belt up the road at great speed, swing into the vicarage driveway and chickens would scatter everywhere, squawking madly. It always made me laugh so much, (and I don't remember the chickens ever getting hurt by my grandmother's manic approach to parking ). Then my mother also kept chickens when I was a teenager. She had welsummers and marans and an enormous, fierce cock called Henry who used to terrorise our soppy old cat. I loved eating the delicious eggs. So basically I've always been around chickens and wanted chickens - seems like a prefectly normal thing to do and I am always surprised when people go . I saw an article about eglus in Eve magazine that made me realise I could keep chickens in our back garden in the middle of London, and started saving. Then my lovely OH bought be one for Christmas so I didn't have to save anymore Eglus and chickens are so fab - I think I'll be a chicken keeper my whole life now Love, Cookie. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Cluck Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Growing up in the Industrial West Midlands I always loved our days out in the countryside, my dad has always been into Fishing and many of the rivers and canals went through farm land. So from since I was little my dream house is a house in the middle of nowhere where I could keep chickens at the bottom of the garden. Last year the OH and I saw the advert for eglus in a sunday mag and now 3/4 of my dream has come true - we live in a small town in Kent (almost countryfied) and I have 3 chickens at the bottom of my garden Lyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 I didn't even know I wanted chickens - Neither did we, it just kind of happened OH had this crazy idea about chickens which I thought he was being serious about and he wasn't really, then someone mentioned the eglu which I remembered seeing once and we looked on the website, it made sense so we bought one second hand from Ebay. (she was upgrading to more chickens ) We had a conversation along the lines of: you came up with the idea no you It's scary but neither of us actually said we wanted chickens but yet it happened and we love them to bits The advertising must be good. They took over half our garden, removed all our grass, refused to lay eggs for months, we spend a fortune on run extensions, fencing, poultry products, mediciines, storage, henorabelia and despite this we bought a 3rd chicken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 This is really stupid, but when I was really young (4, maybe 5 ), I was given a Hollie Hobbie colouring in book, and on the front cover was a picture of her, collecting eggs, surrounded by chickens. I was absolutely fascinated, and was determined from that point that I would have chickens one day. Then, many years later, I saw a feature on the Eglu on 'This Morning', laid the seed of the idea in chookiehubbies brain, then bought one! That's fascinating Chookie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 I used to keep bantams when i was younger! and i heard about the BHWT so wanted to help out if i could (with the help of mother hen) Imspirational, good deeds will always be paid back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 This is a great thread Martin, and I can't help thinking that it would be a good marketing tool for Omlet, perhaps you should send a link to it to James. Great story Clare, will send a link to James in a moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel19 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 This is probably going to seem really weird...........but I used to have dreams about keeping a couple of chickens in the garden........i used to have exactly the same dream every so often..........since getting the chooks i haven't had the dream again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 This is probably going to seem really weird...........but I used to have dreams about keeping a couple of chickens in the garden........i used to have exactly the same dream every so often..........since getting the chooks i haven't had the dream again Spooky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Now: I picked up a copy of "Bob Flowerdew's Organic Bible" from the library, and was suddenly struck by his suggestion that one could keep a couple of chickens in an ark in even a small garden. I Googled for hen houses and I found Omlet... Generally: My younger brother used to go to a lovely childminder who had a big garden with chickens and rabbits, and my OH's grandfather had a smallholding, plus we both love cooking (and eating) fresh, preferably organic, food - so it's a shared dream (postponed until retirement/that elusive lottery win!) to have a cottage in the country with a pig and some hens... In the meantime, we're making do with a small allotment and hopefully an eglu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I was surfing on the Wiggly Wigglers site having just moved house that has a large but rather unruly garden & i was looking for some green products for that and spotted the link to Omlet. I had always dreamed a small holding with donkeys, sheep, chickens etc but its a struggle to do all this in a back garden! I found that chickens will lay without the interference of a cockeral so Omlet was the way to go. OH really could not put up a good enough fight against having chickens so the choice was made! He had previously agreed we could keep guinea pigs and said it was a choice between the two so i picked chickens (Im working on the guinea pigs though..... the donkeys and sheep are still in my plan, he just doesnt know it yet!! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...