Eglu Go & guinea pig zippi run

[RubyReckless]

Sarah Chook, our Speckledy, is a useless hen. She rarely lays, she goes broody at the drop of a hat and she hates being handled. She won't let the kids feed her. That's all rather a pain, but bearable. However, every morning first thing she shouts and squawks at the top of her lungs. We already have an issue with one neighbour who just hates the girls (and us, and our children). A raucous chook is the last thing we need!

 

I can't cope with any more of the aggro. So, we've been in touch with the farm we bought the girls from and arranged to return her. They were perfectly decent about it. And, seeing as I've taken the plunge and ordered a lovely red cube, we will will be acquiring some new ones.

[cluckbok]

Hi ya,

 

I sympathise with you, we have a speckledy and we find ours a pain in the bum too! Ours has only laid twice since we had her (March) and she broodily sits on the others eggs that they lay, she blocks up the nesting box when the others want to lay and she sometimes has announced their eggs, once at 5am and OH had to run out there to get her to shut up. Never again would we pick a speckledy but when we rang our breeder he said he would wring her neck!!! So we will not take her back!! She doesn't make noise everyday like yours only once a fortnight if that! she does sit on the nest everyday though!

 

I don't blame you for swapping yours out! Don't feel bad.

 

It's luck of the draw at the end of the day, others on here will say theirs are a dream.

[abwsco]

What will you do if your new ones turn out to be 'useless' as well

[Mumpty]

 

This is very interesting, I am getting chooks in September, two from Omlet (one of each breed) and then off down the road to get three or four others and one was going to be a speckeldy, I'm having second thoughts now. I think I'll stick with ISA browns and Amber Stars.

 

[Laura&Sean]

I hope Sarah finds a forever home!

 

One of ours is really noisy too and squauks loudly until we let her out to free range, bad Dolly!

 

I must admit though I have mine as pets first and foremost *now* after initially not intending to become attatched to them and rely on their eggs.

 

Good luck with your new ones.

 

Good luck Sarah too!

[RubyReckless]

What will you do if your new ones turn out to be 'useless' as well

 

It doesn't seem likely - our previous girls have all been lovely! But a pet that doesn't like the kids or us, causes arguments with the neighbours and still doesn't lay eggs, who can be rehomed in a flock seems a better plan than staying here causing a problem. My neighbour has threatened us with allsorts! We had to spend £3k on a fence this year to stop her moaning.

 

Don't worry about all Speckledys, I'm sure they are generally lovely.

[Lisa]

Don't like the sound of your neighbours.

 

I have lovely neighbours and am so lucky.

 

However, I am getting my chickens next weekend and our neighbour two doors away is waiting for his 3 ex batts to arrive in the next 4 weeks. The neighbour between us is moving and the new neighbours arrive mid-end Sept - So watch this space!!!!!

 

Best of luck with the replacement hen. My sister and dad both have Bluebelle's and they are nice and my neice and nephew (3 & 5) have no probelms with them!

 

Lisa

[Olly]

Sorry to hear about your problems with Sarah Chook - but in defence of Speckledys, mine is gorgeous, lays almost every day despite being nearly 3 years old, and makes the most delightful crooning noises! I would definitely have another one.

 

think you just got a rogue chicken in Sarah. Hope you have more success with the new ones, and I think you have done the right thing in rehoming her.

[redfrock]

Sorry to hear you are having problems. I must admit though, that just as Ollie says, my Speckledey is adorable. She lays almost every day, follows me around everywhere and has the sweetest nature you could wish for. She and my Amber Star are my favourites. I am all the more fond of her because she is pigeon toed and struggles with climbing, or even having a scratch (has been known to topple over when trying to do it) but it doesn't phase her. We have said that we would have a whole flock of her and Ambers.

 

Now if you were talking about my skyline ..... always broody, rarely lays, even when she isn't being a moody broody and just downright peculiar. My bovans is also prone to being broody. But they are pets rather than egg laying machines and that is just the way things are.

 

Now if I had neighbours like yours .....

Edited August 24, 2008 by Guest

[Guest]

My speckledy was a lovely hen too - she was lost to a fox earlier this year.

 

Now my light Sussex.....I've had her a year, first she laid softies for a couple of months, then she moulted, then she laid for a while, then she was broody for a MONTH till we put her in a broody cage. She was OK for a good six weeks and then she went broody again. Last week we put her in the broody cage again and snapped her out of it and this week she is moulting again.

 

AND she is loud.

 

Oh and you can't handle her - she is too skittish and the only time she lets you touch her is when she's broody.

 

Luckily our neighbors are very understanding. One side has the NOISIEST wind generator thingy so he would have a job complaining, the other side is the farm house and they run businesses and stuff. Both sides have dogs - all dogs can be noisier than our hens when soemthing sets them off. There is a house behind too but thats part of the farm house and we have no other neighbors.

[Yolky]

I hope Sarah finds a forever home!.

 

Good luck Sarah too!

 

 

I am guessing that she will be despatched. A breeder wouldn't risk putting back into their stocks a chook that as been away. The breeder would be worried about disease.

[Christian]

Thanks for that cheery thought Yolky!

[Yolky]

Sorry Christian I just thought that sometimes people might not realise what may happen to a 'returned' chook. Maybe this breeder doesn't do that though. I know Omlet have said that they don't put down any of the chooks returned to them under their 30day guarantee.

[Guest]

I hope Sarah finds a forever home!.

 

Good luck Sarah too!

 

 

I am guessing that she will be despatched. A breeder wouldn't risk putting back into their stocks a chook that as been away. The breeder would be worried about disease.

 

you've said exactly what I was thinking yolky but daren't open my mouth for fear of exactly the reaction you got.

 

I think people should be aware of what is likely to happen to a chicken that they 'send back'. Of course, all breeders might not be the same but I'd say it's likely that returned chickens would be 'despatched' but then I s'pose in some cases there isn't much choice

[Christian]

Thanks for that cheery thought Yolky!

 

Sorry Yolky, but I did put a couple of winks in!!

 

I remember a post whereby someone sent their chicken back to the breeders as it was

bullying the others quite badly. She thought it would live on the farm and be happy until someone posted that it wouldn't even make it out of the car park.

 

She was absolutely horrified and even more upset.

 

 

you've said exactly what I was thinking yolky but daren't open my mouth for fear of exactly the reaction you got.

 

 

Please don't be scared Poet. I don't bite that often.

[Egluntyne]

Landgirl had a chicken that didn't fit in with her flock so she took it back to Storrs Poultry, a well established breeder with a good reputation, situated near Sheffield. The hen was put in with others of its own type and she took a different hen home. The one she left behind was happily pottering around with the others when she left, so they don't all get "despatched".

[RubyReckless]

Landgirl had a chicken that didn't fit in with her flock so she took it back to Storrs Poultry, a well established breeder with a good reputation, situated near Sheffield.

 

HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

because that's where she is from, and Graham said no bother in taking her back.

 

thanks, Eglutine, i was feeling ling the wicked witch of the west until i read your post.

[rachel19]

We had to return a couple of chickens as they were loud and plucking the others to the point of them bleeding and they wouldn't stop - we took them back and watched as they were chucked in with a very large cockeral who would apparently 'sort them out' They were perfectly happy to take them back and replace them with a couple of brown chooks (who were lovely). I'm sure if sarah is put in with a flock and a boy or two then she'll be perfectly happy - some seem to need a male influence to calm them down. I hope your new girls will settle in well.

[Egluntyne]

Landgirl had a chicken that didn't fit in with her flock so she took it back to Storrs Poultry, a well established breeder with a good reputation, situated near Sheffield.

 

HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

because that's where she is from, and Graham said no bother in taking her back.

 

thanks, Eglutine, i was feeling ling the wicked witch of the west until i read your post.

 

:D Am delighted to have cheered you up.