4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Brindles chooks]

Hi all,

 

I'm moving in with my other half in a couple of months and will finally have a garden - after about five years of wanting them, I can finally have chickens!

 

But the waiting is absolutely killing me - I'm on this site and others, reading up about breeds, care etc every chance I get. I change my mind about which breeds and wihch names we're going to have fairly regularly, although my tastes are settling a bit now.

 

How long did you all have to wait from making the decision to getting your feathered ones? Has anyone got any good tips for how to stop myself obsessing about chooks all the time? I think my boyfriend is fairly concerned that I'm more excited about the chickens than about moving in with him...no comment...

 

I'm thinking of visiting the farm we might be buying from and having a look, but will this make me even worse??

 

Thanks in advance for your help preserving my sanity.

 

Obsessed of London (aka Kate)

[Space Chick]

Me and my OH wanted them for a few years, but were afraid of foxes, so didn't get any. Then a friend in work ordered an Eglu, and once I found out about the fox resistance, we'd ordered in a matter of days! The rest as they say is history, we now have our cube and 4 adorable girls.

 

My advice to you would be keep researching, and make your OH feel loved, otherwise he might be worried that you only want him for his garden

 

Hope it works out for you.

[Brindles chooks]

Ha ha - you might be right there. He's already worried about what the naughty chickens might do to his garden

 

We think we've decided on names he likes though - Queenie and Nursie (spot the reference!). Queenie will have to be ginger and beautiful obviously, probably a Skyline And Nursie might be a Speckledy

 

Kate

[Redwing]

Its no easy is it?! I waited over a month as we were moving house too

 

The Eglu lived in my front room during that time

[Space Chick]

fabulous names

 

I'd get a third and call it Kate (short for Bob), all advise says to get 3, makes a better flock, and if the worst was to happen and you lost one, then there wouldn't be a lone hen.

 

I was going to get 2 and an eglu originally, ended up with 4 and a cube

[Brindles chooks]

Ha ha - great minds think alike Debs, I was angling for a third called Bob but he wasn't having any of it. I'd rather have three, but I'm worried if I try and convince him he'll just think I'm getting out of hand!

 

The standard Eglu is big enough for three chooks, right? If so I might hold off trying to persuade him, and work my magic when we go to get the hens. I've read stories on here of people coming back with more chooks than they went for...reckon I can get a Bovan Nera called Bob into the mix! I will practice my forlorn 'I can't possibly leave her behind' face

 

There we go, something to keep me occupied for the next few days at least!

 

Kate

[Space Chick]

The Eglu is big enough for 3 but I know some people get the extended run for 3 girls. However, you could start with the standard run and extend it once the girls are in residence!

 

Hope you manage to get Bob too!

 

Keep us posted as to how you are getting on.

 

Debs

[Brindles chooks]

Thanks Debs - I will definitely keep you all posted. Apart from anything else I don't seem to be able to get off this website!

 

I feel an extended run coming on...

 

Right, I am now getting off this website and turning off the computer, in an attempt not to read anything else about chickens for at least the next 12 hours. Although there's always 'The Right Way to Keep Chickens' book on my bedside table

 

Kate

[Hangman]

The best way it to go with the flow - I went to a poultry auction with my sights set on one Light Sussex pullet - came back with three....

[i_want_the_good_life]

I was in the exact same position as you about 3 weeks ago. Our eglu arrived last week and we pick up our new family members tomorrow!! We found the best thing to do to calm ourselves was to actually go and choose our hans. They were leg ringed for us, we paid for them and for the past fortnight have had regular email contact with them (well... maybe not them, nut you know what I mean)!

 

Good luck!

 

Adam

 

Marmite

Marmalade

Fluffy

Dusty

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So much for switching off the computer, Kate .

 

There's no hope, I'm afraid . I obsessed about chickens/eglus etc while waiting for them to arrive (it was only a few weeks ) but now obsess about the forum (after a lengthy period obsessing about my walk in run ).

 

I couldn't sleep last night thinking about how to get my new water butt attached to my WIR guttering . I need help .

[Brindles chooks]

So much for switching off the computer, Kate .

 

I know, I know - I have a problem!

 

It's the boyf's fault for going away with the lads to look at battlefields this weekend...I'll probably have a mini petting zoo installed in his garden by the time he's back on Monday

 

Might as well talk about my research while I'm on here - think we'll get our chooks from Southmead:

 

http://www.southmead.dsl.pipex.com/Breeds1.htm

 

I've read on here that this is a great place to get chickies, and her photo against the Skyline description is what made me want one - looks so fluffy and cuddly

 

Right. I really am going to bed now. Honest. Computer off.

 

Kate

[Angels4]

I'm sorry to say the obsession will never end until you get your chickens, and I don't think it will go away then, it just becomes stronger.

[smithy36]

Quite agree... the obsession gets worse when chickens arrive and then eggs and then just continues!!!

 

We are just mad chicken women (& men!!)

[Valkyrie]

Definitely 3 - if anything happens to one, there will still be 2 to keep each other company - and then you can introduce 2 more!

[Brindles chooks]

Thanks for the advice everyone...

 

He he. Really not sure what my OH will make of me suddenly wanting three but I'll give it a go!

 

Is it more difficult to introduce new birds to a lone lady then? (NB positive answers will help my argument )

 

Ho-hum-twiddle-thumb, want to get them NOW! Although my 5ft by 2ft balcony in the middle of London is not exactly chicken-friendly...

 

Kate

[dancing cloud]

I had to wait 10 weeks for my and I am not a patient person!

 

I absolutely love it and it arrived only 2 days before I adopted my first and foremost ex-batts, so I didn't have to wait long to fill it, but 10 weeks!! I think I read every post at least twice every day!