Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Lesley]

Next project is being 'hatched' - watch this space

[Nicola H]

Are you getting broody again lesley................

[Lesley]

I'm a bit old for getting broody!

[Guest]

Next project is being 'hatched' - watch this space

 

Did you get the pink Eglu? Did you? Did you? I bet you did. Yippee.

 

Tell us, have you bought an incubator and hatching your own? Are you. Are you.

 

Tell us do.

[buffie]

Just showing Mikey the pictures and realised Lesley used her run in a similar way to me (that's reassuring!). Also only just noticed you have a Lottie Lesley

 

Do tell us what you're up

 

BBx

[The Dogmother]

Yes, spill the beans....

[Lesley]

I can't until I know myself!

 

I would really like one of our layers to go broody but there's no sign of that. A bit more research into things and then I shall be straight on here to tell you all about it

 

You'll be the first to know!

[Nicola H]

Lesley why didn't you say before Bunty would love to have a holiday in Stratford she goes broody at the drop of a hat..................

[Lesley]

We ought to swap our Legbars!

 

Is yours back to laying yet? Ellie hasn't laid since August!

[Nicola H]

She hasn't produced an egg since August...........Although Ginger has started laying again after her moult.

 

You are right Lesley we should do a swap...........I would love to eat another blue egg some day soon.

[buffie]

Now Lesley there's something I'd like to do one day, the race is on...

 

BBx

[Lesley]

There will be fertilised eggs at the DFT in March - in case none of ours go broody.

 

We are planning to convert one of the green eglus to be suitable for tiny chicks - still thinking about it.

 

DFT - www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk

[ali-s]

I was reading a thread on P P forum last night where someone had bought old cotswold legbar eggs from a supermarket and put them in an incubator and some where fertile and growing

Apparently the farms have Cockerels as well

 

In Tescos tonight the old cotswold legbar eggs were sold out

Maybe I should get an incubator. 6 eggs for £1.45. How would you have to pay for hatching eggs I wonder?

[The Dogmother]

The lovely chicken lady that I got Layla from sells hatching eggs from all sorts of breeds. She's based near Oxford though. Might be interesting for you though Lesley. I might well be going to see her in the next couple of months - I'll let you know in case you want to tag along; you'd love her to bits.

 

Do I detect the patter of tiny starfish feet Lesley?

[Lesley]

Most definitely Clare - lots of little 'dinners'

 

Hatching eggs at DFT are 75p.

[The Dogmother]

How lovely, I would love to see them when you have some chickies, they are just sooo gorgeous.

 

If you have too many 'dinners' (dead ones that is) just give us a shout and I will happily buy some from you

[Lesley]

Not much chance of that Clare!

 

We were given a chicken crock for Christmas - now all we need is a chicken to cook in it That means doing the deed again We've ordered a despatcher from Ascotts as the remaining three are just too big to do by hand now

 

You're welcome to come and see any fluffy little chicks - including me!!

(but i'm not so little )

[The Dogmother]

Let me know when you get them and I'll be there Lesley. I just love chicks

[motherhen]

Why not indulge yourself with a couple of silkie bantams Lesley - they make the best broodies and mums ever

 

I think to convert an eglu for brooding and chicks, you'd need to put something over the slats so the chicks couldn't fall through. They'd need a little ramp to get into and out of the eglu when they are very young. You could go the incubator route to hatch the eggs, but I always used broodys because they do all the hard work of looking after the chicks

 

I found a Light Sussex/Maran cross gave a good sized eating bird (all the little boys that hatched) with good laying from all the little girls. But if you intend to eat them all whatever the sex then I'd go for a breed bred for slow outdoor growing as an eater.

[Lesley]

Hi Jane - we were thinking about RIR x light sussex or brown sussex as eaters?

 

We will only go down the incubator route if Ellie doesn't go broody

 

Silkies? - in our mud? They's never pick their feet up

[buffie]

Yes looking at silkies I can't see they are practical really in my garden with clay. Can you get black crispy feathered ones because that's what they'd look like. Pretty but couldn't have a chicken that would need more hair time than me!

 

BBx

[Cinnamon]

You can get fertile eggs on ebay too....just do a search for fertile eggs & a fair few come up!

[Lesley]

12 Maran/Wheaten hatching eggs sold for £33 + £8 postage the other day :shock:

 

The DFT doesn't sell hatching eggs until, March because the fertility drops in the winter and they won't guarantee anything.

 

I wonder what happens to the eggs being sold on Ebay at the moment - they all have a disclaimer, so there's no come-back

[Bugsy]

this subject doesn't upset me, because I know my chickens aren't bred for thier meat

[The Dogmother]

Lesley, try calling Pearl, my lovely chicken lady, she lives out at Weston on the Green near Oxford, so not too far. She sells fertilised eggs and had loads when we bought our chooks. I will PM you her number.