lugreen Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hi, I'm looking to get my first Eglu and chickens in June. I have a local chicken breeder but his girls all seem to be heavy breeds (such a shame because I love his Blue Comets!) or bantams, which I'm undecided about. I also love the look of Marans/Speckledy's. I understand that Maran's are too big for an Eglu but would a Speckledy be too? I've looked at various websites and seen them labelled as heavy, medium and light?! They're not on the Buying Chickens guide list... Thanks in advance, Lucy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hello and welcome to the forum. Marans and Speckledys will both be fine in an Eglu. Think of the lovey dark brown eggs with a Maran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brambles Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I have a speckledy in my eglu cube. She's the same size as my other girls and lays lovely brown speckled eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 One of my original hybrids is a Speckledy, she's one of the larger ladies but has slept in both an eglu and a cube no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Speckledys will be fine in an Eglu. My speckledy Sadie is my favourite (shhh, don't tell the other girls) - very friendly and placid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 My Speckledy is also happy in the cube, and is the biggest of my four. She's a lovely girl, very affectionate, loves a cuddle. However, she is my biggest scratcher around the garden, and likes to stick to the same spot. Not a problem if your not bothered like me, as I love to watch her, however expect to lose grass and quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugreen Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) Thank you everyone for the advice! A couple of you mentioned Speckledy's in cubes - I sadly can not afford one just yet (though I aspire to one eventually!), so she would have to be happy in a MK2 Eglu. We would really love to choose our first chickens and the local farm does not supply either Gingernuts or Pepperpots! Are there any other breeds that people could recommend? I want to make sure I have happy chooks And, sorry final question!, I'm a little confused about the number of chickens you can keep in an Eglu - I understood they take 3-4 (we were looking to have 3) but have read that only 2 would be happy in the standard run? Thanks again! Lucy Edited May 6, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieadams Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 We have 3 in our , and we did get an extension for them because they don't freerange as much as I'd like (the converter gives you an extra meter and Tom at Omlet assured me they'd be happy in there without any freeranging at all). I suppose it depends if you'll be letting them out or not! I do suspect that if you get 2 it won't be long before you're hankering after a third though As for breeds, our bluebelle is very pretty with lovely markings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Hi Lucy Pepperpot and are Omlets own name for the breeds. The is also known as a Suffolk Blacktail and the Pepperpot as a Bovans Nera. Also depending on where you buy them from they may have different names altogether! The best thing to do is go to a supplier and choose the ones that take your fancy on the day (which is how we have ended up with so many ). Just make sure whoever you pick is bright eyed and sparky, interested in her surroundings are healthy. Almost all hybrids will fit in the eglu no problem, but do get the extension/converter as it will make all the difference and you can often pick them up for a reasonable price second hand. My speckledy is one of my original girls and she is adorable. She follows me around everywhere and insists on helping me clean out the eglu. she is quite large compared to my Suffolk B-T but was absolutely fine in the eglu. she has never been broody, unlike so of my other hybrids and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her. We shall always have Speckledys in our flock HTH Claire x Ps please get 3 hens rather than 2 - it makes life a lot easier if 1 should pop her clogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Gemma the speckeldy currently sitting on 5 in an eglu Don't go for them just for the eggs - my maran cuivre (hybrid) lays midbrown speckeldy eggs!!! and Gemma the speckeldy lays lovely shiny mid brown eggs. I think to get the dark dark brown eggs you need a really good strain of maran or good luck with a hybrid cross. Love my speckeldy - she is one of the most inquisitive of all my girls - be warned though she falls broody with the minimalist encouragement once the good weather hits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Black rocks are yet another name for the pepperpot hybrid, while (I think) goldlines are the same (or almost) as the gingernut ranger. We have two black rocks, one goldline and a speckledy. While Becky the specky is a bit bigger than the other hens, it is only a little so they would all be interchangeable in terms of fitting in an Eglu, I'm sure. The goldline is the friendliest and they have a reputation for being very friendly. Becky is currently playing at being broody...she isn't laying and will sit on the eggs the others have laid but only for a while before hunger/curiosity/boredom? drive her off the nest and out into the garden again. Wish she would lay though...only had 1 egg yesterday from 4 chooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy36 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Hi Yes Breeders use their own names for Hybrids - the Blue Comet is a Bluebelle and the Golden Rocket is a Gingernut type ( ithink you were referring to Smilers Farm?. The Speckled is a MAran cross. and the Black comet is a Pepperpot/Black Rock type. All ofthese will be fine in your Eglu. The Speckledy and Golden will be slightly bigger than the others, but its not a massive difference. And I am sure you will read here and elsewhere, 3 chickens is better than 2 - if anything happens to one you will still have pair ie friends - introducing new chickens is not easy, so better to have 3! Good luck... its addictive so beware! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 The goldline is the friendliest and they have a reputation for being very friendly. Don't bank on goldlines being friendly - if it is the same as our columbiun blacktail (Rhode Ranger) she is the most timid/ unfriendly of the lot. Not nasty natured but can never get near her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 The goldline is the friendliest and they have a reputation for being very friendly. Don't bank on goldlines being friendly - if it is the same as our columbiun blacktail (Rhode Ranger) she is the most timid/ unfriendly of the lot. Not nasty natured but can never get near her whereas my suffolk blacktail is incredibly friendly. Eager to jump on my lap and be hand fed, as well as being picked up and held - she dozes off in your hands. I guess they are like people, no two are the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phosphorus Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 The goldline is the friendliest and they have a reputation for being very friendly. Don't bank on goldlines being friendly - if it is the same as our columbiun blacktail (Rhode Ranger) she is the most timid/ unfriendly of the lot. Not nasty natured but can never get near her whereas my suffolk blacktail is incredibly friendly. Eager to jump on my lap and be hand fed, as well as being picked up and held - she dozes off in your hands. I guess they are like people, no two are the same Yep I would go with that - the breeder I got my girls from told me my maran crosses would not be that friendly and they definately are Although not so much when broody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Hi I have one speckledy and she was the smallest in the bunch when I went to collect her, I just liked her. She does lay small speckledy eggs and is smaller than my Gingernut rangers. But the other speckledys were size. You are spoilt for choice, I do have a cube but cant see what the problem with speckledy would be size wise in an eglu? Good luck its nice choosing indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugreen Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 Thank you all for the advice; I will definately be getting a Speckledy and am looking at the other breed suggestions now. I will also make sure I get the run converter too. Amazon finally delivered Hobson and Lewis' Keeping Chickens today which I've been reading; it's a beautiful book but seems packed with good advice and their breed descriptions are very helpful. Hi smithy36, it was Smilers I was talking about; I think they're getting used to my wandering in every so often and cooing over their chickens I also got in touch with Blackbarn Farm in Latchingdon as I understand that they breeds Speckledys. All this and I still have a good couple of months until my birthday and the arrival of my ..... !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
