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

[Pedro1962]

My with 1m extension and and are due to arrive on 01.07.09.

 

I am planning to buy 3 more hens from Thornes on the same day. Checking their website, these are the hybrids that they normally have available:

 

* Bluebelle

* Bovans Nera

* Coral

* Goldline

* Magpie

* Maran Cuvree

* Rhode Star

* Silver Nick

* Skyline

* Speckledy

* Sussex Line

* White Star

 

Ideally, I would be looking for birds that are good with children, not too flighty and I would really like a selection of plumage and egg colours.

 

Any suggestions?

 

PS. I am determined to get a White Star. Good idea?

[moochoo]

To be honest all hybrids are lovely. The white stars can be a little flighty and skittish but to lay beautiful big white eggs. I think it can be luck of the draw when it comes to getting a friendly chook but I tend to go for the more confident and cheeky ones when I go to pick.

If you're looking for a variety of egg colours the skyline lays green/ blue eggs (80% chance) the Maran Cuvree tend the lay a darker brown egg.

I'm sure once you see them you'll find some that appeal.

[*mummy_hen*]

Bluebelle and speckeldy are both on my 'to get' list and i believe neither of those are generally too flighty. I fell in love with blubelles the day i met TAJ's lovely lady

 

I understand white stars can be a bit of a handful but if you want one i would just go for it!!

[TAJ]

Bluebelle and speckeldy are both on my 'to get' list and i believe neither of those are generally too flighty. I fell in love with blubelles the day i met TAJ's lovely lady

 

I understand white stars can be a bit of a handful but if you want one i would just go for it!!

 

Not that I am biased but my bluebelle is lovely looking and a real character - as top chook she is now bullying the new girls, but I wouldn't swap her for the world. If you want different colour eggs then a skyline would be good - can be flighty, but reasonably small and would be good with children, plus the little hairdo, if you pick the right one. The speckledy will lay dark brown eggs and like the bluebelle is a reasonably large bird compared with some.

 

Tracy

[Pedro1962]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I am sure that when we go to choose, my 6 year old DD will have the casting vote and we will get the prettiest ones!

 

 

Starting to get quite excited...

[Coucou]

We were at Thornes on Saturday buying our first chickens. They didn't have all the hybrids that you have listed. I know for sure that they didn't have any White Stars as we had wanted one for the white eggs. We wound up choosing a Coral Nick instead as this is also a white hen though she wont lay white but pink (?!) eggs. I'm sure it is for the best though as apparently Corals are friendlier than White Stars.

 

They might have some White Stars by then though - maybe you could phone and ask what they will have available in July?

 

We also chose a Speckledy and she is very pretty and more easy going than the Coral. The Coral is definately top chicken.

 

Our 12 year old son is in charge of the chickens and is doing a fantastic job so far. He is much better at handling them than I am.

 

It looked to me like there were only 5 different types of hybrids available. Though I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure they did't have any Skylines for example.

 

We had planned rounding out our flock with an Araucana and 2 silkies when they became available from Thornes in August. But we found out on Saturday that Thornes will not have any Silkies for sale this year. (Their hens did not produce!) We are still considering which others to buy.

 

Also we were told to arrive very early on the 27th of August if we wanted to get an Araucana.

[Pedro1962]

Yes, I was there yesterday stocking up on supplies. The list I posted was from their web-site and apparently availability does vary.

 

(BTW, Titmuss is a lot cheaper for a lot of hen stuff).

 

I am now drifting towards a Coral as opposed to a White Star.

 

My 6yo DD will be disappointed about the lack of silkies this year. We were half-planning to add one to the flock.

[Coucou]

It is my 12 year old son (!) who is desparate for the silkies. He really wanted a big ball of fluff. We are leaning towards putting off the silkies for this year now, but maybe hatching some from eggs when we are more chicken expert.

 

Thanks for the Titmuss tip. I'll have to check them out next time I'm in Wheathampsted.