Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 After dithering for ages about getting 2 more girls, I think I'm going ahead with it now . (A glug and grub fell into my shopping basket, so I really have to .) My girls are starting to lay again and seem to have stopped the egg eating. My local breeder doesn't have any of the breeds I'd like right now ( ) but in a couple of weeks he will hopefully have Mendlesham Blues & Blue Marans. Anybody got either of these? Photos and what colour eggs they lay would be brilliant . He has White Stars at the moment but although white eggs would be lovely, I think they are quite flighty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Haven't seen either "in the flesh" but I've heard that Mendlesham Blues have a very sweet nature. I'd love some bantams now but I've no chance Whatever you choose will be lovely I'm sure. Ax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I'd go for a White Star, yes they are flighty but they have fab personalities. Rose is my most consistent layer (fab white eggs) and is a real looney, she makes me laugh every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poached Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 hi ANH i have a french copper blue maran here she is: josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Hellooo A.N.H. We supposedly have a Mendlesham Blue (Cordelia) & she's a lovely lovely girl. She's not as funny as our white, we inherited her & I cant remember which 'white' she is but she's far more eccentric then the Blue. Our white lays constantly, beautiful white eggs whereas our Mendlesham lays brown sometimes a little paler brown than the rest of the brown eggs. The Mendlesham Blue is beautifully coloured & marking within the feathers, and is, what I consider, the plump traditional hen shape. Our Skylark Heritage is very similar in shape and size too very different from the Pepperpots. She's very curious & looks you straight in the eye whilst cocking her head she's enthusiastic friendly and funny without being a concern . When we first inherited this white we were told she was mad, flighty - scatty etc & sure enough 2nd day we had her she jumped on top of the cube, jumped over the fence, wandered off up the drive & ran anywhere & everywhere seemingly in a state of panic.. ( which was natural as our garden, chickens , cube etc were all new to her so I assumed it was the circumstances - although I'm an optimist ) Especially after having such peaceful calm funny chooks I thought I'd made a big mistake, fortunately I didn't think that not for long!! Our white has much character, yet her scatty behaviour has disappeared, her feistiness remains only in affectionate curiosity & she's settled in very well as part of the little flock. she's lovely & I wouldn't be without a white. Soooooo, I guess maybe it could be down to ' what colour eggs' you want or of course you could ask him to put a white aside - keep it there for you & see if you can find a similar aged Mendlesham & have both as you did say you were buying two!! Ms Tillyschooksareperchedupontheirbranchlookingooohsoosweetatdawnthismorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Is a Mendlesham Blue just another name for a Bluebelle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 Thanks for your input, guys . Is a Mendlesham Blue just another name for a Bluebelle? I did wonder that myself . EDIT: I just found this on the Meadowsweet Poultry site. I'm more confuzzled now . BLUEBELLE ™ Our Bluebelle comes from Czech republic and lays around 260 brown eggs a year. She is a very placid, pale grey bird. Named by our daughter at the Royal Show many years ago, we own the tradename. If you see any birds advertised as Bluebelle, and they do not come from ourselves or our agents. Please be aware that these people are selling the birds fraudulently. Only those birds from Meadowsweet, are allowed to be called by the name of Bluebelle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I think that the Bluebelle hybrid is a trade mark Meadowsweet hen, but there are quite a few others with similar breeding and different names. This goes for most hybrids there are quite a few names for very similar birds. We have a Bluebelle she is only about 17 weeks old but she is beautiful with a go faster stripe down her beak She is bottom of the pecking order but happy to be handled and although she looks quite big she is quite light weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Tilytinkle Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I'll try to put a photie of our Mendlesham Blue, she's stunning. She had a very dark grey Cleopatra style colouring on head & neck leading into a beautiufl plumage of varying shades of grey which sometimes looks a lovely shade of lavender in the sunshine. Unusually she also has a stripe of the bright rust/orange markings underneath her beak. She's a big soft bird & absolutely wonderful, she follows us around & sits beneath the chairs table when were outside . .she will be stroked too by our daughter who likes to put the chooks on her knee etc. Our white one doesn't like to be stroked, (but then she came to us like that actually but since then she now trusts us and does allow us to stroke her in the nesting box - hmm she used to peck!! ) but this morning she has just for the first time ever ( out of all the chickens it had to be her!!!!!) figured out how to slip through the metal chain door/ fly protector which hangs over our utility room door!!!! YIKES they're usually terrified but recently I've noticed she's (more than any of the others) been watching me through the curtain , she sits on the step waiting for us .. sometimes jumps up onto a plant table which is next to the door trying to look through the window for us!!!! Hmmmmm I'm not impressed - neither was out little cat who looked absolutely frozen terrified backed into the corner !!!! So please may I just add some white chickens can be very enterprising, ingenious & very very naughty!! We've now hidden round the door and sabotaged all her wonderful efforts .. ahem ahem .. hopefully she will never cross our utility room door again!!!! Have fun choosing Ms TillysgoingtobuyawaterpistolreadyforwhenLilythewhitechickennexttriestocomeindoors!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I bought Mabel and Annie the 'Bluebelles' from Martins Wood Chickens where they call them Blue Haze. Mabel is the only one of my girls who will crouch for me and let me pick her up. She jumps onto the ark and chats away to me while I'm cleaning it. Her colour changes throughout the year from dark to pale blue/grey. Although the Blues are the biggest chickens in the flock they lay the smallest eggs - usually around 63g and are pale brown in colour. The photo was taken in the snow last april. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Good luck ANH with whatever you choose. I shall be watching very intently to see how you get on. I still can't quite pluck my courage up to get any more girls just yet. I think the 'bluebelles' look lovely and I would love a white egg layer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Ooh ANH you are thinking of getting 2 new hens I went hen shopping yesterday I really wanted a Bluebelle but Thornes didn't have any so I chose a Speckeldy and a Skyline because the latter lays blue eggs. I did consider a Coral (pink eggs) or a White Star but I felt that a pure white chicken would stand out too much and might get picked on by the others, this is probably rubbish but they do say 'birds of a feather etc.,' Good luck with whatever you choose. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAB Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I have a blue copper maran which looks just like Daisy in Poached's reply above. Although not a very friendly bird, my Daphne is a reliable layer of dark brown eggs and seems to keep an eye on the other birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 White stars are flighty but great little hens! Pleased to hear you're finally getting more hens . . what took you so long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Pleased to hear you're finally getting more hens . . what took you so long? Firstly, I was vainly hoping that we'd start getting eggs again . (Although we're slowly getting back on track now & have beaten the egg-eating habit .) Secondly, the fear of introducing new girls into my extremely laid back, happy little flock . Thirdly, the worry that I don't really have enough room (I've decided I do ). I won this on Ebay as an introduction accommodation and it will then become a spare nestbox . An Omlet grub/glug are on their way and I've tried out the Omlet run panels for splitting the WIR in two. Roll on 24 August when I can phone the breeder (I might just have to phone on the 22nd as that's a Saturday!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Secondly, the fear of introducing new girls into my extremely laid back, happy little flock This is my fear too I have also split my WIR and have an old rabbit hutch for alternate accomodation. So far there has been some very loud screeching from the old girls but no pecking, but then it is only day one Can't wait to see what hens you get ANH. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 I'll be interested to see how it goes for you, Tessa . I'll be following closely in your footsteps . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 That pet carrier is great, perfect for introductions. . . and here's me thinking you would be selecting a colour for a second eglu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
