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

[Redwing]

I am pleased to announce the complete conversion of hubby to the chicken world

 

Hubby and I were in the car in a traffic jam earlier

 

I was given 3 fertile Silkie eggs last night by a chap I bought some chicks from and was pondering their incubation

 

I turned to hubby and said, "do you think I should put those eggs under the broody rather than put them in the incubator as it didnt do a bang up job with the last lot?"

 

"well" said hubby, "we probably need to spend some good money on a better incubator"

 

he paused "or stop collecting chickens"

 

We both were silent for a minute then at the same time said "NAH!"

 

New incubator it is then!

[Janty]

He sounds like a 'top man' to have around.

 

[poachedegg]

Mission accomplished!

[Plum]

I feel as though I am sitting on the back seat. Ace husband.

[chick wiggle]

That hypnotising/mind bending course you went on works then?

[Old Speckled Hen]

49 now then?

[Chickvic]

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I can just hear him saying it Tasha........ He's a good egg your DH

 

As Claire G's sig says.....resistance is futile

 

Sha x

[henriette]

 

Great guy! Sounds a bit like mine

[ClaireG]

[Slim]

Getting chickens was my wifes idea how things have changed!!

[Space Chick]

Fab stuff

[Falkor]

 

I just need to get your OH to talk to my OH and then I will be sorted!

[The Dogmother]

well done on the conversion Tasha

[cluckingmad]

Ah, they all come around eventually, no matter how mad they thought getting chickens was in the first place

[docsquid]

Ah, they all come around eventually, no matter how mad they thought getting chickens was in the first place

 

I do hope so. I think mine is slowly softening

[brambles]

You'll have to register with defra!

[Space Chick]

You'll have to register with defra!

 

I may be wrong, but I think Tasha already is

[The Dogmother]

She's bound to be if she has sheep.

[Redwing]

She's bound to be if she has sheep.

 

Do we have to if we have sheep?

 

Just joking yes we are registered but we need to tell them about the chckens so they can add them to our registration - but not till we reach 50! (we do have four chicken lodgers here so I suppose that might count )

[Lewis]

Well done

He needs to speak to my dad!

 

I think its at 50 you have to register but anyone can register

[Poached]

just a question

 

if you register with DEFRA do they come round and check your birds and space check them and take them away if it is'nt suitable

[Redwing]

If I understand it correctly its Trading Standards that come and inspect you normally, I think they give warning but we have nothing to hide if they dont

 

With the sheep they check quite a few things apart from the obvious healthcare stuff, they check your rodent control and feed storage for example and seem obsessed with muck heaps and drainage!

 

With the chickens I guess it would be no different and yes sizes of runs would come in to question however as the legal limits on space are quite low you would have to be a very bad chook keeper not to comply!

 

As far as I know its education that is the object and if you are doing somethng wrong you would be told how to correct it

 

The ins and outs of registration seem very confusing to me and if the above is not correct I dare say I will find out sooner or later!

[Lewis]

I looked into registering last year just because I'd been talking to one of the farmers about it - they have 700 turkeys + a few geese and obviously had to be registered

 

The main point of it that I saw was for survaillance and things about spread of disease - if there is an outbreak of a poultry related disease they'll text or phone you to let you know.

 

I'm pretty sure the farm have an annual 'inspection' about them being free-range and high quality because they're part of Traditional Farm Fresh Turkeys and for when they sell them but didn't think they'd come and check a few chickens in someones garden every year

[The Dogmother]

Try asking Lesley, Lewis; she is registered and knows more about DEFRA. Mind you, they never got in touch with her, nor many of the other farms in this area when we had that AI outbreak last year.