Chicken bald back

[GillC]

I don't know how it happened. I started with just two little hens and an eglu. Then the craze came over me and I sourced two more hens. However I was limited by the size of the eglu and calm descended.

 

Next we built a WIR and I was dreaming of more eglus, of eglu cubes, of more hens. The internet is so easy. I began looking on ebay, at the BHWT, in the omlet forums. I started collecting things...just in case... Like purple spray in case I got new hens and they got pecked, chicken tonic....in case I got new hens and they were a bit poorly.

 

Within two weeks I had a 2nd eglu and 3 ex-batts, but I'm still yearning for more. I've started trying to share my obsession. I have created a blog just to talk about my chickens called The Connected Peasant, I've made a video of them which I've posted on YouTube and Facebook and in the blog.

 

What happens next? I still keep lusting after a cube...just a little cube, I could easily fit one in Then if any more chickens just 'happened' to come my way, well, I could easily accomodate them, couldn't I.

 

Does this happen to everyone? Most people I know seem to acquire more hens, depending on the size of their garden.

 

I have a very big garden

[Old Speckled Hen]

Does this happen to everyone?

 

Yes

 

Everyone here gets more or aspires to.

Some of us can't count ( chicken maths) and hope for short sighted partners.

[chick wiggle]

That all seems very normal to me

[docsquid]

Completely normal. I have a cube and three chooks. I want a WIR with a docking station for the cube, an Eglu for intros, and a few more chooks. It is perfectly normal. The only problem is persuading DH that it is normal

[coco]

Sounds completely normal to me. We were discussing Pandora bracelets in the pub the other night and my freind said its nice to get given a charm for them as its a reminder of the person who bought it. I got some very odd looks when I said that chickens are the same and I would always remember the persion who got them for me.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I've got four lovely batties who I absolutely adore... but it's not enough

 

I'm sure we have room for at least another 4 in the garden (who needs a lawn anyway?) ooh and then maybe we could buy a bit more land and have a dozen chickens. And I've always wanted a pig and a goat. A sheep could be useful too. Maybe an aviary for some quail. And a couple of ponies just tucked away in the corner.

 

Oops, gotta go - there are some men in white coats knocking at my door

[Willow]

Hi Gill,

Just start talking about maybe getting quail and he'll accept more chickens and a cube as the lesser evil

 

I definitely need to get 2 more chickens - just 3 in each eglu looks so cold on frosty nights

[JS1]

I got three little brown hens last year, and a wooden coop that holds six to eight. Then in November, I got three ex-batts and an Eglu. They're all integrated now (although still in separate houses at night) so I'm getting tempted by the idea of a Scots Dumpy, Araucana and a Maran. My husband is keen to get them for me as it's my birthday this weekend and he hasn't got me an 'inspired' present, and I believe local breeders have some....

 

So tempted, and the internet really doesn't help!

[Redwing]

That all seems very normal to me

 

Its not normal, we KNOW its not normal but somehow manage to persuade the outside world that it is

[Cooks]

very true

[emchook]

LOL

I know that look

[Space Chick]

That all seems very normal to me

 

Its not normal, we KNOW its not normal but somehow manage to persuade the outside world that it is

 

Wash your mouth out with soap and water Tasha, I for one know no such thing

[Janty]

Don't worry. I was getting three but came home with seven.

 

 

I now have 33.

 

[Valkyrie]

It's an infection - can't be cured with antibiotics or therapy. The only way to ease it is to get more chooks. For help in this matter try not to go to any shows - even if Tarzan is there in all his glory. Because then you are introduced to every breed in every colour, shape, form and pencilling and lacing and and and . . . a smallholding would be very nice.

[beulah59]

We started with four and now have eight ... there's plenty of room in the run, and at night they all squash up on the perch so if any more came my way I'm sure we'd manage ... somehow

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Perhaps I should move house to get a bigger garden . I don't have room for any more chickens and I really don't think that's fair or right .

[Cooks]

it's against your civil rights ANH...

[Bunnyish]

lol... it must be an obsession!!

 

i started with 3... have 8 now and as its coming up to half term and il have a day or 2 to myself... im going to smilers farm to have a 'look' (she says with the cat crate in the back on the car... just incase.... of course... )

[Henhathnofury]

My OH was heard singing 'All the Single Chickens. All the Single Chickens,' to Beyonce's tune this week. It has spread through our family and we like nothing better than oohing and aahing over chickens all evening..........

[Laura & CTB]

The reason I got a standard eglu and run in the first place was because it fitted nicely into my already small garden ....so it was no more than three chickens for me.

 

Now I have a WIR and cube, four chooks and soooooo much room for more (later this year )

 

....and if I could just persuade CTB to get rid of his bloomin' huge motorbike which also gets stored at the bottom of the garden...well I'd have enough space for another WIR too

[tom123]

Yep, it's normal!

 

I started off 3 years ago with 2 hens in a small coop thinking how nice it would be to have some eggs. I had no idea about how many breeds there were etc. and ended up buying 2 hybrids which were called something like 'Sus..ssex' I think Then it started. For Christmas I asked for 2 more and also bought my Grandparents some. And then I bought more and more and more and more.......

 

I now have nearly 100

[Seagazer]

Its catching as well as it was me who wanted the girls but its my OH who keeps asking when we are getting more! I'm being the sensible one (okay I'm petrified about doing introductions) but I have an intro run coming in March

[Olly]

"Two chickens is plenty. Who'd want more than two? One little Eglu, and two chickens - that's all I've ever wanted."

 

I think that's how it went ... then there was this Eglu and these three homeless chickens whose owners were emigrating to Australia, well I have got a big garden ... then it seemed pointless having two Eglus so I got a Cube ... Then I saw ANH's run from Aviaries4U and it was obviously perfect for my garden ...

 

I have definitely decided that five is my maximum. I think. I blame this forum!

 

All sounds perfectly normal to me!

[Mincepies]

It's amazing how chickens get into your very soul - I'm even thinking about getting a llama, just to protect them from the foxes!!

Seriously, won't be buying a llama (although I'd love one), but will probably get more hens, and maybe a couple of geese or ducks. Luckily we have a big garden and the OH loves them too - he's going to extend their already large run at the bottom of the garden, and include a special walkway through the veg patch into the lawned area where we can put up an electric fence to keep them safe.

They used to free range until an evil fox snatched my dearest bird, Britney, last week

Also thinking about buying a silkie for the OH for his birthday in June, already have a name for it (Silkie Baby - private joke with him but I won't go into detail!)

[Space Chick]

Started with 4 in a cube, now have 12 and a large WIR, and have just bought an Eglu classic for doing hatching. Have already decided where WIR 2 can go, although apparently I'm not allowed

 

Ironically, it was OH who wanted chickens, and I took a bit of persuading