MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 (edited) Hi all, As you can tell I'm brand new to this forum and to chicken keeping - my OH and I ordered ourselves a nice purple Eglu Classic today and it's due to to be delivered on Wednesday. As we live in Northern Ireland we are sourcing our own chickens from a local breeder and we hope to bring home chickens as early as next weekend. We've got ourselves sorted with everything else, feed, grit, mealworms, various powders and disinfectants - just missing the Eglu and chickens! Anyway, I do have questions:- 1. We intend to bring home large fowl and not bantams (we have two cats who have been known to bring back big fat country pigeons!) - I am assuming the Eglu is large enough for two large fowl birds such as Orpingtons? If not, what other breeds would you recommend? 2. If we bring home POL pullets what would be the best thing to feed them? I understand they are not supposed to be fed layers pellets straightaway. I'm really looking forward to getting my girls and getting into the world of keeping chickens and getting to know you guys Edited April 3, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome to the forum 1. Two Orpingtons will be fine in the eglu but it depends what size run you have ordered. If it is just the standard one then it won't really be big enough for Orps. Maybe think about getting a converter to give them more space? 2. Feeding them layers pellets straight away is fine Good luck! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 .I gave my POL girls pellets straight away and they were fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hi Mimimeow and welcome to the forum and the lovely and exiting world of chickens. I think Tom has answered your questions so Im just saying hello *waves* and dont worry, it wont be long before your as daft as the rest of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Just wanted to say hello too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Thank you very much guys - I'm definitely excited and I really wish I had the girls now so I can start giving them cuddles and getting them used to their new home. Was at a poultry fair today and I just wanted to bring them all home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 They'll be safe from cats-although they might stalk them initally until they get close and realise just how large they really are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kit Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hi MimiMeow Hello It will be one of the funniest thing you will ever see.....your cats being taught a lesson! Mine was taught that they were not No 1 and the chooks were not to be chased or stalked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Thanks Kit and Stevie! Oh yeah, that's another thing I am looking forward to - the sight of my cats trying to figure what on earth the girls are! I'm not as worried about the older of the two, I think he has enough sense to realise they're not worth bothering with. The younger one, who is only coming 1 this May, is the most curious cat I have ever met, a complete (but loveable) idiot at times and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a few pecks for her to figure out she isn't on top of the rankings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome to the forum. Orpingtons are beautiful hens and an eglu would be fine for young Orps growing but I would not recommend an eglu and eglu run to keep fully grown Orpingtons in. They are quite statuesque birds and the eglu run can be quite low for them. I had my growing Cochins in my eglu but once fully grown we moved the eglu into a Walk in run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Welcome from me too! My three cats turned 17 last week and all react to the chooks completely differently. One thinks they're HER pets, she loves them and always follows me to the run so she can hangout with them they completely ignore her as she sits in the middle of them, watching them nibble their corn. Another thought she could play with them but was pecked on the cheek once and she has stayed well clear ever since! My Tom Cat went into SAS mode (slinking along on his belly, hiding behind the odd blade of grass and under bushes) but he too now ignores them. That was my greatest fear, that they'd never get on and I needn't have worried Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Thanks Chelsea and Tutti Frutti Chelsea - Thankfully Orpies aren't the only breeds I'm looking at as I did note how large they are, quite like the look of Barnvelders, Sussex, Welsummers and Rhode Island Reds as well. Have spent the past few weeks scouring for information about various breeds and tried to pick out as best I can the breeds that would work well for a newbie like myself. Love the Orpies but it might be struck off the list because of their size - unfortunately I don't have a huge garden plus it's a strange shape - best way is to describe it as a long and narrow-ish in an L shape. We've already decided, for various reasons, that the girls wouldn't be allowed out to free range unless supervised. Thankfully we don't need to worry about foxes as our garden is well closed off. Tutti Frutti - it's nice hearing from various sources regarding cats and chickens - I think I'm more worried about Phoebe getting pecked repeatedly because she hasn't quite got the message Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Ooh, Sussex and Barnevelders are gorgeous hens (especially the Barnevelder - lovely markings) I know Ubereglu has a Barnevelder in her eglu & run, and several people have buff and light sussex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 (edited) My Light Sussex hybrid thinks she's a goose and honks like one She's also a shade of dirty, greyish brown today (I put Diatomaceous Earth in the nest box yesterday and she obviously slept in it last night! Little madam!)... Needs a bath but I'll wait until the weather perks up before tackling that one And here's my cat, watching her pets (quite an old photo, you can tell because the white one was.... WHITE!!!!) Soooooooo... How long now then?!! Edited April 3, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Chelsea - oooh thanks, I think Barnevelders are very quickly moving to the top of the list, they are absolutely beautiful birds. Tutti Frutti - lol awww your Light Sussex sounds adorable. The bad weather hasn't been good for pets in general, Phoebe is supposed to have white paws - they've been a light shade of grey recently! Hope to meet with a local breeder next weekend, have a look at his flock and if we like what we see we'll pick up the girls there and then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 I think I'm more worried about Phoebe getting pecked repeatedly because she hasn't quite got the message Don't worry, Phoebe will only get pecked two or three times! My smallest cat isn't the brightest (she's brain damaged after 2 major epileptic fits that were so bad, the vet said she wouldn't pull through) but even she got the message after 3 pecks I remember her going up to sniff a chook and was just about to get a fourth and you could actually SEE the light bulb come on as she suddenly realised what was about to happen and quickly toddled off Don't worry, Phoebe will soon figure it out! I hope you take a fancy to some chooks next weekend then! Don't forget your cat carrier and a blanket to make it dark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 awwww! I'm not sure what happened to Phoebe but she's one of the daftest kitties I know but we love her all the same. She was rescued as a feral kitten and we got her aged 9 weeks last July. On top of the daftness she's got a habit of falling over when she turns and tilts her head up to look at you. I think that's her just being silly and affectionate as she doesn't fall over when she's looking up at the birds tweeting in the trees!! It's ridiculous how excitable I am getting over the thought of hopefully getting chooks next weekend, it'll be fun watching them settle in and introducing them to the cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutti Frutti Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Another one of my chicken-herder She's so soppy over the chooks (and so trusting that they love her back and won't peck her as she hangs around them!) that you can see it shook my Head Chook (Roxy the Black Rock) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MimiMeow Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Awww - utterly adorable I'll no doubt keep you guys updated on what breed of chicken we settle on and how they're settling in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
