coppers Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Hi everyone! This is my very first post on the forum which is very exciting. I have been on here for a while, reading lots of posts, and I have found out about many things. We have four hybrid chickens aged 3+ and 2 ducks which are about a year old. (I will post some pics when able.) I look forward to chatting to you all! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs slocombe Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Hi all looking forward to getting to know you guys, we have decided to raise a few chickens, more as a hobby, good for the garden, and any eggs would be a bonus! we have our coop in place, going shopping tomorrow for all our bits an bobs, and looking at some chickens on thurs:) we are thinking of getting 3 chickens, and have narrowed down the choice to 4! a rhode rock, blue ranger, spekledy and a sussex ranger, what would you choose and why? any help at this stage would be fantastic, thanks in advance for any replies:) have a good day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtoallthis Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Hi, I'm so new to all this that I haven't even got my hens yet (awaiting a BHWT rescue of ex-bats) but am the proud owner of a 2nd hand Eglu classic & 2m run The children are already so excited and have named our 3 prospective girls already - Hetty, Lottie and Noodle!! ) Was just wondering... what's the best way to thoroughly clean and disinfect my Eglu before my hens arrive? And do I need to do the same with the run? Thanks I eggs-pect I'll have hundreds more questions before I get then chooks and then even more when I do get them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elderflower Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Afternoon, a quick hello as I have rejoined on here, I have had my eglu and chooks for 4 years now. Love my chickens and gardening, mother of 2 and embracing a life of thriftyness ... watch this space LOL Love to learn from others and look forward to chatting on here xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanna1966 Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 Hello all! So, the coop is due to arrive any day, the feeders, drinkers, bedding, food (pellets, mash and mixed corn), grit, poultry spice, dust bath, fencing and half a dozen "how-to" guides have been bought. The How To guides are all well and truly thumbed, notes made in the margins, notes made in an accompanying notebook, notes made on Post-It notes and stuck IN the notebook... suffice to say that the homework and preparation is well and truly done. Or is it? I've woken at 5am every morning for the last 2 weeks worrying if I've forgotten anything! Perhaps someone can suggest some odd little thing I may have neglected to purchase on my frequent trips to Countrywide? Anyway, regardless, the girls are ready to be collected on Thursday 3rd May from a breeder in Yarnton, frequent emails between Sarah and I confirm that yes we do want three, no we don't want a Fenton Rose (even if they do lay olive green eggs!), yes, we would like a bale of chopped straw, no we won't need feed for at least a month, and yes, the carriers I transport the cats to the vets in will be fine for the hens too. Finally, let me introduce the girls as, like all new mothers, I've picked names before I've even seen my babies: Tallulah, she's a Bluebell; Marilyn, a lovely black and gold Nera and Zsa Zsa, a Barred Plymouth Rock. (Unless we see more stunning bird that may have been hiding when we went to "view" the breeders flock.) SO looking forward to bringing the hens home and spending long days watching them scratching around in the garden and even more excited about my fried egg on toast for breakfast! Joanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chookster Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Completely missed this section Thought i should introduce myself - Downsized house and upsized outside space from Hampshire to Cornwall a year ago when my youngest left home. We have 2 , 1 , and 2 who live in a We hope to keep other animals and lots more hens when the land is sorted as it needs lots of tlc though probably not before next year now. I am hoping to find a friendly community full of information for a beginner in all sorts of things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Welcome to the forum. You've got your hands full then. Don't expect the chooks to clear the land they only eat flowers and vegetables See you over in the other sections Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersam Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 hi everyone i am new to this site and very new to being a chicken mum, we have 4 littles girl chickens and one little boy 5 weeks old, we got them as we have a very sick child and wanted to give him something to focus on. they are so lovely and very funny to watch we are very much enjoying them. we would be most grtaeful for any advice that could be given to us to help us have happy chickens. gingersamxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 They'll be a great distraction for your child and for you as carer. Welcome to the forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 welcome gingersam, any question you have just ask...someone on here will have the answer...no matter how bizarre you think it is. Enjoy your feathered friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersam Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 hi everyone just a quick question to say has anyone ever heard of a cockbox apparently its something used to stop the boys making a noise but im not sure if its the right thing to do it sounds a bit cruel???? gingersam xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singalingz Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Hi all Just joined the forum. We have 3 8week old red stars, at least I think that is what they are, they are a sex linked breed that came from my eldest's school Easter "living eggs" project. My eldest wanted chicks and I wanted bantams, but you can't have everything. We have a bit of a chicken social experiment happening at our place at the moment as we have a guinea pig given to us as a 3year old always solo one, all the advice said she is probably too old for a new companion. Anyway when the chicks were 5 weeks old I couldn't handle the stress of watching them have FR time out of the brooder, we have a really bad fox problem here, so I popped them in the guinea pigs eglu for a while keeping an eye on them the whole time, I hadn't sorted out a run for them yet. I know everyone says they don't mix, and when they get older things will probably change but for now I don't know if the chicks think she is another chicken, or they are guinea pigs, and I have no idea what the guinea pig thinks but even when I feel I must tolerate the stress and let them have a wander around the garden they all stick together, huddled in the corner waiting for me to let them back in their run, they are all agoraphobic. I would like to continue with it as long as possible because the guinea pig has stopped eeping of an evening and seems much more relaxed...for a guinea pig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angeluk69 Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Hey all, Just thought I should post in here as although I am new to chickens, I've been a lurker on the forums for a while doing my research. I get my new hen house tomorrow and first set of chickens on Wednesday, and I'm rather excited Hope to get to know some of you a lot better through our love of the hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Hi everyone, I've just joined the forum as i will be needing some info and advice along the way, We've had a bad start to chicken ownership but it hasn't put us off...we lost our 3 Pekin bantams who were very poorly straight after we bought them, so were looking to find a good breeder and start again , I didn't think it would be possible to become so attached to chicken in such a short time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChickenChatterBox Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Hello Everyone I am Matthew! I am egar to get into the chciken keeping world soon and so far am loving the forum. I find it is the best chicken query awnsering forum on the internet!! Everyone answers back very quickly and with helpful honest and kind answers! Use the forum like evry day now and it is realy great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannabe smallholder Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Hi all, I'm a very enthusiastic newbie who hasn't even got chickens yet but already obsessed with all things feathered. We have visited a local farm to view their hens and have chosen three breeds that will suit us, but not getting them until August,(after our holiday and to give us time to get set up) so at the moment I am reading everything I can and soaking up all the advice on this forum. Looking forward to sharing ideas and getting to know fellow chicken mad folk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppers Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Welcome everyone!! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v2chicken Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 The girls vanessa & Nigel - don't ask!) arrived on Sunday, and then I took one back on Tuesday (Vanessa) as snotty, hunched and off her food - not a well chicken (hasten to add not from Omlet) All now well with vanessa 2 - starter eggs x 2 laid by the chicken fomerly known as Nigel - result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanna1966 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Hello, I'm the proud and totally besotted owner of an Eglu Go and three gorgeous ladies by the names of Henrietta, Mathilda and Babs. They're now 19 weeks old and we've had a few smallish hard-shelled eggs and half a dozen soft or non-shelled ones. I now spend my evenings relaxing in the garden watching my girls and doing the chores: fresh food for the next day, fresh water in their drinker, clean straw in the nestbox and poo-picking the patio. Does anyone else give their hens butternut squash? We've been cutting half inch slices, threading a shoelace through the middle and hanging them up in the run... the girls just love it! What a wonderful life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanna1966 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Hi all,I'm a very enthusiastic newbie who hasn't even got chickens yet but already obsessed with all things feathered. We have visited a local farm to view their hens and have chosen three breeds that will suit us, but not getting them until August,(after our holiday and to give us time to get set up) so at the moment I am reading everything I can and soaking up all the advice on this forum. Looking forward to sharing ideas and getting to know fellow chicken mad folk. Fantastic! Shame you have to wait, mind you I researched, begged and pleaded for 2 years before I could persuade my family to let me get some hens, now they're as hooked as I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karencopas Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 hi, have just found the welcome page so thought i'd say hello at the nursery where i work we've hatched 11 runner ducks and 1 call duck which we are all very proud of and are now thinking of keeping some of them as we have an orchard so would be lovely place for them to live we'll probably get a walk in run and cube from omlet as we have had foxes before so need to be very secure and from research this would seem to be the best option? also just bought a !gored!for us at home so will be looking for lots of helpful advice as never kept ducks or chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppers Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I don't think ducks could manage the cube ladder. The cube would really need to be on the ground off of the wheel bit. If you get my drift? x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karencopas Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 hi, yep will put cube on the ground and am thinking we'd get the extension as well to the walk in run to give the ducks plenty of space also am thinking while we are at nursery and able to watch the ducks i could erect a further extension with some temporary fencing? as we have such a lovely orchard i'd like them to roam as freely as possible and be happy ducks while surrounded by our 3 and 4 yr olds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeckledyEgg Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Hello, I'm new here I have 15 girls who live free-range here on the farm (where I live in the converted barn, with my husband, 3 fancy rats and my saluki lurcher). I have been looking after the hens on and off for about 2 years but as of a month ago they all belong to me now..... I'm now really addicted to chickens, they are so clever and friendly and cheeky too!! The girls are lucky as they have acres to roam over and we are a mile off the nearest road. I have 2 faverolles, 2 Marans, 3 little brown hybrids, 3 bluebells, 2 Light Sussex, 1 ex batt, one pretty mystery girl.... and a welsummer. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of like-minded people on here and learning lots!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowjedi Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Hello - very new first-time keeper here. We had our first two chickens arrive earlier this week and they are already settled into their Eglu. We have Cheech (Columbine) and Chong (Blue Haze - is that the same as a Bluebelle?). We should get different coloured eggs from these so will be easy to tell who's laid what. So far we have established that Cheech loves mealworms and pecking at the CD hung up in the run and Chong is a morning chicken - first out of the coop every day. Cheech is already taking food from our hands after only a few days. They haven't ventured very far from the run yet (can't wait to see them properly out and about) but neither of them like pigeons or crows flying overhead (sparrows appear to be OK though which is good as they are nesting above the coop). The dog thinks they are great but doesn't understand why they eat laying pellets - he thinks they are disgusting and spits them out! One of the cats went straight onto the top of the run to get a better look and lay there mesmerised whilst the other one ran away moaning (and he's the older and bigger of the two!). He still won't go near them! I've learnt a bit of Chicken and find myself chatting away to them - anyone the other side of the garden wall would wonder what's going on. OH already has designs on getting a pair of bantams and is planning to build a big run to give them all more space when they aren't "out". He's ordered a skip and spent all day today clearing the area of old building rubbish. If I'd known getting chickens was going to make him sort out that bit of the garden I'd have done it ages ago! Already obsessed and looking forward to seeing them develop, and of course to getting the first eggs. Chong's comb is much redder than Cheech's so my money's on her getting in first! YJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
