Omlet Smart Autodoor - New in box

[sezra]

Right.. I have had my lovely girls for 6 weeks and they are now all laying . I am getting between 1 and 3 eggs per day but 3 is when we are lucky! My problem is (apart from the fact I am now addicted to chicken keeping) that I need more eggs. I am still buying 6 per week from the supermarket (organic, free range obviously! ) but I am only just getting enough for my own use without even getting a chance to share them with friends and neighbours. . Tomorrow I am going to Cotswold Chickens to buy some more feed aubiose etc and I am really tempted to get a couple more hens .

 

I have 4 hybrids in a GO. If I get 2 more that means I will need another hen house or swap to a cube (in my dreams! ). After reading posts on here, I have read that even if you have two hen houses the hens all like to bundle in together. My run is 9m square and they free range for a couple of hours per day, early evening. My questions/dilemmas are...

 

1) Am I being too impatient? Will I get more eggs as they settle in to a pattern?

 

2) Would it be a waste of money to get another hen house if there is a possibility that they all will end up in the same one?

 

3) I was planning on increasing my numbers next year by two so that I could stagger their egg production so maybe I would have to have a cube in the long run anyway?????

 

4) I also want some ex batts!!!

 

Aaahhhhh! I only have a small garden!

 

I have been told by my OH that I can have a new Go/Classic for my birthday instead of a sewing machine if I want! Although somehow I think it will be my credit card that it goes on!

 

Please help I need some rationale behind all my hen keeping ideas I am having. Is it the excitement of starting a new hobby and loving it or am I just an impatient wotsit!

 

Thanks.

 

x

[Plum]

sell the Go and buy a cube all the eggs will pay for it

[Mollie333]

Sell the 'Go , then tell OH to take the money from the 'Go, and pay a little more for the cube.

[sezra]

Sell the 'Go , then tell OH to take the money from the 'Go, and pay a little more for the cube.

 

OH just grunted something and gone to bed! Maybe I will look into the cost of a cube without a run or put a request on the forum......

[karlotta]

Buy the cube now as an early present and keep the go for introductions!

 

I'm pretty sure 'grunt' translates to 'please buy me a cube dear'...

[Mercedes55]

I think getting a Cube and keeping the Go is a good idea too as you will have the Go for when you are introducing new hens to your existing flock. We have a Classic Eglu, only had it about a month and are already ready to get a Cube, but we will still keep the Eglu in case we need it in the future. From what I had read they still fetch a fair bit when you sell them on, so to keeping it until you know if you will use it is a good way forward.

 

We have 4 ex batts, only had them 2wks, but we are now getting up to 4 eggs a day, most days have had only 2. They do say don't get ex batts if you are relying on them laying eggs as some of them don't lay at all and I'm not sure how long any of them lay for, although I'm sure someone else on here with more knowledge of ex batts would know.

 

I have to say they are wonderful hens to take on though. We are amazed at how quickly ours have settled in and apart from their lack of feathers they are acting just like any other chicken. They now even follow us around the garden when we let them out of the run as they are already associating us with food

[sezra]

I'm pretty sure 'grunt' translates to 'please buy me a cube dear'...

 

 

I think long term we should go for a Cube, OH has agreed that I can have one as long as I make up the money difference..

 

Wondering what the maximum number of hens in a 9m square run?? If I get two more now then that restricts me with how many ex batts I can take, unless I hold off for now and I just wait for the next rehoming, that would be nice.

 

So many people seem to buy a small Eglu and then upgrade to a cube really quickly! We obviously love our chooks!

[migsy]

If they are hybrids you should start to get more eggs in time. I'm sure you want more chickens though anyway!

[migsy]

I think you could get 9 hens in a 9 SqM run. 1 SqM per hen seems to be the general rule.

[sezra]

If they are hybrids you should start to get more eggs in time. I'm sure you want more chickens though anyway!

 

Maybe I should be patient , but still get a cube so that I have more space ready for some ex batts?

 

Thank you for answering the egg question, I have no idea. I just love being able to send my friends away with some eggs and at the moment everytime I have done that I have been left short!

[sezra]

I think getting a Cube and keeping the Go is a good idea too as you will have the Go for when you are introducing new hens to your existing flock.

 

I have decided this is what I am going to do but I am going to buy a Cube with a run and then attach the run to the side of my WIR. That way I will also be increasing my run size and it will be easier to attach than just a cube on its own.

 

I am going to get 3 ex batts in the autumn when I have saved up some money for my Cube and then a couple more POL next summer to stagger the egg production!

 

Now I just need to get ebaying to start my Cube savings fund!

[karlotta]

Great decision! A Go will be perfect for intros - and once you are done you could always use it for a few bantams!!

[sezra]

Great decision! A Go will be perfect for intros - and once you are done you could always use it for a few bantams!!

 

Great idea, I will approach the OH with that one another time!