sarahw Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hi everyone my name is Sarah and our family are excited about getting an eglu and a couple of hens We are looking forward to the fresh eggs and having loys of fun !! We have bought a book on how to care for chickens and we are sorting out the garden at the moment,fencing of the veg and dog area and making it chicken proof so they can free range as much as possible. We are looking into what type of hen to get and how many..2 0r 3 ? We like the Black rock ..would an eglu be ok for this type ? If not then what type would be ok,we want something that would be good with the kids ,healthy and a good layer. We are thinking after our holiday in June would be a good time,are hens available at this time of year ? Maybe we could get an ex battery Hen. Our children are very keen to get involved,they are aged 11,10 and 6 We have thought of names for our hens Edna and Blossom I hope my questions are not silly I am bidding on an eglu n ebay as we speak Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 Ps we live in lancashire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hello and welcome - there's no such thing as silly questions here. You can have 4 full size hens in your eglu but the problem is the size of the run. In an ordinary run you can have three hens if tyou let them out a lot - but really you need the extension. The best hens for family and laying are hybrids - look up meadowsweet on the interwebnet and they will say where the nearest supplier is. Rescue hens will be very grateful for the love you give them - they may not last as long as "new" chooks or lay as many eggs but the rewards will be great knowing you have helped a desperate animal. I'm sure other people will be along to give you more support. Good luck with the auction and best wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 (edited) Hello Sarah and welcome to the forum. Firstly no questions are silly! We have all asked them! I would say 3 hens but if they are confined to the run I would recommend a convertor from Omlet £47 but gives an extra metre of run space! Then if anything happens to one (which will eventually ) you don't have to rush out and get another one quickly for company. Not sure about which hens, but try doing a google search for Meadowsweet Chickens in your area. I'm pretty sure that they will be able to advise you on the best chickens for your family. Enjoy them! they are fab pets and you will spend hours watching them! edited to add- Jaime is clearly quicker at typing than I am, great minds etc Edited April 16, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hello Sarah Black Rock hens are supposed to be bomb-proof, so they will be a good choice. Don't know if you've found a supplier yet, but I can recommend Glencroft Poultry at Catterick - they delivery! http://www.glencroftpoultry.co.uk/ (look at the poultry page). Hope you get your e-bay eglu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Welcome to the forum Sarah and good luck with the bidding........ I think Jaime has pretty much covered everything, I think any of the Meadowsweet hybrids would be a good choice they are good layers rarely go broody and are easier to tame than pure breeds........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Welcome to the forum Sarah. Never be afraid to ask a question...we were all new once and glad of uncritical support.... so ask away. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 Wow thanks for the replies What a great forum !! I have left a message with meadowsweet and will try glencroft as well. We have until the end of June to get everything organised and if i don't find a eglu 2nd hand by then i will have to get the hubby to buy me a new one I will invest in an extension and get 3 hens..3 children/3 hens makes sense We will ahve to think of another name. Does anoyone know where i can buy chicken feed in Lancashire ( Nr blackpool) ? I am worried i will over or under feed the hens? I had in my head a cup full of the pellets per hen in the morning then veg during the day and corn at bedtime with the grit available also does grass count as veg ? Can i give them boiled rice and pasta ? I have a one metre fencing round my veg and flower pots..is his high enough if i clip their wings ? My brother said to put a bucket full of sand in the run for then to have a dust bath in ..is this ok ? Thanks again Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 I am worried i will over or under feed the hens? I had in my head a cup full of the pellets per hen in the morning then veg during the day and corn at bedtime with the grit available also does grass count as veg ? Can i give them boiled rice and pasta ? they will only eat as many pellets as they need, but 'treats before bedtime is a good idea. Boiled rice and pasta is fine is cooked in unsalted water, but not too much. They need chicken pellets or chicken mash to produce eggs. It gives them everything they need I have a one metre fencing round my veg and flower pots..is his high enough if i clip their wings ? No! Mine were clipped and still jumped straight into the veg garden! We now have willow fencing around it to stop them. A good tip is to put some chicken wire on top of the top leaning towards the chicken area (if that makes sense)? As they won't jump up unless they can land safely! Well thats what i've found My brother said to put a bucket full of sand in the run for then to have a dust bath in ..is this ok ? Fab idea! We use a cat litter tray and they love dust bathing in it. dry soil, sand and wood ash from the fire also works well. I put some mite powder in every so often too. they are so funny to watch when 'bathing' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 If you don't get your ebay eglu, then try looking in the 2nd hand eglus section on this forum - there are a few there at the moment. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you on here lots more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Black Rocks...er...Rock! mine is a darling- beautiful to look at easy to handle and our primo egg supplier at the moment. Not the sharpest fork in the drawer but a joy to own. Welcome to the forum, I'm fairly new here too, everyone is lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Welcome to the forum Sarah Try not to worry about the prospect of chickens, they really are EASY to look after. It all looks a bit daunting to begin with, but believe me you and your chickens will quickly get into the swing of things. I hope you get your eglu soon, it really is a doddle to look after - just a hose down with the hose pipe and its all lovely and clean. Dont be afraid to ask any questions on here, we talk about anything from chicken poo to pants !! My top tip - would be using a horsey type bedding to put in the run....this is called Hemcore or Aubiose and you can buy in compacted bales from horsey shops/farm supplies shops. It is VERY good in the run for absorbing wet and the poo just disappears, a lot of eglu owners use this in the run and it really is a godsend. Oh and I would go for minimum of 3 HENS I have 2 - but wish I had more, but hens at a later stage are harder to introduce so I would start with 3 or 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 3 it is then We can't wait !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hi Sarah - I've nothing to add to what has already been said....but thought I would say HI and WELCOME all the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riane Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hi sarah hope the bidding is going well. I have asked loads of questions in the last three months. Everybody is really helpful and knowledgable about everything (not just chickens!) I am soooo happy with my chooks they are the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Hello and welcome to the forum. We are also in Lancashire, and we have 4 chooks all who came from Millers Poultry, Much Hoole, Preston. They generally have Black Rocks, Bluebelles, Amber Stars, Magpies, Speckledies, White Stars and Brown ones in. I usually give them a ring a couple of weeks before to see what their stock levels are like. Their telephone number is 01772 613719. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyB Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Just thought I'd say hello on here officially after our PMs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 Thankyou for that phone number i will give them a ring Just sent you another pm Jelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debratugwell Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Hi Sarah - I too am in Lancashire - Preston and welcome to the site. I only got my chickens three weeks ago and found the site invaluable for advice/tips beforehand and also now. I've sent you an email to your Inbox - we got ours from Millers and so far, so good. Like everyone says it's a real worry to start with, but after a few days things settle down and you get into your own swing of things and what works for you. I bought a second hand Mark I eglu from a friend of my husbands and then a run converter from Omlet (who are also very helpful). Chickens come out for a couple of hours when I'm back from work and at weekends when we are around. They are on a small piece of grass in our back garden at the moment but when this has all been trashed, we will be doing the bark/hemcore route following research on this forum. I buy my food from a local cattle/horse feed place in Preston and I know he sells wood shavings there so fairly sure he can order in the hemcore for me (I hope). Keep asking questions though - I found it a great help and I actually changed some preconceived ideas/thoughts I had into better use. Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
