Omlet cube and run

[Mercedes55]

Having got over my little hiccup last week when I was wondering if having hens was even the right thing for me, well we are thinking of getting some more as we now have such a huge WIR and a Cube and Eglu.

 

My theory at the moment is that cleaning out the Cube does seem a lot simpler than the Eglu, so it won't matter if I have 4 or 6 girls in the Cube, although I know they will have to go in the Eglu at first.

 

Anyway I had looked on the minimeadows web site some time ago and seen their lovely range of pure breed hens and enquired about a cream legbar and a lavender aracuana. Had an email yesterday to say they are now 15wks old and ready to be homed.

 

Now I am just a little concerned about making sure I get the right hens as when I read about both breeds things come up that I am not sure about. I have read that the aracuana likes to FR on grass. Well our girls tend to FR in the border at the back of the garden which is just shrubs and dirt. They started off on the grass but soon got bored and moved to the border, which suits us as it means the dog can have the lawn back and the girls can have the border. However I don't want to get a hen and find that she is miserable because she can't go on the grass every day.

 

Then I read that the cream legbars are very noisy. I hadn't read that anywhere before, but I am worried that if they are noisy the neighbours might start to moan. Right now they seem fine with out girls, but who knows what they may say if the nice quiet hens start to become noisy.

 

I then started looked at hybrids and to be honest I am confused about them. I know they will lay all year round and will most likely be easier to take on, but as my only experience so far is my 4 ex batts I'm really not sure.

 

I guess I am looking for hens that are pretty, that will lay eggs obviously, but mainly ones that will get along with my own girls and will be happy in the environment we have.

 

Would really really love some advice

[abwsco]

We started off with six exbatts at the end of April 2008 and then added two more - a cream legbar and barnevelder/orpy cross in the middle of the June. My CLB wasn't noisy, well apart from when she decided to have times when she crowed-lol She was always very nervy though.

[Willow]

I have 2 colombines that are lovely pretty quiet hens - they lay blue eggs as well.

[Mercedes55]

I have this yearning for a couple of pure breeds, I know I must be totally insane

[Dizzy-Deb]

I am yearning for more too, and only just started out.

[Guest]

My aruacana and all my hens have no grass they are on concrete and bark and they are all perfectly fine and all hens can be noisey when they want to

[CallyChook]

My aruacana and all my hens have no grass they are on concrete and bark and they are all perfectly fine and all hens can be noisey when they want to

 

yup, all kinds of hens can be loud personalities and quiet too.... I have an orpie who is chattersome and an orpie who is not, a silkie who squeaks to herself all day and one that is silent.

[Guest]

All mine have on and off days with noise