SallyD Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 I've just got my new eglu and I'm going out tomorrow to buy some chickens to put in it! What chickens would you recommend and how many should I get? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuftywatts Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Well I got my eglu last week and got 3 Black Rock chickens at the weekend. They're amazing - already eating out of my hands and if I give them the opportunity they stand on me!!!!!!!! I love them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Well done, you'l love it! We've had ours 1 week today and bought 3 chickens. 2 x black rocks and 1 x speckledy. The speckledy is certainly the gentlest of the 3. Mavis (the black rock) has a tendancy to twist as she is pecking her treats from my hand (sweetcorn). If she carries on she is going to be perminantly renamed EVIL Mavis! 3 hens are OK in the eglu, although I think they need a bit more run room than the standard run. We have made them a play pen for when we are in the garden - can't free range them yeat as they arn't totaly tame and we haven't clipped their wings yet. I think the rule is in general you should get all 3 hens at the same time so that they can sort out their pecking order. 2 is ok, but if one dies the othe rwill be lonely We were lucky in that the 3 we got were the last 3 POL's availbile and they had been living in the barn together for the last few weeks so pecking order is more or less sorted. I'd get at least one speckledy as she's so cute and seems a little more docile than the 2 black rocks we got, althougth she is not as brazen as the blacks for taking the food out of my hand (only 1 week though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 WYANDOTTES, WYANDOTTES, WYANDOTTES !! They are gorgeous! (I dont have any......yet....working on hubby ) The "silver black laced" ones are the prettiest chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 BUFF ORPINGTONS!!! They are gorgeous, but very large! Why not wait until you get there to see what takes your fancy? Ask the breeder. Some hens are good layers, others are particularly friendly. Your best bet is an all round hen. the breeder will know what is best. Without being shallow, I think the 'look' of the hen is important too. There are some stunning chickens around. (omg, what is happening to me? I've gone chicken mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 (omg, what is happening to me? I've gone chicken mad I wouldnt worry if i were you, you are among friends here and we are all lunatics in this asylum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 As many of you know, i am cabin crew and fly with hundreds of different crew every month. I am now known as the 'chicken guy'. No idea why, I never talk about chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hi Sally Definately get at least 3. 3 in a standard run is ok. I ordered 4 chickens + standard eglu run. But after just a few days I found that I wanted a run converter which I ordered to give a bit of extra space (as well as my lot free ranging the garden.) Ohh, decisions, decisions...... Decision 1 - Chickens or Bantams Decision 2 - Pure breed or hybrid chickens (or both). Decision 3 - Size of chicken (depending on breed) since an eglu holds 2 heavy weight chickens or up to 4 medium weight chickens. But ultimately, you'll just end up falling for one you've seen or a colour you fancy. I wanted a Bluebelle hybrid but my children hated it and decided on a white one. Omlet will give you loads of advice if you contact them. Happy decision making, let us know what you go for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyD Posted May 23, 2007 Author Share Posted May 23, 2007 Thanks for all your advice. Think I will get 3 although i'm a bit worried the run won't be big enough but i do intend to let them free range as much as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Sally, don't worry about the run size. Get your 3 chooks first. You can always buy a run converter from Omlet afterwards like I did. Just see how you go first and you'll soon get into a routine of how much time they are in the run and how much they free range and you can decide then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Hi SallyD welcome to the forum! It might be a good idea to ring around your local breeders and see what they have in stock and start to make your decisions from there,otherwise you may be disappointed if you have your heart set on something hard to get. When I went to get my initial trio I was determined to get pure breeds only and came back with a collection of hybrids (!) Personally I can really recommend them for a first-time chicken keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 (edited) Number of hens for Eglu: Get three. (Two isn't enough, and four is too many.) Breeds of hens: They are all nice, but DON'T get large breeds like Wyandottes or Buff Orpingtons. They are not suitable for the Eglu and run. I had a Wyandotte in an Eglu, and there was hardly room for her to stand up. The Omlet site tells you which breeds are large and to be avoided. If you do want a Wyandotte, get the bantam version. But don't mix bantams and full-size hens. (If you go for bantams, you can of course have more than three.) Do you primarily want eggs? If so, avoid meat birds such as Cochins: they are useless layers. I have been waiting over a year for my first egg from a Cochin, and am still hoping.... I am editing this message to add a link to the Omlet Guide to Buying Chickens, as I don't think it is easy to find things on the Omlet site. Edited May 24, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I have two wyandotte bantams, they are lovely girls - real lookers and have lovely natures too. I can heartily recommend them. But as with all pure breeds, they lay less than hybrids and may stop laying for a while in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy C Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of chicken watching. 3 hens for sure. When one is laying the other 2 keep each other company. No extra hastle and the extra eggs are great to give away. Everybody happy. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowcloud Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Let us know where you live and someone might be able to recommend a supplier! You'll love them once you get them - best thing we ever did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
