Warm boot recommendations please

[The Harrisons]

We have sadly lost one of our girls this week with what the vet suspects to be egg peritonitis. she was a gingernut ranger, two years old. We lost our previous ginger to exactly same thing at a year old. Our one remaining girl who is now lonely is a Miss Pepperpot, four years old, and broody as she always is at this time of year.

 

Anyway, we would like to try some different breeds, and we plan to get two new POL girls this time, to avoid this horrible situation of only one chook, and needing to settle new one in again.

 

So now to my question - can anyone recommend a breed which is a good reliable layer, not prone to broodiness (I'm sick of buying horrible supermarket eggs, even their free range are not a patch on home produced eggs are they??) and importantly nice and placid as they are family pets. I notice many of you have lots of different breeds so any guidance much appreciated. (We are getting our new girls from Moorlands near Leek, I believe they are Meadowsweet hybrids, if that helps anyone at all).

 

Many many thanks in anticipation

 

The Harrisons

[Cinnamon]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Wise decision to get a couple of new hens

 

If its egg reliability & hopeful non broodieness,then a Hybrid might work for you.

The ones I have (photos in link below) are Medowsweet girls, & they are all lovley hens - placid,reliable & easy to care for.

The Whitestar lays wonderful white eggs & they do a deep brown layer & a new blue layer too

The Blue Belles are just gorgeous too,but I think best to pop along to the stockist & see what takes your fancy

 

I would recommend Medowsweet girls to anyone,having 5 of my own already

[landgirl]

hi Sally, so sorry to hear of your loss. It's a bit cheeky my offering any advice yet, as I don't even own a hen (and i'm waiting til I do before I introduce myself on the newbie section). However, I am going to Moorlands too, next Wednesday, to get my first three girls, so I know what's in stock and have been doing internet research as to their probable characters/tendencies.

 

As of 4 days ago when I emailed them, they had 5 of the Meadowsweet range in currently: Amber Star, Sussex Star, Bluebelle and then the Omlet breeds: Meadowseet Ranger (aka Gingernut Ranger) and Bovans Nera (aka Miss Pepperpot). I'm no expert and this is only what I have cut and pasted from various websites including comments on this forum:-

 

Amber Star a beautiful calm chicken, laying 300+ brown eggs per year, very placid. Mel (& Paul) on Omlet forum commented theirs was very vocal. I have close neighbours so that's making me ponder a bit!

 

Sussex star has been bred to be a dual purpose bird, being both for egg laying and eating. A utility bird that manages to look good, with a lovely calm nature. Lesley on Omlet says hers is "a very placid bird, easy to handle. She looks big but it is mostly soft, fluffy feathers! Very easy for children to pick up.” Very attractive white bird with a black collar and tail feathers. She will lay about 250 light brown eggs.”

 

Bluebelle (RIRxMaran cross) a beautiful blue/grey bird from France. Lays approx 250 brown eggs with a plum blush per year. A lovely blue / grey bird with a calm nature. from Cotswold Chickens “The beautiful Bluebelle is derived from a Maran and Rhode Island. She comes in all varieties of grey colour from almost violet to dark grey. She has a very placid and sweet nature."

 

I hope that helps a little. If it's stuff you already knew, my apologies

 

regards, Landgirl

[Laura & CTB]

Wow Landgirl - you've really been doing your homework

 

Just to add that I have a sussex star and an amber star - both very friendly.

 

Gucci (sussex) doesnt mind being picked up at all and happily sits through her health checks, she's more cheeky and a lot braver, she loves jumping up onto my lap.

 

Prada (amber) is a bit more nervous and struggles a bit when I hold her for more than a minute or so but she is very loveable although definately has a lower iq than Gucci.

 

As for noise - well just after they've laid they both love to announce for 5 minutes

but other than that they are usually pretty quiet - unless they here the car pull up to the garage

[Rhapsody]

Another vote for the hybrids! All my girls are easy to handle and lay 6 days a week, the Sussex Star's eggs are beautiful pinky-brown and huuuuge, and she lays a double yolker once a week. The Bluebelle is an easy, tough bird who lays eggs with massive yolks and the Black Rock hardly ever misses a day's laying but her eggs are smaller (but we dont mind as she is so beautiful).

They are all friendly and love company and treats- in fact I'm going out to see them right now with a can of sweetcorn

[landgirl]

that's nothing Laura, you should see the 7 page Word document I've collated with all the info I will forget if I don't store it somewhere! It's safe to say that I'm a*&lly retentive... but I'm hoping my hens won't be...

[Lindy]

Both of our chickens are Meadowsweet hybrids. Blanche is a Sussex Star, a very reliable layer with a lovely temperament who's happy to be picked up and cuddled and carried by my 3 boys.

 

Stella is a Speckled Star and WAS a reliable layer until 5 weeks ago when she went broody; we stuck it out for 4 weeks and then, as there was no sign of the broodiness ending, got tough and resorted to a broody cage. She went back to normal in 2 days (of course, it's possible it would have happened anyway around that time) but hasn't yet started laying again. I don't know if Speckled Stars are prone to broodiness or whether we were just a bit unlucky.

 

All the best with your new additions!

[Laura & CTB]

It's safe to say that I'm a*&lly retentive... but I'm hoping my hens won't be...

 

*splutters another mouthful of wine over the keyboard*

[Hen Watch]

Hi. I got my Amber Star hybrid from a Meadowsweet agent 2 weeks ago. She's very docile. Completely different character to the Gingernut Rangers. They picked on her at first, but all is well now.

 

I was really taken by the striking grey bluebelles when I saw them at the agents, but my children wouldn't let me buy one, insisting on a white one.

 

Here is Stella, our Amber Star hybrid.

 

[Lindy Loo]

I love my white star. All she wants to do is lay eggs and go, go, go!

 

She is SO friendly and very cheeky. A favourite with all the family and doesn't mind being picked up and put down and picked up again...etc etc!

[Jaime]

The people at Moorlands have loads of advice but they dont hold a great stock so you are best to phone ahead and see what they have available.

 

I know they are expecting some hybrid blue egg layers at the beginning of July

 

If you want particular birds from the meadowsweet range you can also pre-order them.

[ubereglu]

Another vote for Bluebelles from me! They have a lovely nature, are very friendly and quite talkative. They lay lots of eggs and even in their 2 year of laying their egg production hasn't slowed down very much.

[beach chick]

I've had 2 Bluebelles and 2 Sussex Stars for nearly 3 weeks now, and no trouble from any of them... not laying yet, but they are only just over 18 weeks. they are quite big breeds though, which is helpful apparently from the flight point of view!! but also means you will need more space than the eglu and basic run. not terribly friendly yet, but clearly know me as the Food Lady, and I am allowed to stroke them when they are in the eglu at bedtime.