Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[sumo2501]

Hello Everyone - its something we have alwasy wanted to do. now in a lovely house in northampton with a bricked in back garden. We have been here 12months and will be buying three chickens from Omlet (Miss pepperpot & rangers). Ok well I would like to know what is best to start feeding them because I will purchase it all together from here.

We have a run and converted rabbit hutch - the run is currently on a slabbed area. Any suggestions on what to put under foot for them as I heard they like scratching?

 

I have read through the help pages here as well - all useful

 

Any tricks of the trade to merge with 2 existing pets (cats) - they have been my only pets for 10years then along come 3 chickens

 

Anyway excited about the new family members. Any help welcomed x

[scarlettohara]

Marriages organic pellets/mash are good although I use Garvo but it is harder to find and more expensive If you have a good breeder near you go and have a look around - there are an awful lot of different chickens to choose from - why not get 3 different ones My cats give the girls a wide berth and we have never had a problems If your run is covered you can use aubiose but otherwise woodchip (not bark as this produces a mould which could prove harmful).

 

Good Luck and enjoy your girls, I never tire of mine (all 22 plus chicks) and am getting 2 blue silkies on Saturday

[Redwing]

Hello from a fellow Northampton resident (I'm about 7 miles away so kind of Northampton!)

 

There are a few suppliers of feed around Northampton, Bletsoe and Brown in NN6, Bagforce in Brackley (who sell Garvo and Heygates) CWG in Towcester (who only sell own brand) and Bells Plantation garden centre in Towcester are four of them. You'll need layers pellets as you are getting chooks over 18 weeks old - Omlet sell layers pellets if you want to buy them with the chickens

 

There are a few breeders and also suppliers of hybrids in the area

 

Luton and District Poultry Club is having a show at the Herts show next Sat (28th) - if you want to see a few different breeds up close it would be an ideal show to visit and everyone in the club is friendly and happy to offer advice

 

Northampton Poultry Club is having an egg show in Crick this Saturday evening, its a great opportunity to meet some breeders and keen poultry keepers

 

Cotswold Chickens near Banbury run chicken keeping courses which are worth checking out

 

If you need any help let me know, I am always happy to have visitors come for advice

[Henergy]

I use the Omlet organic feed and the corn too - they seem to be happy with it. Get a bag of bokashi bran too and sprinkle a little into their food - it helps with runny poos that can come with moving stress. Have fun

[Henergy]

Also if you scroll down this page to where it says recommended products there will be a free delivery code if you spend over £50 which should help.

[Chortle Chook]

Welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world for chicken keeping. You've got a lot of fun ahead of you

 

I'd recommend a bag of Omlet organic food and one of organic corn (you can get them as a duo in the shop area and could have them delivered with your chooks). My chickens like the Omlet organic food every bit as much, if not more, than Garvo and it is cheaper.

 

I'd also highly recommend a visit to Cotswold Chickens near Banbury. You'll see lots of lovely hybrid birds there in conditions that will give you good ideas for your chooks You can also see the Omlet cube and eglu there so you know what they are like. (Not sure that a converted rabbit hutch will be good long term but guess that would depend on the conversions you have made e.g. you will need perches and it should be off the ground + a felt roof might provide too nice a home for red mite )

 

Last of all I feel sure you need not worry about your cats. Your different pet species may decide to keep out of one another's way or they may become real friends. I know of somone whose tabby cat and ex-bat chickens go everywhere together.

[Sam]

Welcome to the forum

I'm in Northampton too and get the food from Collins petfood in Hardingstone (NN4) so it's just a few minutes drive from us I get small holders layers pellets which is around £9 for a 20kg bag. Not sure what supplier you'd be closer to though. Anyway good luck I'm sure you'll love keeping them

[Purplemaniacs]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I too am from Northamptonshire but right on the edge, Rutland Northants border.

 

When I got my eglu and my first girls from Omlet. I got the bag of feed from them that they offer as you go through the ordering process. I then found a local supplier.

 

We had one gingernut ranger Henny Penny and one pepperpot Ebony, they were both very friendly and layed lovely eggs.

 

Good luck

 

Chrissie

[sumo2501]

Hey Thanks everyone for your messages (Great to meet some people from or nearby to northampton too). We live in Abington. We did quite a bit of reading first so made the necessady changes to the rabbit hutch. Its a double hutch on legs and I removed the first floor and build in perches,dismantled the ladder and turned it round so it leads up to the perches and the enclosed nesting box (the darkest part of the hutch). Also removed the nast felt (mite harbouring potential as someone said) and replaced it with a waterproof plastic-type material. We boarded up the mess fronts with a small rectangle vent for air. they have a small wide step ladder to get into their new coop...

 

A bit delayed but the girls arrived yesterday (2 Miss pepperpots & 1 Ginger Ranger): Rhubarb (seems to be the boss already!), Custard (Noisy one) & Gumdrops (relaxed Ginger Ranger!).

 

You were right, the cats have kept a wide berth - and the girls warn them off with some loud clucks when they start to even look at them! We opted for the Omlet Organic feed to start with (although they have taken a liking to the mealworms we bought from local petshop!). Just one question, are earwigs any harm to chickens ? as we have a lot in our garden.

 

Omlet delivered the girls (& feed etc) and he was a lovely guy - showing us the clipping and handling etc with a few useful tips thrown in for extra! hopefully we will get to meet people round here that have chickens too. We have only been here for a year and work (both @ work and on the house) have taken all our time so we havent really met people yet!). We hope the lovely fresh eggs will help bond with local neighbours (we are an end terrace!).

 

Look forward to posting and reading . We will have lots of questions as we are first timers! x

[Chortle Chook]

Oh I'm so glad you have got your chickens. It sounds like you have done a lot of hard work on that rabbit hutch. Congratulations Of course we all like pictures (hint, double hint) when you are ready and meanwhile I wish you all the best with your new girls who will think themselves very lucky when they find those delicious ear wigs Just remember that the mealworms should be a treat and not, as your chickens will have you believe , their staple diet.

[Valkyrie]

Just a word of advice - if you want to stay organic steer clear of Garvo - it has GM soya. I use Organic feed as much as possible, but never knowingly give them anything with GM. If I don't want to eat it then my girls aren't going to be given it either.

 

But whatever you choose to do in the long run is up to you. Hope you have fun with your birdies. Love mine to bits - even the cranky ratbag buff sussex.