arowland17 Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Hi, I've just won an eglu on ebay, and we're getting the chickens once we're back from holiday in a couple of weeks but I just don't know what to get so would be grateful for any advice!! My OH has finally agreed to this but is very worried about the garden as he's worked on it really hard since we moved here a year ago and it's looking lovely, especially grass, so he's worried about the amount of poo and eating of flowers that seems to be reported on here!! I also have read bantams don't poo half as much and trash the garden as badly so was thinking that may be the way to go. Also, is there any advantages to having pure breds or hybrids? and do bantams come as pure breds and hybrids too?! Any help on my stupid questions would be very welcome, have so many questions and haven't even got them yet!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Bantams only come as pure breeds I'm afraid. Hybrids tend to be the most destructive of all chickens because they are so active to support their egg-laying capabilities. I think the least destructive bantams are probably Pekins. I think they are okay on the egg laying front but they do tend to go broody easily. I have mainly bantam Marans and Rhode Island Reds. Both good layers and only fairly destructive! I also poop pick every day - from the chicken house and the garden too. I find the grass stays better that way - I compost the chicken poo for the garden though - waste not, want not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted July 5, 2007 Author Share Posted July 5, 2007 brilliant thanks - I think we're going to go for bantams, and if they're good layers and not quite as destructive as large fowl I think that will be a good compromise! the OH will poop pick daily I'm sure, as we have a cat that likes to use our lawn as it's own personal lavatory, despite having one of those sonic cat repellers so clearing up after chickens shouldn't be too much more work! out of interest, how often do your bantams lay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 Some lay nearly every day with a short winter break. Others lay two or three times a week and then stop from October to March! It really depends on their breeding - whether they are from show stock or utility stock. I have two Marans girls, both one year old, but hatched from eggs from different sources. One laid 25 eggs in June and the other laid me just 6! Guess which one I've bred from this year!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 if you build a permanent base for the Eglu, and restrict free-ranging with the Omlet netting or similar, you can preserve your garden - but it does mean more work moving the netting around, and less freedom for your chickens. It depends whether you think free-ranging will be safe anyway - I daren't let mine out unsupervised for fear of the fox, and so they don't get let loose on the garden. Dilly has bantams, and I'm sure she has posted on here to the effect that they are not very destructive; I know hers are allowed to free-range some of the time, and she has a beautiful garden, so bantams may be the way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted July 5, 2007 Author Share Posted July 5, 2007 yes I'm sure I had read on here somewhere that bantams aren't so destructive! we were planning on letting them free range whenever we're around so evenings and weekends as the OH is always pottering around the garden, but we have farm land behind us so am sure there will be foxes around here and don't want to risk leaving them out there alone! I think the thing to do will be ask questions about the laying - we have a breeder or supplier of bantams near us (Perfect Poultry in Ligh"Ooops, word censored!"er) so assume they will know about how well they lay. Anyway, thanks for the advice, this forum is fantastic, I'm on here all the time while at work, there's so much information most of my questions have already been asked by others but am sure I'll have plenty more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie and ben Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 we have to warrens six weeks old can we introduce two pure breeds or will this cause to much trouble if there all in the same eglu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
