Mrs_B Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Please help!! Well, long story short, OH and I live in a big house with my mum & dad because I am unable to be alone as I am disabled...so please resist the giggles for still living with mum Anyway - my mum wants chickens. Mine aren't enough as she is desperate to have some of her own (Silkies are a firm favourite) so we are all of a sudden planning a huge WIR to take over my FR area, and we will either split it in two to have two flocks or have one huge flock. I was also planning on buying a couple of hens later in the year, so in theory that's potentially two new groups coming to live with/by the current girls? I have two pairs at the moment, who when they FR together, get on OK and in fact go to bed in the wooden coop together, unless I move the Columbine and White Star to the Eglu - I do this because they are often in their runs and can't FR and each run is OK for three hens, not four (plus the Columbine drives the other two mad because she's so flighty!) So what do people suggest? Would doing my own intros be the right thing to do, and let my mum have her own hens partitioned off? I am worried it will be chaos, so I am thinking sticking to our own thing would be best. I love the idea of a big WIR so my girls can 'FR' and won't be stuck in their runs all of the time because of the darn foxes They would love it! (I really want some Millefleur Pekins hehe ) x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 It looks to me as if you have a few big girls at the moment. If your mother is keen on Silkies these might get bullied by the big girls so how about you have 2 areas to the WIR - one for biggies and one for banties. In the banty part you could have your mother's Silkies and other gentle breeds. Pekins can be quite feisty; on the other hand they are small so they could probably go in either area. Any intros in the biggies' pen would need to be done carefully. Intros for the banty pen might be easier as I admit that I've always just popped my newbies in with my existing girls in the evening (once I am sure any new girls are healthy and don't have any additional little pests on board). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I vote for separate areas so you each have your own flock, keeps them as your girls. If you are planning the walk in run could devise a partition in your bit so the intros can be done slowly. V exciting! Glad chickeny things seem to be good for you again! Hx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 What news! So exciting!!! Hum....I would think maybe best to do as suggested If your mother is keen on Silkies these might get bullied by the big girls so how about you have 2 areas to the WIR - one for biggies and one for banties. In the banty part you could have your mother's Silkies and other gentle breeds. I LOVE millefleur pekins...my Monty was one and beautiful boy!! I guess take the route of less stress, for you and your flock, as we know stress is the chicken's enemy! Take you time and hatch your plans!! (sorry ) Oh and keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Oh Mrs B... How wonderful to have your Mum to share your chicken passion with... I can't think of a nicer scenario... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Top vote for Millefleur pekins here too. My Queenie is just the perfect little chicken. Very sweet natured and very friendly. Anyone who has read anything about Queenie will know that she is my favourite - I know we shouldn't have favourites but the other chickens don't know Hope you and your mum have a great time choosing everything together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Thanks everyone for your thoughts, I really appreciate it! I just found that the place who did breed millefleur pekins no longer do them now though! Oh I wonder where I could find the closest place who would sell them? Thank you for your advice Shabby Chic - I think that two areas will really work well, we will have plenty of space for it so there's no problem there. The problem with getting Silkies is that I am unsure of anywhere around Gloucestershire/Worcestershire that sells them where I have read good reviews. I have purchased my birds from Newland poultry, and I know they really look after their birds and have always been great, so I bought my previous birds on what they sold rather than what I wanted if that makes sense? We'll have to see what we find... I planned on doing the intros by putting the Eglu & run inside the WIR, so the newbies are protected from the previous flock. I'm guessing quarantine is away from the other birds entirely, so perhaps another part of the garden for a couple of weeks? After having Blackhead last year I am still petrified of it rearing its ugly head So agree with you, good_egg, I do want my girls to stay my girls...I would be overly protective on what was being fed to them without my knowledge! Ahh...really had my heart set on the pekins - I saw one last year and my heart melted! I am sure I will fall in love with another breed if I can't get them x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I breed milliefleur pekins but i am in hampshire so a bit far catherine( shabbychic) had some of my polish so knows my birds are well loved and looked after leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LottyJ1 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 If your willing to go a little bit further the cosy hen company in Monmouthshire has lovely white silkies. I haven't had silkies from them but my two PB are from there and I would highly recommend them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I breed milliefleur pekins but i am in hampshire so a bit far catherine( shabbychic) had some of my polish so knows my birds are well loved and looked after leanne I was just going to suggest that you take a trip towards Winchester and pick up some lovely milliefleur pekins from Leanne (I've seen them and they are so pretty!) and then pop over to Hambel Valley (Phone: 07738570740) for some silkies. She has lots of different colours (white, red and cuckoo) - all lovely. Chickens from both these people would not need isolating. You could go with your mum and make a nice day of it. Rachel from Hambel Valley could sell you some scrummy jams as well as chickens and her vinyard is lovely to see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 OH! You are all terrible for giving me all this info The trip to Hampshire actually sounds really great and just what we need actually as I am stuck in the house a lot so thank you Leanne and Shabby Chic, you are both stars! I may be in touch Leanne...do you have a website at all? My mum has also fallen in love with Orpingtons for their fluffy knickers, so who knows what she will pick! The plans for the WIR are well in the works now - my dad has even started drawing and scribbling things down and he's not that in to chickens Thanks everyone x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Hi no i dont have a website my son has started to make me one but if you send me your email address i can show you some photos of my birds and i have sold out at the moment if this weather ever stops and my breeding girls lay me any eggs i can get my incubator loaded up again i sell sexed pullets from 8 weeks old off heat and outside oh and i dont only do milliesfleurs i normally have lots of different coloured pekins leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 I am very shocked at the moment. Today my mum told me she has decided that she wants chickens, but not in the near future, so the joint WIR is not going to work right now. Of course I was gutted but then looked into other smaller runs myself to see if I could afford one. BUT she came to see me and OH this evening and handed me a piece of paper stating her and dad are buying me the Cotswold Wood Company 'Hidcote' 21ftx6ft run! Shocked really is an understatement I asked mum if she'd have some space too as it's so much, but she said she wants to get it to make my life easier because my body really punishes me if I bend down, and at the mo that's the only way to sprinkle things like Stalosan down and fill the Glug etc - they're doing this so I can also get some extra chooks and if mum wants chickens she'll buy extra panels for her own space. Wow! Excited! Has anyone any experience of the Cotswold Wood Company? Time to do some measurements to see where my Flyte So Fancy bits (dust bath & FR shelter) will go x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Ah lovely and exciting news!!! Keep us posted and...piccies please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Thanks, mimi! I'll definitely be keeping you all updated and will be posting photos of developments! I don't think it'll be in the near future because of this horrible weather but I really can't wait. Bring on spring! I've posted a new thread on the Eglu/Cube/Run forum with a few Qs so I don't spam this thread x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Hey that's wonderful Singing 'for she's a jolly good fellow' for your mother You probably know but Omlet do a nice frame for the grub / glug which you could put on a platform. I use it for my Grub / Glug as I don't have an Omlet pen and adapting the Grub / Glug proved hopeless even with little hooks on the back as it just tilted all wrong. Omlet Classic Feeder Drinker Stand Might that make things a bit easier for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Hi Shabby Chic! Thanks for your post I use one of those Omlet stands as I have a non Eglu run but really liked the Glug and Grub - so was very happy to see I could use them with the stand! I have a spare too, so will be using both in the WIR My mum is definitely a jolly good fellow x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
