Craftfairy Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Hi folks, I hope some go you are able to help me, I picked up an eglu go on Sunday for the bargain price of £50! So plan to buy the run extension kit for it to make it a 3m run. I have quite a large garden and work part time so plan to let them free range when I can but this will be less often in the winter I had hoped I would get 4 - 5 bantams in there with the extension but have read that the eggs are very small and they lay less often so now feel really confused! Would I get 4 medium breeds in this space? This will be my first time keeping chickens and I want to get breeds that will be friendly and happy to be handled and have some character, I also wanted a variety of different coloured layers too I just don't know where to start now with breeds the is so much to read and take in, I could do with some advice on personality and size really! Can anyone help? Lisa x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Wow £50. You are so lucky. I agree 4 medium sized hens would be fine, especially as you plan to FR. Good luck. Oh and don't forget we insist on photos in this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I'd have thuoght 4 would be fine in a 3m run especially if you let them free-range - in which case do consider getting the Omlet netting. We thought it looked very expensive but bought some in the end to restrict the girls to the shrubbery when we were trying to sell our house and wanted to try and get the lawn back into something half way decent. Best thing we ever did as it is really discreet and blends in so you don't really notice it is up - and it keeps the garden looking respectable! In terms of hens, to be honest as a new chicken-keeper I'd recommend you stick to some good old hybrids like Omlet's Gingernut Rangers and Pepperpots or the equivalent from other suppliers. They'll be friendly and easy to handle and also give you a reliable source of decent sized eggs (for which you'll need to buy a lovely Egg Skelter to display them. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 £50.00.....£50.00....where, when, how??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craftfairy Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 I work part time in a garden centre and it was a display model, we used to have chickens in a area with several display houses and the lads were struggling with looking after them and they were struggling with rats so they got moved to another site and all the houses were put for sale, I had always said that I wanted it and got a message Saturday that it was going up for £50 so I went down Sunday took it all apart and then came home and cleaned it all! It was filthy and took me 5 hours to clean! The only damage is that the poop tray has been nibbled by a furry friend but other than that's it's come up really nice, it has an all weather cover too! It's missing 2 screws but I will give omelet a call about those! Thanks for the advice on chicken breeds, is the general feeling that I would be better with larger breeds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Well done on getting such a bargain, Overcrowding can lead to behaviour problems, so my advice would be to have no more than three hybrids in that length of rum. The received wisdom is 1m of run per hybrid. If you go for bantams I would say no more than 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craftfairy Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Thank you, Is there anywhere that tells you the size of eggs produced with a photo for comparison? I hope to be able to sell some eggs to go in a pot to cover vets bills treats etc but was worried people would not pay for little eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Until they are about a year old the eggs will be known as pullets eggs and won't be very big. However if you get hybrids, once they mature you can normally expect medium to large eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaKiw1 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Our first two hybrids from Omlet (a Gingernut Ranger and a Miss Pepperpot) both laid pretty large/x large eggs - always over 70g and often in the 80+g range. Pepper even laid one @125g once! (Ouch!). The next lot of 3 hybrids we got from another supplier laid more average size ones around the 50g-60g size. In both groups the chooks laid consistently (on average 5-6 eggs each, per week, and throughout the year) for about 2 -2.5 years before giving up. We've just got two newbies and one laid her first egg yesterday - a little 36g one! Usually they quickly progresst to laying bigger ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Might I suggest you rescue ex-commercial birds? They will already be laying and are no more trouble than non-commercial hybrids as they are bred to be docile. I started chicken keeping with 7 ex battery hens who were healthy but not very fit. They stopped laying while they regrew their feathers and didn't initially understand the concept of the nest box, having never had one before, but they learned. They also learned how to dig big holes in the garden and how to dustbath. I'll never forget the look in their eyes as they realised they could stretch out their wings They can also be very friendly and cheeky! My last lot were ex free-rangers and one was so bold that right from the start she was always getting in the way in the garden: try to build something - move Tango out the way first, try to dig something - move Tango out the way first, try to walk down the garden - try not to kick everyone including Tango first! The downside of ex commercial birds is that they were bred to be egg laying machines. They can be prone to 'ladies problems', and perhaps don't live as long as some birds not exposed to that environment. Out of my first ex-batts the first to die had nearly a year outside, the last one had nearly 3. They are about 18 months when the are rescued from the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Just to say welcome I would strongly urge you to follow Egluntyne's advice on the numbers of birds, ie 3 large girls or 4 or 5 bantams max depending on the breed Just to confuse you further, not all bantams lay the same size egg For example a poland lays a bigger egg than a pekin, and a bantam orpington lays a bigger egg than a poland - but she will be twice the size of a poland and a pekin However, the clincher for you might be that bantams are all pure breeds, and they stop laying over winter, whereas a hybrid will lay more or less the whole year round, with a break for the moult, although her life expectancy may be shorter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craftfairy Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 My plan is to start with some point of lay birds and look for another eglu to rescue some as there is a long wait for them! I didn't realise choosing my occupants would be so difficult!!! I do want eggs over winter so I guess that makes it a bit easier Can I mix pure breeds and hybrids of the same size? Say having one pure breed and 2 hybrids? I am not sure I could cope with all 3 dying around the same time which is why I was thinking of having a mix!!! We have a poultry market here which seems to be where people go for thier birds but I don't know what will be available so was planning to go with a list of possibles! And do as much research as possible before hand so I didn't just go for the pretty ones lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craftfairy Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Another question I have regarding hybrids and pure breeds - do they both drop off laying eggs after a certain amount of time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Yes you can mix hybrids and pure breeds. Normally it's only pullets that lay through their first winter. We all end up having to buy eggs sometimes. As to how long will their laying life be. That's a bit like how longs a piece of string. There are many things that can happen in a Hens life that will make them go off lay. Hybrids are bred to be excellent layers, but this can shorten their lifespan. If you're buying the hens from the market, make sure they guarantee that it's a hen not a cockerel. Buy a tub of red mite powder and smother them all in it as soon as you get home. If you know anyone who has chickens take them with you, they will know what a healthy hen looks and feels like. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I wouldnt have more than three hens in that space. Behavioural problems are easily caused by lack of space and even adding more space later on doesnt guarantee that the problems will cease Pure breeds will lay fewer eggs per year but for more years and overall will live longer too. The winter break allows them to rest and get in better condition. Hybrids are bred to lay and lay until they basically run out of eggs and steam so they live shorter lives with a higher chance of egg laying problems. I'm a pure breed fan (just in case you cant tell!) pure breeds suffer from far less issues and far less behavioural problems too. I more or less only have bantams and never have a problem selling eggs, the yolk is quite similar in size to a large fowl egg in many cases Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I agree my bantam and silkie yolks are lovely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipsychick Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Yes I agree too , I can't supply enough pekins eggs in a week I find there is just as much yolk as the genno's too and really scrumy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 The pekin eggs are definitely more creamy than the big girls. I like eating those as they come - boiled or poached or fried -big girls ones go in cooking like cakes and omlettes unless of course the mini munchkin doesn't lay and then will make do with big girl eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
