SumoAl Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 Help, it was so simple, we'll get an eglu off eBay and then a few chickens and eggs will jump out at us. Now we've started to look into what hens to get and we are totally lost. How do you even start to work out what you want? I guess a want list would be good: friendly as we have a 3 year old and a 16 month old hardy as we have a 3 year old and a 16 month old nice to look at but by no means a show bird compact enough to have three in an eglu and run, though we do plan on building a larger run in the near future. A nice number of eggs but they are more pets and egg producers second Not too expensive to buy Easily available And then the second question, we appear to be in the middle of nowhere as far as hen supplies go. Are there any good places we can trust near Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Oxford area appears to have several good places, but that's quite a trek on the off chance that they will have birds we like. Thanks Alan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 I have some Isa Brown/Warren, And They Look Lovey Very Hardy, had lots of toddlers etc playing with them Freindly, Always coming up to me etc Very Compact, I reckon I could fit at least 4/5 of them in the eglu Lots of eggs Only £7 each! (where I got them from) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 The chickens supplied by Omlet - mine are Gingernut Rangers and Miss Pepperpots - would fit the bill perfectly, and you are within their delivery area. All my girls are very friendly and are laying well and seem to be very easy for those, like me, who still have their L plates on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 my cost £4 each from a local farm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Try West Lodge Farm at Desborough http://www.westlodgeruralcentre.co.uk/ They sell the RIR/light sussex cross chicks at various stages (day old chicks to point of lay), same as the gingernut ranger. Brilliant chooks - meet all your criteria. They may also be able to advise on food supplies. Otherwise try Welland Valley feeds in Market Harborough. Bit far out for you, but they do sell all the basics (including organic feed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I'd contact Glencroft Poultry in North Yorkshire. The chap there has a good selection of birds all reasonably priced too. He has farms all over the country and he is able to deliver around your area too. I think any of the hybrids would be good for you and your family. They lay well and are generally friendly and easy to handle too. I would avoid white stars which I am told are very flighty and run fast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I swear by Medowsweet hens http://www.meadowsweetpoultry.co.uk/index3.html They are hybrids,so will lay all year, are hardy,friendly & theres enough choice to find something you like the look of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 we have 2 RIR/light sussex crosses I think these are the same as the Gingernut sold by Omlet, and they're lovely, ever so friendly, get about 5-6 eggs per week from each of them and they follow us around the garden whenever we're out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel19 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I've had a few of the different types of meadowsweet hybrid and I have to say that the bog standard brown ones are the loveliest, friendliest chickens. I've had 4 brown ones in total and all have been lovely and I'd only ever go for these again. The amber star I had was a nightmare and had to be taken back along with a sussex star. My bluebelle although beautiful and huge is very timid and doenst get any better no matter what. Having said this my pepperpot (original from omlet) is lovely also very friendly and extremely cheeky. If i were you id get a pepperpot and a couple of gingernuts from omlet.....3 really is best and omlet chickens are wonderful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissinuk Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Try West Lodge Farm at Desboroughhttp://www.westlodgeruralcentre.co.uk/ They sell the RIR/light sussex cross chicks at various stages (day old chicks to point of lay), same as the gingernut ranger. Brilliant chooks - meet all your criteria. They may also be able to advise on food supplies. Otherwise try Welland Valley feeds in Market Harborough. Bit far out for you, but they do sell all the basics (including organic feed). One thing to note about West Lodge is that they don't vaccinate, at least that's what the bloke on the phone told me a couple of weeks ago. Their prices start at £3 for chicks, £7 for young hens and £10 for POL. Good to know that Welland Valley sell organic feed, I've been trying to find somewhere local. Any idea how much it costs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Can't remember the exact price, but I think around the £6 - £7 area. Didn't realise West Lodge didn't vaccinate, but then a lot of smaller breeders don't. Only my omlet 4 have been vaccinated, not the other 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumoAl Posted September 8, 2007 Author Share Posted September 8, 2007 Do Omlet sell the chucks on their own then? I've already got an eglu so I hadn't thought I would be able to get a couple of "Miss Pepperpots" and a "Ginger Nut Ranger" which on the face of it would be an ideal choice for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 How about Blubelles, they're really friendly and get very tame, they're nice and hardy and rarely go down with sneezes, they're very pretty and you could probably fit three in a eglu run, (they'd fit in the eglu alright, but they like to free-range a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 You can get the hens from Omlet but have to pay £25 delivery on top of the £10 per hen but you can pick them up too if you live near enough. We were considering getting them from Omlet, but they didn't have any Miss Pepperpots and were low on Gingernuts when I contacted them about 2 months ago - worth givign them a ring though or email, they also provided me with local breeders that weren't listed on their website that had been recommended by Omlet customers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
