Hello fellow chicken keepers !

Shabana · Jul 31, 2013

Hello !!

My name is Shabana and I am very new to chicken keeping.
Currently I have 10 pure breed bantam hens, 3 "big girls" that I rescued, and a small flock of Lemon millefleur sablepoots.

My 2 orpingtons are currently sat on some silkie and andulasian eggs which are due around Aug 17th and as this is my first time raising chicks I'm pretty nervous !

I have uploaded some pics on my profile and will get some more over the next few days

On a personal level, I'm a married, mother of 4. We live in a small country village in south yorkshire, England.
It's lovely to have access to all this information and good advice and I look forward to reading and learning as much as I can

Shabana

redsoxs · Jul 31, 2013

Greetings, Shabana, and ! Happy you joined us! Good luck to you and your chickens!

weezilgirl · Jul 31, 2013

Hi, Shabana: I live in Oklahoma and just have one hen now. I had 4 and they all lived to be 7-8 years old, which is unusual. I have Louise left. She is 7 and has laid one egg a day every day since I got her. She is a leghorn.

I am ordering 7 new chicks. Mostly rare because I have 3 grandchildren and they want "fancy" hens. All of my hens have been very lovable and tame.

I am in awe that you have so many. Do your banties lay? I am totally unfamiliar with them. I do think they are awfully cute.

I also have other pets and I live on a ranch where there are coyotes, wolves, bears, panthers, bobcats, raccoons, possums and, unfortunately, snakes. I killed a water moccasin last week and am still freaked out. It was on my back patio! I have also killed copperheads.

I'm glad you are here. I don't come very often but the people seem nice enough.

Take care, Pat

Shabana · Jul 31, 2013

Hiya and thank you for the welcome

Yes my bantams lay pretty well mostly 3-4 little eggs each a week although I have three hens who have not started laying yet but they can't be far off. They are very loving and are proper little characters. The sablepoots ( boots, flipflop, and slipper )are every other day and are super cute little eggs
My guinea fowl called Guinness lays really well 5 or more a week and you need a sledgehammer to crack the shells hehe !!
My "big girls" lay every other day but my Leghorn (Lilly) suffered the most from neglect (I rescued them) and she really has gone through the mill. She has just started to lay eggs with a shell and we have got her on the road to recovery thank goodness. She is such a sweetheart and even when she was really poorly she liked to come for a cuddle bless her

Predator wise we don't have to deal with half as much as you do. It's pretty much foxes rats and the very odd badger here in England. I don't think I would react bravely if I had to tackle anything like that on my doorstep !!

Best wishes to all
Shabana