Hello from England!

[PortlandUK]

Hello everyone!

I got bitten with the chicken keeping bug over a year ago now and it's the best hobby my husband and I have ever had! There's never a dull moment and we watch them for hours. We started with six hybrids in April 2012 and have learned so much along the way from friends, neighbours and from reading threads on BYC. I thought it was about time I joined so that I could share my experiences.

We are in Leicestershire, England and keep a few different breeds of chucks including Buff Orpingtons, Sussex, Bantam White Leghorns, Speckled Marans, Rhode Island Whites, Hylines and Hybrids. We are starting to collect some rarer breeds and specials including our beautiful little Seramas, Tom and Barbara. (Yes, all our chucks have names!) We also have six ducks and a drake.

I hope to tell you all more about my flock as time goes on but right now I am sooooo excited because my Buff Orpington is sitting on her first batch of eggs (day 9 now)! We also have a broody Miniature Silver Appleyard duck who is on eggs. This is a new experience for us (though we have had chicks from friends before we have never hatched our own) so we will enjoy sharing our experience and questions with everyone at BYC over the coming weeks.

Looking forward to being a member of BYC xxxx

 

[graciesmum]

Welcome to byc, im in Shropshire UK, I have 5 hybrids, 2 cream crested legbars, 1 blue polish, 1 black polish, 1 lemon pekin and 1 lavender pekin

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings, PortlandUK, and

! Great to have you with us! Looking forward to hearing about your flock! Have fun!

 

[TwoCrows]

from New Mexico!

So great to have you aboard and enjoy BYC!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC!!!

Glad to have you aboard!!

 

[PortlandUK]

Hi Graciesmum! I wasn't sure if many other UK users would be on BYC so it's great to hear from you!

You have just put me in mind to do a quick flock check.....

Laying Hens:
2 rather old Warrens who are still laying now and again
6 Hybrids,
1 Sussex,
4 Cream Crested Legbars, (blue egg layers)
3 Bantam White Leghorns, (white egg layers)
1 Buff Orpington LF (Currently broody and on eggs),
1 Serama

Chicks:
3 Buff Orpington LF chicks,
4 Speckled Marans chicks,
2 Rhode Island White chicks,
2 Legbar cross chicks;
1 Serama chick;
11 Hyline chicks.

Cockerels/Cocks:
1 Serama Cockerel
1 Bantam Gold Pheonix Yokohama Cock;
1 Bantam Blue Splash Orpington Cockerel;
1 Bantam Wyandotte Cockerel;
1 very handsome Buff Orpington LF Cock.

Goodness me! I didn't quite realise quite how many I have! And I haven't even included the ducks yet:

2 Khaki Campbells (Blue egg layers)
2 Runners
2 Miniature Silver Appleyards (including the one that is on eggs at the moment)
1 Khaki Campbell drake.

It's no wonder I have more eggs than I know what to do with - luckily I have a regular supply of eager neighbours who like to buy them from my front door. You'd never have guessed that I live in a small terrace house (though it has a very long garden).


This is Henry, my Bantam Wyandotte


One of my cream crested legbars

Some of my hybrids, which is where it all started

Mr Biggles, my favourite - the Bantam Golden Pheonix Yokohama

My daughter, Natalie, with one of our babies

Percy, our Bantam Blue Splash Orpington

And this is Paul, my hubby and best friend, building our first pen at the back of the shed (which became our first coop) - these were the days when we had grass! Since then we have built three other large pens and coops.

I'd love to hear about your flock and how you got started.

Best regards, PortlandUK (Vanessa)

 

[graciesmum]

Omg that's alot of birds, im guessing with that many you are registered lol I have my 5 ex battery hens that I think are Loham browns but not really sure, my lavender pekin is 6 weeks, my 2 cream crested legbars are 5 weeks, my lemon pekin is 2 weeks and my blue and black polish are 1 week, im crossing my fingers that I have only 1 roo, my white crested black polish "jasper"

my daughter Gracie and our 3 babies

my 3 adolescents

 

[graciesmum]

some of my ex batts

 

[PortlandUK]

Soooo cute!

Fortunately you don't have to register with DEFRA until you have 50 birds and that doesn't include chicks - mind you, that is something I am being careful not to increase to! LOL!

I bet you little one love the chicks! CUTE!!!

 

[el pollo rey]

Welcome from costa rica ! Hope to hear the rest of the story