Peeps in Europe!

[Spudsnsalsa]

I am indeed in Ireland! Thanks for the tag so I can follow along as I am a pure newbie who doesn't even have her first clucker yet though I did just get my official flock number this week . Moved here last June from Illinois, USA and have been busy learning to live with metric but the weather is a dream compared to the extremes I had back in Chicago. Just this week I finally collected most of the building supplies for my coop and run and hope to break ground once my sister visiting from the states heads back on Thursday. My current plan is to start with 6-8 POL pullets and a rooster. I am saving chick rearing for next year when I feel a bit more confident. Breeds....well that is TBD based on what is available when my coop is ready but I would love to find some pure bred ones as the ones sold at the local market all seem to be Rhode Island Red mixes.

I have nothing to offer the group as of yet but will be more than happy to add what I do find as available products as I come across them in my journey.

 

[PouleChick]

I have nothing to offer the group as of yet but will be more than happy to add what I do find as available products as I come across them in my journey.

hi and welcome! You can amuse us with funny things that happen to you in your new life in Ireland! Have you tried Gumtree or whatever the big classifieds site is there to see if you can find more interesting breeds. Perhaps @sumi can point you in the right direction so you don't end up with a flock of hybrid reds (nothing wrong if you do - I love my little orange Clemantine I just prefer heritage breeds going forward).

 

[sumi]

I am indeed in Ireland! Thanks for the tag so I can follow along as I am a pure newbie who doesn't even have her first clucker yet though I did just get my official flock number this week . Moved here last June from Illinois, USA and have been busy learning to live with metric but the weather is a dream compared to the extremes I had back in Chicago. Just this week I finally collected most of the building supplies for my coop and run and hope to break ground once my sister visiting from the states heads back on Thursday. My current plan is to start with 6-8 POL pullets and a rooster. I am saving chick rearing for next year when I feel a bit more confident. Breeds....well that is TBD based on what is available when my coop is ready but I would love to find some pure bred ones as the ones sold at the local market all seem to be Rhode Island Red mixes.

I have nothing to offer the group as of yet but will be more than happy to add what I do find as available products as I come across them in my journey.

Awesome, another blow in! (I'm from South Africa, been living in Ireland going on 4 years now)

I see you're on Co Kerry, that's one of my favourite counties! Not least because my favourite poultry supplier (Mac Eoin Ltd) is based in Dingle

If you're looking for pure breeds, I know a guy down in Cork, O Leary's poultry. I can send you his contact details, if you like. He sells all sorts of poultry, pure breeds, hybrids, waterfowl and he delivers across most of the southern counties. He'll get you sorted with some pure breeds, I'm sure. Also check DoneDeal, there are often poultry for sale on there.

 

[sumi]

a flock of hybrid reds (nothing wrong if you do - I love my little orange Clemantine I just prefer heritage breeds going forward).

A good few years ago, in S.A. I ordered and paid a small fortune for RIR chicks. The lady sent me a box full of cross breeds with some RIR mixed in. They were lovely, but.... hmm. Good heritage fowl is better!

 

[Shadrach]

Awww thanks Ana - same for you! My hardcloth actually came from Germany - was cheaper and cheaper to post and got here quicker than anything sent from France would have! So maybe well packed eggs would be OK!

Have you got a link for that Hardware cloth supplier please.
I can get the lightweight stuff here but I could really use a supplier of 12 guage.

 

[Shadrach]

Eek sounds like there is a lot going on in the tip of thier beaks - makes me feel even worse (ifthat is possible) for those poor battery hens who have them chopped off . So are you against even the slight grinding that she is talking about in the article if it is effecting their eating etc?

Sometimes you have to adjust a beak for reasons of health. I've had to reshape beaks here on rescue hens that have had their beaks assaulted by someone with clippers.
I don't cut beaks or spurs. It's far to easy to take too much off or sllip. There is some real nonsense on BYC about spur cutting.
Roosters are meant to have spurs and those who say 'I got stabbed by a roosters spurs when trying to handle him so I cut them down' really need to learn how to handle roosters.
I use a file if I have to take a sharp point off a roosters spur. It does need to be done sometimes because the spurs can cut the hens side during mating.
Same with beaks. The last rescue hen I had here it took a few months to reshape her beak by filling a very small amount once, or twice a week.
If a chickens beak is so badly deformed that they can't eat then I would kill it.

 

[PouleChick]

Good heritage fowl is better!

I agree, I didnt' know about the shorter lifespans / lay years for my 2 hybrids girls but they are lovely and I enjoy them and thier eggs but everything else I have bought has been heritage. I got my Sussex and the same time and other than when she went broody she seems to lay almost as well as them.

Have you got a link for that Hardware cloth supplier please.
I can get the lightweight stuff here but I could really use a supplier of 12 guage.

I can't find the original seller (I got it off ebay) but it was something like this:
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/vidaXL-Gril...=item215139f755:g:IBwAAOSw4sNcRYTz:rk:21:pf:0
I've not seen the thicker stuff here either - other than on the gate to my chicken run which was here (without fences or antything - just an awesome gate ), I think mine was 9 where this stuff is only 7 so even thinner.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Oh my goodness gracious me - that is one stunning bird. That is a Hedmora you say

Actually, I believe that it's technically another breed that's derived from Hedemora. But there are Hedemora that look like that too, I'm told.

Furthermore, I'm pretty sure THIS is a Hedemora, and it's the most beautiful look on a chicken that I know of:

 

[PouleChick]

Furthermore, I'm pretty sure THIS is a Hedemora, and it's the most beautiful look on a chicken that I know of:

Seriously WOW! I'm going to reread the specs on them to see if I have remembered correctly about them not being good in the heat!!

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Seriously WOW! I'm going to reread the specs on them to see if I have remembered correctly about them not being good in the heat!!

Well... They're apparently extra good in the cold, since they have extra down or something. I haven't read that they're bad with heat, but then, good in cold should equal bad in heat, right?

Note, however, that they have single combs, which are good in heat and bad in cold.

Swedish summers can get preeetty warm... Upwards of 30°.

It feels so good to be able to write in Centigrade on this forum that I have to do it again: It can get 30°.