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[Yorkshire Coop]

Hello. I'm in a village near Loughborough !

How are your eggs doing in the incubator @timon?

@Yorkshire Coop my coop is a swamp again and all outside as there has just been rain rain rain

A big hello to all the new peeps there is to many of you to do it individualy I have to sneak on here in between Aiyla and the other children the dog and the 10 ducks and chickens.
All my ducks look so mucky amd my chickens

Same here, rain, rain and more rain. I've just been out with the dog and it's still raining


@BigFuzzball

Wow you have done so well not to let your chickens numbers get out of hand. I started with 2 and got to 50 at one point when I just couldn't stop hatching more and more. I'm sure your kids would love to incubate and hatch some. It sure is great for them to see You could just get a small 7 egg incubator and do a small batch

 

[BigFuzzball]

Not far away then Timon, we're between Coalville and Ashby !

 

[GGBEAR]

Why can't it freeze and snow

at least it would go solid I feel like im in quick sand when I go out to them

It's sposed to be like it all week if that's the case by the end of the week it will be like Niagara falls

 

[timon]

How are your eggs doing in the incubator @timon?

My plan was to test this incubator so I'm ready for the 25th to start again for Easter

...

Unfortunately the test didn't go well - they got too hot, so I'm rethinking incubator plans.
Note to self: cheap isn't always worth it.

 

[timon]

Not far away then Timon, we're between Coalville and Ashby !

I'm in Burton ! Can't be more than 15 miles away...

Do you let your girls free range? Are you in a danger zone for flu?

I let mine out the other day - they loved it. The grass has started to wipe the mud off them and they're feeling a lot happier. Looking at pictures I don't win the swamp of the week award, but it's still raining.

 

[BigFuzzball]

We're Ravenstone so near enough to Coalville / Ashby but far enough away lol !

Yes, the girls are 'free-range' though mainly when we're around (never leave them out when we're not home) and especially when I'm out in the garden / allotment part.

We're officially clear of any flu danger and we keep checking regularly for updates as we have all along.

Have a new run with a waterproof canvas cover over the roof so they get some shelter but know what you mean about 'swamp' - feel so sorry for them ! Been out there with a garden fork pushing in full length of the forks to help drainage which helped though have to say I've been relocating some bulbs and plants that have come up in 'inconvenient' places on the allotment (first time they've seen daylight and had space to grow due to previous owners total neglect) and if you dig down 4-6" you'll find totally dry soil like I have which beggars belief !!

And just for more entertainment our Light Sussex has decided to start her moult overnight, so the coop bedroom looks like they had a fox in for a party overnight lol !!

Funny watching them walk around carefully for the first 5mins or so as they keep expecting more muddy swamp as in their run - bless !

What chickens do you have and how long have you been hooked ? All the same or assorted like us ? Do you breed/hatch or buy p.o.l. as we do ?
I know how people with Koi Carp ponds feel - I can just sit and watch these feathered comediennes for ages, quite relaxing and therapeutic ha ha ha !

 

[spid3r1987]

hey guys n gals, New to BYC...
just starting planning our first group of chickens,
from South Yorkshire so anyone knowing any good suppliers around here, lemme know

 

[rebrascora]

Hi spid3r and welcome

Good luck getting started. I'm not local to you so can't help with sourcing but interested to know how many and what breed(s) you are going with. Are you wanting mature hens (many people get ex commercial layers that are going to be culled but usually still have a couple of years or more production left) or point of lay pullets or chicks? This information may also help others point you in the right direction for obtaining them.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[rebrascora]

@BigFuzzball

Hi again John

Yes four is usually more than enough for a family of four in the first year or two but after that as you are finding out, production slows down and the winter break after moulting gets longer. Always good to have a few younger hens in the mix each year, to have some egg production in the winter. I let "chicken maths" get totally out of hand and I'm starting to get buried in eggs at the moment. Of course with the ground being wet/muddy, they are all soiled and in need of washing and washing 1-2 dozen eggs a day is an extra task that I really don't need. And then I just give them away to friends, family and neighbours although that is still leaving me with a surplus....clearly I need to make more friends! (or have less chickens but not sure that's a good idea!)

Yes, it's a big learning curve keeping chickens, especially when you have sick ones and the more chickens you have, the more likely you are to have sick ones, so the learning curve keeps going steadily upwards. I have a trio of Marans and the two hens are big and bossy and chase my cats out of the garden...even my big tom. Oddly their cock bird is a total wuss and trails along behind them trying to keep them in check and failing miserably. He gets beaten up by even my smallest bantam cockerels if they get out together. I have several different flocks, my layers which are a right motley crew, then some welsummers and wellie crosses, the marans and maran crosses, some exchequer leghorns and crosses and some bantam pekins and of course crosses of them too and far too many cockerels that are waiting to go on the dinner menu when I have time. I like having multi-coloured eggs and have been experimenting with breeding for that.

I like the sound of your budgie He must be a real character! Great that you now have an extended garden. I need to find a way to reclaim my garden from the chickens so that I can grow some vegetables. I splashed out on a poly tunnel a couple of months ago, to give some of the chickens a covered run. They need to be evicted soon, now that the restrictions have been lifted so that I can start sowing and planting in it.

It is a shame that you can't let your broody hen raise chicks. It is such a wonderful experience to watch....the best kind of chicken soap opera. The down side is that the surplus cockerels have to be dealt with, so I'm not encouraging you...unlike Yorkshire Coop who would have us all knee deep in chicks given half a chance!

Anyway, it's good to learn more about you and hope you become a regular on the thread.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Why can't it freeze and snow

at least it would go solid I feel like im in quick sand when I go out to them

It's sposed to be like it all week if that's the case by the end of the week it will be like Niagara falls

Yes something solid under foot would be great. Rain again here this afternoon, I need some sun

My plan was to test this incubator so I'm ready for the 25th to start again for Easter

...

Unfortunately the test didn't go well - they got too hot, so I'm rethinking incubator plans.
Note to self: cheap isn't always worth it.

Oh no, sorry it hasn't worked out with your first batch
My cheap incubator was the same and cooked my first ever batch of eggs. Once I got another thermometer it was ok and I trusted that and not what the incubator was saying. Hope your next batch works out better.

hey guys n gals, New to BYC...

just starting planning our first group of chickens,

from South Yorkshire so anyone knowing any good suppliers around here, lemme know

Hi & the thread! What supplies are you looking for?