UK Member Please Say HI

[Eggstraudinary]

Hi everyone,

I'm a young 45yr old nurse who's trying hard to change my life to become a self sufficient small holder!! (and desperately trying not to admit it's a mid-life crisis!!! lol)

I've always been madly passionate about animals - can't for the life of me work out why i didn't become a veterinary nurse!! lol - and have quite a menagerie! I live in Norfolk UK with my hubby and two daughters (well part time as one is at university and the other will be going to university this year) and sometimes two step sons (it's great when they're all here as they get on so well). I have a horse (well pony really at 14.1hh) that i keep nearby at livery, two dogs, two cats, 9 guinea pigs, 1 tortoise, two pygmy goats, 2 brown mixed breed hens (i had my first eggs this week!! Woohoo! lol) and i've just hatched 5 corturnix quail

It'd be lovely to get some information and experience from you lovely lot about my birds so i can do my best for them

Chat soon Chucks!! x

 

[rebrascora]

@Pluckingawesome (that's a bit of a naughty username but love it!!)

Hi and welcome

Great intro and yes it sounds like you could have taken a slightly different career choice which might have been more beneficial....think staff discount on veterinary care!! But then we need people like you to look after us humans when we are sick too!

Many congrats on your recent eggs! It's funny how excited we get at the sight of eggs, like it is some miracle.... when we got the hens in the first place in order to produce those eggs. I guess it is the long wait that makes them all the more amazing when they do arrive. I've had a 2-3 month hiatus in egg production and 2 of my girls just started back up two days ago, had a day off yesterday and both laid again today and it is lovely to see them again after such a break... one tint and one green egg...... if you haven't yet discovered coloured eggs (blue and green and olive and chocolate), you need to add to your flock..... actually, you really need to add to your flock anyway..... 2 is barely enough to even call a flock.... and what if one dies.... the other will be left on it's own..... So you really need more but introducing a single bird to a flock is hard on them..... so really you need 2 more...... AND THIS IS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS CHICKEN MATHS.....and can be a serious affliction. I started with 3 and had over 70 a couple of years later. Addition is one thing but once you get experienced with Chicken Maths you go on to multiplication. Subtraction is the hardest discipline of them all, but you figure it out after the addition and multiplication gets you into trouble!! Eek!

Good to have another horsey person on the thread too. I have 4 and my partner has another 3 and Kim (Yorkshire Coop here on BYC) has her lovely ex race horse Harry. I bet like us, you don't ride as often as you should but we are making a pact to do better this year. What breed is your pony and please post some photos of the two of you..... and your chickens, eggs, dogs, cats and even family members.... we don't mind seeing the odd photo of a human every once in a while!!

Anyway, I'm sure you will feel at home here as we are all animal lovers too. Feel free to ask us about any poultry problems/questions you have..... we are sure to be able to provide you with a number of answers.... and then it will be down to you to figure out which is the right one for you..... You can guarantee, as with anything in life, we will not all agree on anything and often there is no one right (or wrong) answer.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[chicknovice123]

Hello pluckingawesome (great name!)

Congrats on your first eggs sounds like you have your hands full with all those animals!

I'm new to chicken-keeping, just hatched out a few bantams with the kids in June and some of them started laying recently. I'd love to hatch a few more to be honest but my other half wouldn't be too impressed lol he's already grumbling about the poo on the patio

Going self sufficient would be impressive! We started growing a few veggies last year...just finished our last homegrown pumpkin today actually so will have to start thinking what we can start off this year soon...

Anyway, as a newbie i prob won't be much help with questions but this is a helpful place for info, catch you soon

 

[Eggstraudinary]

@Pluckingawesome (that's a bit of a naughty username but love it!!)

Hi and welcome

Great intro and yes it sounds like you could have taken a slightly different career choice which might have been more beneficial....think staff discount on veterinary care!! But then we need people like you to look after us humans when we are sick too!

Many congrats on your recent eggs! It's funny how excited we get at the sight of eggs, like it is some miracle.... when we got the hens in the first place in order to produce those eggs. I guess it is the long wait that makes them all the more amazing when they do arrive. I've had a 2-3 month hiatus in egg production and 2 of my girls just started back up two days ago, had a day off yesterday and both laid again today and it is lovely to see them again after such a break... one tint and one green egg...... if you haven't yet discovered coloured eggs (blue and green and olive and chocolate), you need to add to your flock..... actually, you really need to add to your flock anyway..... 2 is barely enough to even call a flock.... and what if one dies.... the other will be left on it's own..... So you really need more but introducing a single bird to a flock is hard on them..... so really you need 2 more...... AND THIS IS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS CHICKEN MATHS.....and can be a serious affliction. I started with 3 and had over 70 a couple of years later. Addition is one thing but once you get experienced with Chicken Maths you go on to multiplication. Subtraction is the hardest discipline of them all, but you figure it out after the addition and multiplication gets you into trouble!! Eek!

Good to have another horsey person on the thread too. I have 4 and my partner has another 3 and Kim (Yorkshire Coop here on BYC) has her lovely ex race horse Harry. I bet like us, you don't ride as often as you should but we are making a pact to do better this year. What breed is your pony and please post some photos of the two of you..... and your chickens, eggs, dogs, cats and even family members.... we don't mind seeing the odd photo of a human every once in a while!!

Anyway, I'm sure you will feel at home here as we are all animal lovers too. Feel free to ask us about any poultry problems/questions you have..... we are sure to be able to provide you with a number of answers.... and then it will be down to you to figure out which is the right one for you..... You can guarantee, as with anything in life, we will not all agree on anything and often there is no one right (or wrong) answer.

Best wishes

Barbara

Hi Barbara,

Thanks for your lovely message! I'd love to put some photo's up of my horse (aka my pride and joy!!) He's Welsh cross, i bought him as a 3yr old unbacked, tried to back him and nearly died!!! lol (my fault not his! lol) so sent him off to be backed. He's be an absolute diamond since them. We try to get out and do a few bits and pieces as variety is the spice of life!! (and i'm pretty much a jack of all trades, master on none!!! lol Anyway here's my Finlay (warning: once encouraged i will flood the site with my pony pics!!!!!! lol) (ps. he's 9yrs old now) xx

 

[rebrascora]

Waiting for the flood of photos. Can't see any of us complaining

 

[Eggstraudinary]

View attachment 1234224

View attachment 1234224 View attachment 1234224

Hi

Barbara,

Thanks for your lovely message! I'd love to put some photo's up of my horse (aka my pride and joy!!) He's Welsh cross, i bought him as a 3yr old unbacked, tried to back him and nearly died!!! lol (my fault not his! lol) so sent him off to be backed. He's be an absolute diamond since them. We try to get out and do a few bits and pieces as variety is the spice of life!! (and i'm pretty much a jack of all trades, master on none!!! lol Anyway here's my Finlay (warning: once encouraged i will flood the site with my pony pics!!!!!! lol) (ps. he's 9yrs old now) xx

View attachment 1234224 View attachment 1234224

View attachment 1234224

@Pluckingawesome (that's a bit of a naughty username but love it!!)

Hi and welcome

Great intro and yes it sounds like you could have taken a slightly different career choice which might have been more beneficial....think staff discount on veterinary care!! But then we need people like you to look after us humans when we are sick too!

Many congrats on your recent eggs! It's funny how excited we get at the sight of eggs, like it is some miracle.... when we got the hens in the first place in order to produce those eggs. I guess it is the long wait that makes them all the more amazing when they do arrive. I've had a 2-3 month hiatus in egg production and 2 of my girls just started back up two days ago, had a day off yesterday and both laid again today and it is lovely to see them again after such a break... one tint and one green egg...... if you haven't yet discovered coloured eggs (blue and green and olive and chocolate), you need to add to your flock..... actually, you really need to add to your flock anyway..... 2 is barely enough to even call a flock.... and what if one dies.... the other will be left on it's own..... So you really need more but introducing a single bird to a flock is hard on them..... so really you need 2 more...... AND THIS IS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS CHICKEN MATHS.....and can be a serious affliction. I started with 3 and had over 70 a couple of years later. Addition is one thing but once you get experienced with Chicken Maths you go on to multiplication. Subtraction is the hardest discipline of them all, but you figure it out after the addition and multiplication gets you into trouble!! Eek!

Good to have another horsey person on the thread too. I have 4 and my partner has another 3 and Kim (Yorkshire Coop here on BYC) has her lovely ex race horse Harry. I bet like us, you don't ride as often as you should but we are making a pact to do better this year. What breed is your pony and please post some photos of the two of you..... and your chickens, eggs, dogs, cats and even family members.... we don't mind seeing the odd photo of a human every once in a while!!

Anyway, I'm sure you will feel at home here as we are all animal lovers too. Feel free to ask us about any poultry problems/questions you have..... we are sure to be able to provide you with a number of answers.... and then it will be down to you to figure out which is the right one for you..... You can guarantee, as with anything in life, we will not all agree on anything and often there is no one right (or wrong) answer.

Best wishes

Barbara

Hi Barbara,

Thanks for your lovely message! I'd love to put some photo's up of my horse (aka my pride and joy!!) He's Welsh cross, i bought him as a 3yr old unbacked, tried to back him and nearly died!!! lol (my fault not his! lol) so sent him off to be backed. He's be an absolute diamond since them. We try to get out and do a few bits and pieces as variety is the spice of life!! (and i'm pretty much a jack of all trades, master on none!!! lol Anyway here's my Finlay (warning: once encouraged i will flood the site with my pony pics!!!!!! lol) (ps. he's 9yrs old now) xx

Appologies - not sure what i'm doing with this yet hence duplicated photos!!! lol

 

[Eggstraudinary]

Waiting for the flood of photos. Can't see any of us complaining

Done it with loads of duplications as i'm crap with computers!!! lol x

 

[rebrascora]

Oh WOW!!! They are fab and he is gorgeous and obviously a bit of a character! Well done you for trying all those disciplines with him. I've got 2 more for you if you haven't tried them already.... driving.... welsh cobs are just made for it.... and sidesaddle!

 

[Eggstraudinary]

Oh WOW!!! They are fab and he is gorgeous and obviously a bit of a character! Well done you for trying all those disciplines with him. I've got 2 more for you if you haven't tried them already.... driving.... welsh cobs are just made for it.... and sidesaddle!

I'd love to have a go at driving but it's the time and cost! (kids in university... say no more!!!! LOL) Maybe i will one day when and if i manage to get a smallholding somewhere As for side saddle...... i'm a stiff uncoordinated old git riding the conventional way (he is the bounciest pony i have ever ridden - looks amazing when you can get him going - but bloody painful!!! - so side saddle is definitely out of the question!!!!! LOL Do you have any photo's of yours? x

 

[rebrascora]

Unlike you who are clearly talented with a camera as well as horsemanship, I am not good at taking photos. I have one of my partner's young horse Zak when we first got him as a 2 year old (the harness was just put on him for the photo.... we did not start driving him until the following year) and then him winning a driving show this summer just to contrast the before and after..... he was born on a tether in an industrial estate and was in a bit of a sad state when we got him. He now drives single and pairs and has also started his hunting career although he is still a bit sticky with his jumping but he will get there. I have had a couple of side saddle lessons on trained side saddle horses at a riding school but my aim is to hopefully find a suitable side saddle for him.

The other 3 are my ggs. All 3 siblings. I also have their mother. Sadly I lost their father last summer to colic which was very traumatic. They live in the centre of the village and everyone spoils them rotten! Rascal on the left is 19yrs young and has been trouble from the day he was born. He will be a juvenile delinquent until the day he dies (he is a loveable rogue though). MeMe in the middle is their baby sister at 9yrs old and is my good girl. Rebel, my handsome lad, is the oldest of the 3 at 20yrs but thinks there isn't a 0 on the end! He is a gentleman in the stable and loves to give kisses but is very "sharp" when ridden and basically a bit of a devil if he thinks he can get away with it. He loves to gallop and cannot figure out why anyone would just want to canter.... Rebel drives as well as doing ridden work. Their mother Cora(not pictured) is a welsh cob. She is 25 and rather stiff these days after 7 foals but she still has a bit buck and kick when I let them out in the field together.

That last is of MeMe in the centre and Rebel on the right.