UK Members Please Say HI

[rebrascora]

Hi Dave

So sorry to hear your flock got wiped out by a fox, especially your dark egg laying project. That sounded really interesting. I know how heart breaking and demoralising it is when you get hit like that.

There were some wheaten Marans up at Hexham mart Fur and Feather auction yesterday. Not sure what they made or who bred them but I would assume they were local and my partner might still have the catalogue which will probably have the breeders name on it. I think there may have been a trio of buff Plymouth rocks too but no buff sussex from memory. I didn't look at the hatching eggs as I don't have an incubator or an obliging broody just at the moment. Again, the breeders should be listed in the catalogue and I would assume that they will have more hatching eggs in the coming weeks, so I'll see if I can locate it.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[rebrascora]

@Yorkshire coop

Hi again Kim

Forgot to mention in my previous post to you that my sister says that app is Sports Tracker. She had a different one prior to that called Sporty something, but it wasn't as good as Sports Tracker in her opinion.

Rode out again today...we took Rascal and MeMe (Rebel was not happy to be left out!), so I'm on a bit of a roll at the moment with my riding and trying to keep the momentum going.

Hope you have had a good weekend.

Barbara.

 

[Dave C]

Hi Dave

So sorry to hear your flock got wiped out by a fox, especially your dark egg laying project. That sounded really interesting. I know how heart breaking and demoralising it is when you get hit like that.

There were some wheaten Marans up at Hexham mart Fur and Feather auction yesterday. Not sure what they made or who bred them but I would assume they were local and my partner might still have the catalogue which will probably have the breeders name on it. I think there may have been a trio of buff Plymouth rocks too but no buff sussex from memory. I didn't look at the hatching eggs as I don't have an incubator or an obliging broody just at the moment. Again, the breeders should be listed in the catalogue and I would assume that they will have more hatching eggs in the coming weeks, so I'll see if I can locate it.

Best wishes

Barbara  

Thanks Barbara,

I can easily get the Welsummer side of my dark egg laying project but the Marans side is not local and the lady who bred them has given up !!
I'm trying to put a positive spin on this as a chance to start again but it's still a Jagged pill.

 

[rebrascora]

There is a guy in my village who breeds Marans and I know he had blues entered in the auction but not sure if he has any wheaten. I know a couple of years ago he had some amazingly dark marans eggs....I'd never seen anything like them before and I have some wellies.that lay pretty decent eggs so I'm used to seeing dark eggs.
Do you specifically need wheaten marans?

 

[rebrascora]

@Dave C

It was someone called J Wales from Carlisle that was selling Wheaten Marans at the auction and they were also selling hatching eggs for that breed and colour. Afraid there isn't any contact info other than that, but a Google search might bring something up, or ask around in poultry circles.

Just checked and there is a poultry sale at Carlisle mart on Sat 16th April, so that's probably your best bet to get some.

 

[Dave C]

@Dave C

It was someone called J Wales from Carlisle that was selling Wheaten Marans at the auction and they were also selling hatching eggs for that breed and colour. Afraid there isn't any contact info other than that, but a Google search might bring something up, or ask around in poultry circles.

Just checked and there is a poultry sale at Carlisle mart on Sat 16th April, so that's probably your best bet to get some. 

That's great info, thanks for your help

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Thanks Kim for directing me to that thread. I feel quite embarrassed that I didn't know about it and haven't nominated anyone myself. What a great idea it is and I now see that you have a range of badges so many congrats to you,

Food when it came was scorching hot but that just added to the frustration as you either tucked into it and burnt your mouth or had to sit and wait for it to become cool enough to eat comfortably and enjoy. Of course I couldn't wait because I was ravenous, so eating it was not an enjoyable experience! Menu choice was very mimited so I ended up ordering a burger which came with those horrid fast food French fries stick things which I hate, when everyone else had proper chunky chips. Needless to say I sent those straight back, The burger was nice but so deep with filling that it was almost impossible to eat. Ian and my brother in law ordered cod and chips and they got three fish goujons  with some chips and a pot of mushy peas. They were not impressed. And the chips were so salty I couldn't eat them all and I never leave anything on principle!.... spent half the night drinking water as I kept waking up with a dry mouth.... Really it was a total disaster from a catering and hospitality point of view! They didn't even think to bring bread to the table so that we had something to pick at whilst we waited. Some of our party hadn't ordered starters, so they waited even longer for their first food.

Anyway, enough of our appalling meal, my new girls have paid bed and board already with three diddy little cream/pink eggs. I suppose it will be a while before I see any more from them but good to know that they are laying.

Your little chicks look incredibly cute. I'm hoping that I will be able to raise some little fluff balls from these new girls. They should make good broodies.
They haven't ventured down onto the grass yet and I think the ramp might be a little steep and slippery for them. so I need to put some extra slats on it to make it easier for them to negotiate. They are really pretty though.... I'm very pleased with them so far. 

@rebrascora

Hi Barbara
Didn't get chance to get back on here yesterday, things just got away from me and before I knew it bedtime had arrived!! How are your new birds getting along? Hope they have had a go at the grass!! I've made some changes in my runs and put my coops on like tables so they have more room and can get underneath them. Have had to add a ramp though for them to get up to the coops which they were not impressed with at all! Any more eggs or were the other day ones just what were in the system? I've done well today and got 13 eggs from 14 hens
The only one that is not laying is mother hen. She's not laid an egg since she went broody last summer plus she has been bullied by her flock mates and looked on deaths door a couple of times. I've checked for an egg but nothing so if she will ever start up again I just don't know

No probs on pointing you to the awards thread I too think it's a good idea!

Hope your all well today Barabara

Hi all, first time on this this year as all my stock were killed in a fox attack last November!!!!!!

As you can imagine I was sick !!!
But now I'm looking to get started again.
I do have local lads that have my various breed bloodlines but I also havethe following on my short list :-

Buff Plymouth Rocks LF
Buff Sussex LF
Wheaten Marans

If anyone has any Birds, chicks or hatching eggs for sale please let me know.

Cheers
Dave

Hi @Dave C

Sorry to hear about your fox attack I can imagine how sick you were, hate the the things I do!!
Fingers crossed you can find the breeds you want to get started agian. Good luck

@Yorkshire coop

Hi again Kim

Forgot to mention in my previous post to you that my sister says that app is Sports Tracker.  She had a different one prior to that called Sporty something, but it wasn't as good as Sports Tracker in her opinion.

Rode out again today...we took Rascal and MeMe (Rebel was not happy to be left out!), so I'm on a bit of a roll at the moment with my riding and trying to keep the momentum going.

Hope you have had a good weekend.

Barbara. 

Thanks Barabara! I will check that app out

Your doing great with all the riding, I'm feeling guilty for not getting out as much as I should Right now Harry is an expensive field ornament!

Had a good but busy weekend

 

[rebrascora]

@Yorkshire coop

Hi Kim

Yes, they have now all hit the grass and are loving it and managing the ramp reasonably well.... not needing any help anyway... but they do slide quite a bit going up and down. It has been painted with a glossy wood stain by the previous owner (I think to tart it up before selling it) without thought for the actual function of it and that traction is quite important!
Really getting a lot of pleasure from these girls already, as well as some more eggs today. That's seven eggs from them in 2 days. The smallest lavender is a really friendly little poppet and is there as soon as I hunker down and open the little door to the run. She doesn't mind being handled (unlike all my large fowl) and she is a real cutie. The cockerel mated the porcelain today whilst I was out there with them so he has obviously accepted the new girls (the porcelain, mottled and laced came from a different breeder) and he is clearly feeling confident of his new surroundings and role.

I'm really impressed that you are getting such a high percentage of egg production, especially considering you don't have high production breeds. I have two that I doubt will ever lay again and my egg count in the main flock has dropped a little, so either there is a sneaky nest that I don't know about or something has knocked them back a bit.

Anyway, I must go and lock them all up and do evening stables before the effects of my Lemsip wear off (I've come down with a streaming cold!

)

Hope you manage to get out on Harry soon.

Night night

Barbara

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

@rebrascora

Hi Barabara

The Tolbunt eggs are peeping in the incubator! e Rocking too so I'm hoping for some action soon!! Can't wait to see what they hatch like

Sounds like your new little cuties are doing great Always nice to have friendly ones in the flock, I like a bit of chicken stroking
Are you going to hatch some of their eggs or do some larger fowl ones when you have a broody?

Eggs were down yesterday to only 7 so my 13 was just a fluke!! I think I struck lucky with my polish being good layers Never going to be on a hybrids scale but still better than I anticipated. Did you find your secret nest?

Any how's need to get some jobs done and of course look at the incubator again!

Have a fab day today!!

Kim

 

[philyc]

morning all!

been a very busy few weeks for me, despite being on holiday. looking after my 11 month daughter has been a treat but that mixed with sorting the contents of my garage out has meant ive had very little time for myself.

We now have both leghorns laying and one of the banthams. the leghorns are both producing an egg a day, the smallest so-far has been 73g, so nice and big. with the bantham producing eggs about half the size... but perfect to give to the neighbours for their children.

we have also planted out a lot of our veg, a huge amount of peas, beans and carrots. as well as a host of chillis and peppers. we are also trying squashes and pumpkins this year, last year they were eaten by slugs very quickly but since we have moved into the new house ive seen one slug, so it seems safe to carry on with this venture.

Our fence has now been fixed too, so i may clip the hens wings and try them free ranging in the garden at somepoint, will just need to make sure that the cats are inside when we do. they have been fine with the chickens in their enclosure and ignore them but slightly unsure how they will interact in an open environment.

i now have a hectic week at work, getting ready to go away for two weeks on exercise, so leaving the Mrs and my mother who is coming to stay in charge of all livestock, so fingers crossed they are still here when i get back!