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[Yorkshire Coop]

I have 14 Cream Crested Legbar due on Saturday. I really wanted the pleasure of hatching again but did not want the weeks of uncertainty about who is or isn't a cockeral so I went for an auto sexing breed but I also wanted some orps, cochin and brahma so I got those at POL. They produced their first eggs yesterday

Congratulations on the first eggs!
Good luck with your hatch I did some Colombian black tails so I could sex them as soon as they hatched. It was much easier than having to wait but I found dispatching the newly hatched chicks hard work

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Lovely pics!

Hi. I'm from Retford, Nottinghamshire. It's good to see we're keeping the end up! A truly multi national site full of crazy chicken owners! I have 21 assorted hens including 6 ex battery hens from bhwt. There all my little girls! Queen Bella is the head hen coming in at 3.7 kg. I'd that big for a bluebell?! And finally, hopefully it will stop raining one day!

Hi & welcome to the thread!

I got 3 ex commercial hens a few weeks back and they have rarely missed a beat on the eggs. They are a little grumpy though, but I’m used to super friendly/lap sitting polish. Can’t knock them though for £1 each.

I too am hoping for a dry spell soon!

 

[happyhens1972]

They HATE being backtrooped!
To keep me sane.......relatively, my boys say.......I have my dogs....and I’ve bought a sewing machine. I’ve not sewn since we bought this house 21 years ago and I made the curtains, so I’m enjoying it again *call me the Midnight Quilter* [/

Awww, the dogs are gorgeous! Are they some variety of Poo? Lol!

You'd get on well with my sister, she quilts like a thing possessed! Her talent never ceases to amaze me...all self taught. She is currently collecting together all the bits for a Civil War quilt and then she has a two (or twenty!) year project ahead of her. I just admire from afar. I do cross stitch when the mood takes me but since we moved here and I got my critter family, I seldom have the time....

Harry, top, Leon, bottom xx

The girls

Teddy x

Tumnus x

Curly, Larry and Moe (immediately after their spring shear!) AKA The Three Stooges!

Marcus,left, Dillon, middle (sadly recently passed away) and Boris, right....the Bengal Boys

Lola, left, Maurice, right

 

[happyhens1972]

Congratulations on the first eggs!
Good luck with your hatch I did some Colombian black tails so I could sex them as soon as they hatched. It was much easier than having to wait but I found dispatching the newly hatched chicks hard work

No, it's a pretty awful thing to face after all the excitement of waiting for them to hatch and then to end their little lives so soon but having despatched adult cockerels, I know which I'd prefer. The chicks are so much quicker and easier to 'do' than the big boys and although it's emotionally painful, you're not half as attached to them as you are a boy you've nurtured for weeks or months.

We have a pair of resident buzzards who visit our paddock every day. They sit on the fence, overlooking the adjoining farm land, looking for prey. They also run round the paddock itself, on the floor, eating worms. You don't associate these big, beautiful birds of prey with such a comical sight....they are very ungainly when on the ground and 'hunting' worms hardly does their instincts justice!! Anyway, we have occasionally left bits and bobs out for them...the odd chicken breast, a piece of steak that was a bit too 'ripe' for us. Well, this is where my little cockerels will go too, after I have done the dirty deed. At least I shall feel they went to some use, rather than just discarded. It will be a small consolation but better than none at all....and I'm sure Mr and Mrs Buzzard will be more than happy with their gift.

 

[happyhens1972]

Hi. I'm from Retford, Nottinghamshire. It's good to see we're keeping the end up! A truly multi national site full of crazy chicken owners! I have 21 assorted hens including 6 ex battery hens from bhwt. There all my little girls! Queen Bella is the head hen coming in at 3.7 kg. I'd that big for a bluebell?! And finally, hopefully it will stop raining one day!

It was ex batts that started my chicken obsession over ten years ago now. The Head Mistress at the school where I worked, decided to get some school chickens as a sort of nurturing tool for some of the children who had issues. She has been on some training that talked about the therapeutic effect of animals and had particularly liked the idea of chooks. She went on a chook training course, learnt their basic care and maintenance. In conversation one day, she was talking about the prospect of getting them and I said, 'Ooh, I'd love to be involved, both with the therapy and the chooks themselves'. Well, before I knew it, I had become Head Chicken Lady and I don't think the Head Mistress stepped in that chicken pen once, other than for local paper publicity shots!

We started with six ex batts and six black rocks and eventually had a twenty four-strong flock of chooks and 40 Japanese quail and all were under my wing, along with the many children who benefitted from chook therapy

 

[SA&P]

Wow! Loving your family!
I’ve never been into goats, but yours are sweet
I’m NOT going to show hubbie these pictures because he’s been pining for alpacas for the last five years or so.
So, the goats. Do you have them for their milk? Are you intolerant of dairy? Or do you make soap? I made some vanilla and sandlewood last week but used coconut oil. They smell lovely. They’ll be ready, after drying out, in about 8 weeks. No horrible harmful chemicals in ‘em!
I’ve emailed a lady in Penrith this morning asking if she has pullets (Buff Orpingtons) .....I BLAME THE FORUM FOR THIS!!! ......I’d love another three girls to add to my gang. None ready yet, she had an inordinate amount of cockerels last year so I’m hoping to get some later on. I’m on her wait list
We’ve had cats. Mealo and Misha were 17 and 18.5 respectively. Heartbroken when they died. No more cats though, Sooty HATES them.......well, I say hate......he actually LOVES them but couldn’t eat a whole wun

 

[happyhens1972]

Wow! Loving your family!
I’ve never been into goats, but yours are sweet
I’m NOT going to show hubbie these pictures because he’s been pining for alpacas for the last five years or so.
So, the goats. Do you have them for their milk? Are you intolerant of dairy? Or do you make soap? I made some vanilla and sandlewood last week but used coconut oil. They smell lovely. They’ll be ready, after drying out, in about 8 weeks. No horrible harmful chemicals in ‘em!
I’ve emailed a lady in Penrith this morning asking if she has pullets (Buff Orpingtons) .....I BLAME THIS FORUM FOR THIS ......I’d love another three girls to add to my gang. None ready yet, she had an inordinate amount of cockerels last year so I’m hoping to get some later on. I’m on her wait list
We’ve had cats. Mealo and Misha were 17 and 18.5 respectively. Heartbroken when they died. No more cats though, Sooty HATES them.......well, I say hate......he actually loves them but couldn’t eat a whole wun

All my critters are pets only...we don't get any produce from them, apart from the chooks of course...and I'm egg intolerant! Lol! The goats and alpacas are all wethers (neutered males) so no produce available. The alpacas are sheared once a year but it is so expensive to get fleece processed when you only have three, that I just do a deal with the woman who shears them....she gets the fleece and I get free shearing. She then gets it processed along with fleece from her other 40!!!!

I will keep it secret from your hubby but alpacas are the MOST amazing creatures. They are so calm and peaceful, best therapy ever to sit out with them in the paddock and just watch them BE. They are so gentle and inquisitive and I have NEVER been spat at!! They are also very comical when they decide to have a funny five minutes of frolicking or even better, pronking (look it up, I have yet been able to catch it on video).

Love to watch them paddle too....

Good luck getting your Orps. My two Buff girls are just beautiful! I think Orps are just about my very favourite breed. They are stunning to look at and so docile and friendly. They were great at the school for therapy birds. Even my then cockerel, Percy, (as seen in my avatar) was as soft and daft as a baby. He used to love to sit, like a great, daft puddle of fluff, in my lap, while I stroked his comb and wattles. I spent many a lunchtime doing just that, whilst reading my Kindle, being laughed at by the school kids. Percy and I didn't mind....perfect way to spend a sunshiny day

 

[SA&P]

All my critters are pets only...we don't get any produce from them, apart from the chooks of course...and I'm egg intolerant! Lol! The goats and alpacas are all wethers (neutered males) so no produce available. The alpacas are sheared once a year but it is so expensive to get fleece processed when you only have three, that I just do a deal with the woman who shears them....she gets the fleece and I get free shearing. She then gets it processed along with fleece from her other 40!!!!

I will keep it secret from your hubby but alpacas are the MOST amazing creatures. They are so calm and peaceful, best therapy ever to sit out with them in the paddock and just watch them BE. They are so gentle and inquisitive and I have NEVER been spat at!! They are also very comical when they decide to have a funny five minutes of frolicking or even better, pronking (look it up, I have yet been able to catch it on video).

Love to watch them paddle too....

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Good luck getting your Orps. My two Buff girls are just beautiful! I think Orps are just about my very favourite breed. They are stunning to look at and so docile and friendly. They were great at the school for therapy birds. Even my then cockerel, Percy, (as seen in my avatar) was as soft and daft as a baby. He used to love to sit, like a great, daft puddle of fluff, in my lap, while I stroked his comb and wattles. I spent many a lunchtime doing just that, whilst reading my Kindle, being laughed at by the school kids. Percy and I didn't mind....perfect way to spend a sunshiny day

Haha, picture is hilarious, you should run a ‘Caption This’ competition.

 

[CCUK]

It was ex batts that started my chicken obsession over ten years ago now. The Head Mistress at the school where I worked, decided to get some school chickens as a sort of nurturing tool for some of the children who had issues. She has been on some training that talked about the therapeutic effect of animals and had particularly liked the idea of chooks. She went on a chook training course, learnt their basic care and maintenance. In conversation one day, she was talking about the prospect of getting them and I said, 'Ooh, I'd love to be involved, both with the therapy and the chooks themselves'. Well, before I knew it, I had become Head Chicken Lady and I don't think the Head Mistress stepped in that chicken pen once, other than for local paper publicity shots!

We started with six ex batts and six black rocks and eventually had a twenty four-strong flock of chooks and 40 Japanese quail and all were under my wing, along with the many children who benefitted from chook therapy

That's sounds about right. It's great getting into hens. I never get bored or tired of them. Infact if I have a rubbish day they are the ones I always turn too. There not bothered about all that. They are always happy to see me. Especially if I have a tin of sweetcorn! I have a little arucana that always wants to sit on my knee or shoulder or head! She's happy just being picked up and carried around! The rescues were my latest edition I got them in August from south Clifton removing. They were in a poor state. They didn't know grass, sweetcorn, pasta or any of the treats that I get them. It didn't take long for them to learn though! They were pretty much oven ready when I bought them home not many feathers going round.
I broke my heart to see a poor little hen with no feathers trying to dust bath. But a little tlc and a little more tlc there looking great!
This is the same hen! Dinky. She's now the biggest!

Here are some of the other ladies. Finishing off the last of the grass! I don't think I could be without hens now. My whole life seems to revolve around them!

 

[happyhens1972]

That's sounds about right. It's great getting into hens. I never get bored or tired of them. Infact if I have a rubbish day they are the ones I always turn too. There not bothered about all that. They are always happy to see me. Especially if I have a tin of sweetcorn! I have a little arucana that always wants to sit on my knee or shoulder or head! She's happy just being picked up and carried around! The rescues were my latest edition I got them in August from south Clifton removing. They were in a poor state. They didn't know grass, sweetcorn, pasta or any of the treats that I get them. It didn't take long for them to learn though! They were pretty much oven ready when I bought them home not many feathers going round.View attachment 1245365View attachment 1245365View attachment 1245365View attachment 1245365View attachment 1245365 View attachment 1245366 View attachment 1245367
I broke my heart to see a poor little hen with no feathers trying to dust bath. But a little tlc and a little more tlc there looking great! View attachment 1245370
This is the same hen! Dinky. She's now the biggest!
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Here are some of the other ladies. Finishing off the last of the grass! I don't think I could be without hens now. My whole life seems to revolve around them!

Awww, well done.....Dinky looks wonderful now...and you have a lovely set up there xx

 

[CCUK]

Awww, well done.....Dinky looks wonderful now...and you have a lovely set up there xx

Yeah that was in autumn. Now it's just a muddy mess. I can't wait for it to dry up.