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Post by emseypop on May 6, 2008 20:53:23 GMT 1
They're not posh Emsey, they are rare breed or very old breeds ;D Sadly I don't think ex-bats would be a good idea here as they would have to rough it with the goats and I doubt if they would have the temperament really..if you keep chickens with other livestock ideally they have to be there from very young, I think. The poor things might be terrorised by rats too........ OH wasn't very keen on getting any more when I spoke about it tonight. I shall have to get him in a better mood - he was too busy steaming about the stupidity of Health and Safety officers on the site he working on :  Just keep plucking away at your OH! ;D The lady who lives locally who has ex-bats has one light sussex and too frizzles too. The light sussex was very impressive. Are they supposed to be table and laying birds?  |
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Post by debbiem on May 7, 2008 6:55:54 GMT 1
Get them and if OH objects just say you didn't want to bother him when he had other things on his mind, and they were such a good price the offer wouldn't come round again............  How often does he go to the goat house anyway? Do you think you could have them without him noticing, at least for a while? Get them! |
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Post by 4pygmies on May 7, 2008 7:17:31 GMT 1
Is that an order?? ;D I MUST see what I can do to ratproof the hen house and run though...I was going to open it up for the goats to give them some new ground but...... I am all confused now...I'm not good at disobeying a direct order any more...must be a sign of advancing age.....OH NO! Maybe me wanting more chickens, despite the rodent hordes, is actually a strong indication of senility! Crumbs Penfold! What shall I do now...........? : Hide the chickens from OH? Is it possible...? I suppose I could wear very long skirts all summer and train them to run under there at any sign of OH approaching...... He does walk about the garden quite often these days - hopefully brandishing a mighty strimmer - so I can't really expect him not to notice 3 new chooks, a different arrangement of the goats fencing and half a dead cow, can I? ;D |
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Post by debbiem on May 7, 2008 8:59:42 GMT 1
I must agree, put like that it won't be easy - I love the vision of you with a long skirt with the chickens shuffling along underneath with you saying shhhhh! every few seconds. ;D Chickens attract rodents - but you've got some anyway.....there's a plus there to consider, sort of... If he's 'not keen' there's loads of potential to work on there, don't you think? What's three chickens more when you've got goats, cats, and Hilda and loads of space............we bought two chickens once who were lovely, a cross between a RIR and Red Sussex I think. Really big lovely hens - oh go on. |
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Post by emseypop on May 7, 2008 11:53:19 GMT 1
Have you got them yet 4p? Its high time you flexed you 'disobeying a direct order' muscles! I found a dead rat on the lawn this morn (he had a lovely glossy coat) but I found one on the lawn a few weeks before we got the hens too. I don't think you'll ever be rat free will you? So why not get your hens if you really want some? The price of eggs is shocking now you know! Dukie laid an egg today! I guess that means she really is better! ;D |
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Post by debbiem on May 13, 2008 9:11:58 GMT 1
Something very sad happened last night, completely out of the blue. We were looking out of the kitchen window and OH spotted one of our Welsummers, Chestnut, laying down. I hadn't got my glasses on so I just thought she'd found a bit of a dustbath, she'd been so healthy it just didn't occur to me there was something wrong. We went outside and OH picked her up, and while he was holding she she died. She'd always been the most vocal of the chickens with a good old bwark on her and there wasn't any difference in her behaviour right up until then. But something freaked out the chickens when they were in the garden the other day, with a few feathers being lost and garden ornaments going over and I wonder if this was the consequence of that? My youngest daughter was inconsolable last night, as Chestnut was one of her two chickens. I'm just about to go out and bury her - I hope I can find somewhere deep enough! My other daughter wants her to be buried in a box but I think a big paper poultry corn bag is going to have to do.  I have noticed just this morning that there seems to be a very red swelling like a prolapse under her tail but I wonder whether this has happened since she's died as one of us would have noticed it beforehand. She had been as fit as a fiddle right up to the end. |
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Post by The witch on May 13, 2008 9:29:50 GMT 1
How very sad Debbie |
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Post by debbiem on May 13, 2008 9:34:07 GMT 1
Thanks - she was as fit as a fiddle! And so young too. And she laid beautiful eggs - I'd never had eggs like it. Welsummers lay the best best eggs. |
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Post by madonplants on May 13, 2008 9:40:24 GMT 1
That's a shame, Mrs B. I remember an article in an old fishkeeping magazine, labelled, why did my fish die. It was surprising all the problems that could kill a fish and I don't mean ammonia poisoning/parasites either. Best not think too much about the how, unless it's something like a fox getting in and upsetting Chestnut? Hope your daughter gets over it quickly and if you get a new one, get her to chose it.  |
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Post by debbiem on May 13, 2008 10:18:29 GMT 1
Thanks Keith - I think we'll just keep it at five.We'll miss her but I think the henhouse and garden suit five chickens more than six if the truth be told. But I'd rather have her here! It's Zoe's birthday next month and I suspect there'll be a guinea pig or two coming to live with us. I found a nice deep spot and have buried Chestnut there with our banana Musa Basjoo on the top of her. When I had chickens when I lived out in the countryside I remember finding one of our completely healthy chickens dead on the inside of the chicken run(which was huge) and I think she must have died of fright on seeing a fox trying to get in there - sometimes they attacked during the day. I think that's what killed her and suspect the same kind of thing here. They are a couple of cats round here that fancy their chances with the chickens(they'll learn) and I think it must have been one of them and not a fox - it would have to be a very brave fox climbing over six foot stone walls and over neighbours' gardens to get our chickens and then have to make the same journey back again.  |
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Post by 4pygmies on May 13, 2008 17:08:33 GMT 1
It's a shame she died so young and needlessly but, sadly, sometimes they just do die....and at least she didn't suffer at all. I think Emsey's said that on another thread. An important lesson for your daughter too - but I hope her new guinea pigs last a lot longer....
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Post by debbiem on May 14, 2008 9:23:49 GMT 1
Thanks 4P - she's been on about guinea pigs for ages but when we suggested she could have them for her birthday she said no, but at least she had the option. I'm glad as we're not really ready for them anyway. We need some grass to grow first! Mind you letting them loose on the part of the lawn which is dandelion and not much else, there's a thought.... ;D
The girls laid some fir cones around the bottom of the banana last night, under which Chestnut is buried, and some tulips and some twigs made into her initials so she did have a little ceremony and a nice sending off.
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Post by emseypop on May 14, 2008 10:46:42 GMT 1
It sounds like the chidren are being very brave and grown up. What will power, waitng for the ginnea pigs! Does this mean you'll get some when the lawn grows back?
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Post by debbiem on May 14, 2008 11:26:29 GMT 1
I think we will - Zoe wants a couple of guinea pigs and Jessie wants a rabbit. Every time we go to the pet shop that sells both they are desperate to get them but we aren't ready for them and I just want to make sure too that they REALLY want them. I think I already know the answer to that one. : |
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Post by bogmyrtle on May 14, 2008 14:03:51 GMT 1
Mrs.Beige, sorry to hear about Chestnut.
Hubby would now like some chickens - hooray! He was all for rescuing some from a large GC on Saturday he was so concerned about them. I had already sat on the floor talking to one further down the site, when I wandered back, he was talking to one in another cage by the doors. They were not happy being cooped up like they were. GCs should not have livestock or animals for sale - imo!
Don't know when we will get them but he wants a new shed and in his mind has built a henhouse attached to it! I won't put him off!
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Post by debbiem on May 14, 2008 16:01:26 GMT 1
That's really brilliant news Myrtle! I've never ever seen them for sale in a GC before - do you know what kind they are? How much were they? Do you think that they are permanently cooped up like that until somebody buys them?
I wonder if the GC will worm and vaccinate them before they sell them.
Ooo get that shed built quick! ;D
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Post by emseypop on May 15, 2008 12:40:16 GMT 1
 Great news Myrtle, strike while the iron is hot!
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Post by bogmyrtle on May 15, 2008 13:39:41 GMT 1
Could take a bit of time as he wants to build the shed himself from reclaimed bricks and with a 'green' roof - he's never built anything like this before! Still, I'm sure he will get there!  |
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Post by bogmyrtle on May 16, 2008 9:07:49 GMT 1
That's really brilliant news Myrtle! I've never ever seen them for sale in a GC before - do you know what kind they are? How much were they? Do you think that they are permanently cooped up like that until somebody buys them? I wonder if the GC will worm and vaccinate them before they sell them. Ooo get that shed built quick! ;D We couldn't remember the breed so I phoned and asked. They are Warrens, which I think are bred specifically for their profuse egg laying - they are recommended for free range producers on one site I read. They have them from 2 breeders, one vaccinates the other doesn't, these haven't been and she recommended they were done asap. They are £20 EACH! They appear well but I just feel they would be better wandering around than in a small run all day - they have put a football in the one for them! At the bottom of the site is an area which is semi-woodland, why can't they be down there in a large purpose built run, at least they would be able to root around, but the majority of the people don't go down that far so they are near the doors. The staff do seem to be knowledgable about them though so it's not all bad. |
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Post by 4pygmies on May 16, 2008 9:20:12 GMT 1
That is a lot of money for a chicken.........I would expect it to be able to read, answer the telephone and kill 4 rats a day at that price ;D NB It's not really cruel to keep chickens in runs as long as they have access to fresh air and sun, can peck and scratch at the ground and are used to being confined..as they are flock animals by nature, they are not under stress therby, if there are not too many for the space. It's not something I would do but if there is no other choice I don't think they actually suffer. I don't think a GC is the proper place to sell living creatures though.....much better to go to a specialist breeder |
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Post by debbiem on May 16, 2008 9:48:18 GMT 1
I've had Warrens before and they are lovely birds with nice natures - sometimes a bit overfriendly and manic, which isn't a bad thing, and they lay lovely eggs and are very docile. We used to buy ours from a farm shop not too far away from us but I think the last time we bought some, around 2005, they were about £5 each. Mind you they bred them on the farm which owned the shop and there were loads of them so that would make sense of the price. But they are LOVELY birds and the eggs are GORGEOUS. |
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Post by bogmyrtle on May 16, 2008 9:50:30 GMT 1
That is a lot of money for a chicken.........I would expect it to be able to read, answer the telephone and kill 4 rats a day at that price ;D NB It's not really cruel to keep chickens in runs as long as they have access to fresh air and sun, can peck and scratch at the ground and are used to being confined..as they are flock animals by nature, they are not under stress therby, if there are not too many for the space. It's not something I would do but if there is no other choice I don't think they actually suffer. I don't think a GC is the proper place to sell living creatures though.....much better to go to a specialist breeder We don't go into the small animal part because we don't feel they should be in a GC either. The run they are in has a wooden floor and they were scratching that and I felt sorry for them because of that really. |
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Post by debbiem on May 16, 2008 10:02:13 GMT 1
That is a lot of money for a chicken.........I would expect it to be able to read, answer the telephone and kill 4 rats a day at that price ;D NB It's not really cruel to keep chickens in runs as long as they have access to fresh air and sun, can peck and scratch at the ground and are used to being confined..as they are flock animals by nature, they are not under stress therby, if there are not too many for the space. It's not something I would do but if there is no other choice I don't think they actually suffer. I don't think a GC is the proper place to sell living creatures though.....much better to go to a specialist breeder We don't go into the small animal part because we don't feel they should be in a GC either. The run they are in has a wooden floor and they were scratching that and I felt sorry for them because of that really. Ours are confined to the courtyard at the moment which I think is a big enough space but they are gagging to get round into the garden on to the grass and prime scratching places. There are a few scratching areas in the yard but they want MORE! Since it's May and things are growing fast I've put some grass seed over the lawn and hopefully it won't be long before we have some grass. And then we'll let them back into the garden and they'll be in chicken heaven. Until they scoff all the grass again, that is. I've got some growing in seed trays to keep them happy meanwhile. When we first got them they wouldn't even come out of the shed where the HH was at the time - now they're not content with a courtyard and troughs several times that size. : It's what they get used to I suppose - and once they're used to it there's no going back. : |
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Post by bogmyrtle on May 16, 2008 10:37:31 GMT 1
We don't go into the small animal part because we don't feel they should be in a GC either. The run they are in has a wooden floor and they were scratching that and I felt sorry for them because of that really. Ours are confined to the courtyard at the moment which I think is a big enough space but they are gagging to get round into the garden on to the grass and prime scratching places. There are a few scratching areas in the yard but they want MORE! Since it's May and things are growing fast I've put some grass seed over the lawn and hopefully it won't be long before we have some grass. And then we'll let them back into the garden and they'll be in chicken heaven. Until they scoff all the grass again, that is. I've got some growing in seed trays to keep them happy meanwhile. When we first got them they wouldn't even come out of the shed where the HH was at the time - now they're not content with a courtyard and troughs several times that size. : It's what they get used to I suppose - and once they're used to it there's no going back. : You see, it's me being soppy isn't it? Hubby told me to stop clucking like a mother hen over my worms in our wormery the other night! Well, I wasn't sure if I had put enough scraps for them or too much as they need time to settle! PS - either my eyes need testing or the keys are moving on my keyboard - sorry about the spelling! |
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Post by emseypop on May 16, 2008 11:50:58 GMT 1
ohhh a wormary thats on my future projects list. You'll have to start a thread myrtle ;D
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