Well, March now!
We've had the MIL here for a week, took her back yesterday thank goodness! She and hubby don't get on well, and she's also blind, so I didn't feel right leaving her on her own, but everytime I came up to my little study, hubby followed me, so I ended up going back downstairs to keep her company!
Well, back to normal now! A lady came today to collect 6 chooks, and she bought her friend with her and she had 6 too! I've also got another lady coming for 6 tomorrow, and had 3 more enquiries today, so at the moment, I'm down to about 78 chooks, and out of them and my older layers, I'm getting about 3 dozen eggs a day now!
We gave a load of eggs away yesterday, but now they are laying a bit more regularly, I'll have to put my egg sign outside again! I started to sell quite a few last year until the ex batts let me down, but now I want to keep about 3 dozen layers, so fingers crossed, they all lay well.
I am getting good feedback still from people, and 2 friends who moved to Scotland and bought 12 of the new girls, have reported that all 12 are now laying! So that's good! A couple down the road who bought 6 have told me today theirs are feather pecking, but no one else has said anything, so I've got the injured one, and they have put the pecker in a shed for a few days to calm her down!
Well, only a week to go now until our day old meat chicks will be ready, and by the time they are ready to come out of the brooder shed, we will have their new house and run ready for them! then in 3 weeks, I am going housesitting for the friends who went to Scotland, but when I come back, we will get some more layer chicks, but not 300 this time!!!! lol
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Comments on Well, March now!
Have you considered making Lemon Curd/Lemon Cheese with some of your excess eggs-you could sell it with your eggs ?
We lived in the country and had a small poultry business-Mum sold eggs,potatoes and home made jam,lemon cheese and pickle to the neighbours and holiday makers from the local caravan sites
LOL, Hi Jean, yes, I do make lemon curd. In fact I bought some lemons the other day when we were in town! I also make sponge and other cakes and freeze them for those times when I don't have enough eggs, and I have also frozen the eggs!!!!
These days you have to be careful about selling home made stuff to the public due to all the health and hygiene regs, but it would be good to do something like that. I do know someone else who does it, but his house is down a lane, so no one would notice it anyway! lol
A nearby caravan site would be good wouldn't it? Once people know you sell these things, they would keep coming back year after year!!
Thanks for the ideas. Ann
Hi Ann
Just to let you know the 6 chickens have settled in well, there has been no trouble between them and the turkeys who just ran over to look at them, obviously thought hello your new and then went off about thier business again. Im sure if the cockerels could grin they would have one from ear to ear, they are spoilt for choice and henny penny looks very relieved to be sharing the boys lol.Will keep you posted. Enjoy your trip and dont forget to packy our woolies.x
Thanks Tracey, I hope they lay beautiful eggs for you!! Yes, plese keep me up to date, its nice that people are keeping in touch and letting me know how the girls are doing!!
Hi Ann
Well they have definately settled in and are the happiest friendliest chooks around i think, a real joy and today to top it all i collected 4 eggs, wahoo, just 2 to go lol.
All the best
Tracey
Oh Tracey, that is so good. I'm pleased the girls have a lovely new home! Hope you hit 6 eggs a day soon!!!!
have been growing our own veg on our allotment for 3yrs now are thinking seriously about getting chooks. wonder if you can tell me if they need to be sited on grassland most of the ones on our patch look like they roam about in mud doesnt look comfortable want ours to be happy, healthy chickens thanks julie
Hi Julie, thanks for the message! Ideally chickens should have grass to run on, but depending on what space you can give them and how many chickens you have, grass very quickly runs out!!
I should imagine allotments are pretty soggy at the moment, but its not a good idea for them to be on mud all the time as it can lead to foot problems. That's why we had to move our girls run over as the area they did have got very muddy, so we moved them to a higher bit of garden, namely part of the lawn!!! lol, but then with 300 running around, they had a big area, and as it was so wet, we let them go in the polytunnel so they could run around in the dry and dustbathe, even though it was raining outside!
If you are only going to keep a few chickens, they need AT LEAST 1sq foot of coop space each, with a nest box per 4-5 birds, and a perch. Let them have at least 7inches of perch each, but they don't need loads as they like to cuddle up together at night. Then run space, they need AT LEAST 1sq metre of space each, but the more the better. If you can cover at least half of it to keep the rain out, then that's good as they will still have some dry space to dustbathe!
Ideally you should try to give them a different area to run on every few months, to keep any nasties that may lurk in the soil away from them. But this isn't always possible, but good housekeeping, perhaps spreading some straw and bark chippings over the area to help keep the water at bay and give them something to kick around would be nice. And putting a couple of spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar in their water helps keeps intestinal troubles at bay!
Some people put lots of 'toys' in the run, but we don't believe in overdoing it, so we just hang up old CD's in the house and polytunnel. They like to peck at them when they swing around and sparkle in the sun, helps keep boredom at bay!
Our girls have layers pellets in the morning, ad lib, we like the pellets as they are less messy than layers mash, but some people prefer mash as they say it takes the chickens longer to eat so again, they don't have so much time to get bored! lol. Then a handful of mixed corn, or barley or wheat, (whatever you can get) in the afternoon a couple of hours before bedtime, and plenty of cabbage and other green veggies. Dandelions etc
I hope you do decide to get some chickens, they are a pleasure to watch!!!
thanks for the advice ann, its a bit like deciding to start a family isnt it? haha you want the best for your 'kids' we have a bit of sorting out to do over the garden but we intend to do that over the next couple of weeks so hopefully i,ll be able to let you know what we,ve got and how we,re doin. many thanks again juliex
Hi Julie, thanks for letting me know, and keep me updated please on how you get on!
Some people don't realise that animals are a responsibility. We had a post put on the lottie forum from someone asking if he gets chooks and they are living in woodland with grass, will he still need to feed them????? then said he wanted goats too!!!! lol
or wouldn't it be nice for the children to have some easter chicks? but they don't realise that a chick needs to be kept warm and have the right food and plenty of clean fresh water! I go out to my chicks 7 or 8 times a day to make sure they haven't eaten all their food and they are warm enough, and sometimes they poo in the drinkers and it clogs up the outlet holes!!!!
Even up until last year when we tried the Amberlinks as day olds, I didn't think how much responsibility they would be, as I'd only ever had them either as point of lays or 8 week old growers before!!
Hope your sorting out goes well!!
i know ann, some people get a bit carried away, my friend has never kept hens, yet shes already talkin about breeding and rearing chicks, im gonna start out small, and hopefully will get to grips with it, am so excited julie x