About Me!

This comment was left by JudyM on my old blog, and I've copied it over here as I can't move the original.

"An entertaining read! I can identify with the relief to get away from commuting to London. I worked in Whitehall for – oh about a thousand years! Did your CDs work at entertaining your little chicks?"

Hi Judy, thanks for your comment. I tried to send you an email as it hadn’t appeared on the blog, but it got returned as undeliverable!

Yes, the CD’s do help keep them occupied, but not as much as the
lettuces and sweetcorn do!!!! They also love chickweed. Drives em
potty!!!! lol

But anything that hangs up just above their heads is good, as they peck at it rather than their mates!!!! Watch it if you hang it up by string though, as they chomp through it.

As the hardboard is 2ft off the ground, I just have a really thick cane or piece of wood hanging from one side to the other, with a butcher’s hook or similar hanging down and hang the lettuce from that. The CD’s did have thick string hung from the wood, but they’ve eaten their way through it all, so at the moment, I don’t have any CD’s hanging.

Hi Sue, I don't know Saltfleetby, as we don't get up Louth way much, my friend on the allotment site I belong to comes from Louth, but now lives near Lowestoft, so he would probably know it well! Yes, animals keep you poor don't they? lol although Sooty the cat will only eat the dried GoCat with turkey, so she is easily pleased, and Penny the dog, varies a bit with what she likes, her favourite is PAL in jelly, but she also likes the Chubb Webbox thing which I think smells vile, but she loves it!!!! The chooks are the most expensive things to feed!!!!! I'm glad you like the blog, its only my way of keeping a diary of what happens in my little chook world, but I thought it might also be a way of advertising my chooks for sale too, and its cheaper than a website, especially as we don't have thousands for sale at any one time. Nice to hear more people are helping to rescue the ex battery girls. I've seen inside a battery farm, it was years ago when I worked for the National Farmers Union, but it wasn't a pretty site, and its lovely to see them getting used to being real chickens again isn't it????

They are lovely to watch Shane, so industrious, and makes me feel like the pied piper when I take their corn down to them in the afternoon!

But they are always getting into scrapes and I have to rescue them! We've put barrier fencing from the run to the polytunnel to give them somewhere dry to dust bathe with all this rain, even the bigger temporary run is like a mud bath now! But they kept pecking the polythene, so I put stakes all round and more barrier fencing and now, they dig holes to bathe in and get underneath the barrier stuff, then they cant remember how they got in so can't get out again! I have to go down there several times a day to pull them out!!!

But its lovely having nice fresh eggs to eat, with no food miles and at least you know what they've been eating!!!!

Hi Ellen, yes they are fascinating to watch aren't they? I'm surprised your old ladies didn't like eating your veg patch though! The other week when I went down to Kent to see my daughter, hubby left the gate open and little, and the young girls got out and ate all my spring cabbage plants!!!!

Must update the blog again, but MIL has been here since last Wednesday and I don't like leaving her alone for long!!!!

Hi Matthew, I am so pleased the chooks have started to lay eggs for you at long last! I think they are a bit late laying as its still winter really, and they need a good 14-16 hours of daylight to get into the egg laying habit!

And at lest now your little girls work is being rearded with lovely fresh laid eggs!!!!

Hi Jane, to be honest with you, I have learnt more from the poultry pages on the allotment site that is on my 'Sites I like page' than anywhere else!

There is also a poultry forum, and you don't have to join to read the messages. But there are many many people on there who have only just stated to keep chickens, and thre are people on thre who have kept them for 40 odd years, so a wealth of information for free!

Please don't think I'm just plugging the site! lol I'm not, but it is a very friendly place, and I really feel at home there.

However, if you want to have a read of a book, one good one to start with is 'Starting With Chickens' by Katie Thear. Katie has ept poultry for a long time, and this is a good starter book for anyone. I got a copy from Ebay, and it is pretty comprehensive! But there is a wealth of info in books and on the internet for anyone wanting to keep chickens.

Although hubby and I have kept poultry for over 11 years on and off, I didn't think a year ago that I would now be raising chicks from day old and selling them as point of lays or oven ready!! But I am, and I do enjoy it, they all have their own little characters!!!!

Keeping ex batts is very rewarding, but can be heartrending when you first see them with no feathers and dull listless combs, and some don't live long, but at least they died living like a chicken should, not being killed at 18 months just because its eggs are no longer the correct size or colour!!!!

Good luck, I hope you do have a go!!!!!!

Hi James, I'm pleased you like the blog! I started it off, but it was finely tuned by my friend John Harrison who is the owner of the Allotment site in my 'Sites I like' page. He's a webmaster and I feel has done me proud! made my blog more noticeable!!!!

I was worried about splayed leg too, so when we got the first day olds last September, I looked on the internet, and on an American site, this guy said he used sawdst or shavings on the floor, but as a young chick will eat whatever it finds at its feet, he covers the shavings with a clean old sheet for the first few days, until the chicks learn what is chick crumb. so I did that and this time also with the meat chicks. The chicks don't slide around on the sheet, and they don't eat the shavings either! OK, so it means I have to keep looking for old sheets, but after a few days, I think I left them about 4 days last time,this time was a week as I didn't have a lot of shavings, but then you take the sheet off, complete with poop, and the shavings underneath are still nice and clean!

How many chicks have you got this time then? We've only got 57 now, as I gave 6 to my friends in Scotland last week, and we lost 2, they sometimes panic and crush into a corner, although there are no corners in my brooder, but they still manae to crush each other at times, silly chicks!! Ours are 4 weeks old tomorrow, so it'll be weigh in time, and they are going over into the big chook house! It's all disinfected and poultryshielded ready for them.

Hi Olivia, you can buy chicks, but they have to be kept nice and warm for 4 weeks! I don't know whereabouts you are, or what sort of chicks you are interested in or how many you want! We buy our chicks from a hatchery who usually only sell them in the 1,000's, but they do sell small numbers too, but you have to collect. They are at Eye Green near peterborough and small numbers of chicks are £1 each. But other breeders charge differing prices, some as much as £8!!!!!

Hi Debbie, sorry I've only just seen your note. I've been gardening all day! No, you are not the only crazy one!!!!! lol if you look on the allotment site I mention. A link is in my Sites I like page, you will see there are loads of us!! A typical one is 'Babe' who only wanted 2 chickens, and she loves Polands. Well, she's hooked now, she got her 2, then some more, then she re-homed some ex battery chickens, then she re-homed 4 from another lottie site member who sadly couldn't keep hers anymore, and I think she's got a few more now, and STILL looking!!!!!

And I thought I was nuts!!!!! lol Sadly, as you'll see if you read my what's for sale page. My latest babies which are Babcock B380 hybrids are only 15 days old yet, so won't be POL until 14th August. they are brown birds laying brown eggs, then on 16th June, we are getting 250 day old Amberlinks, but they won't be ready until mid October.

We get them as day olds from Joice and Hill Hatchery. they are down Green Road, Eye Green, phone number is 01733 221833, but they only sell day olds, they are purely a hatchery, not a rearing farm. Would love to save a couple of my new girls for you. If you don't find any elsewhere, come back to me in August. I'll put you down as a maybe, as I've got about 60 of the present 125 pre-booked so far!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, I'm pleased you like it!! Ann

Hi Kate, you are very welcome. When you call them, you will probably speak to Kate, they are all really nice people down there, and very helpful.

Hi Rosemary! Lovely place you've got! I've put your webiste on my favourites, and will have a look later, when I'm not busy cleaning out chicken houses!!!

I haven't had any chicks with splayed legs yet, but I have a picture somewhere of where they put 2 long sticking plasters together, tick them together in teh middle, then wrap them around the chicks lower legs, hence 'hobbling' them together. if you know what I mean. Here is a link to Stonehead's blog where he explains how he does it.

I have another bit of info that says there is no cure, but I do know people who have done it and the chick, gains the strength back in it legs while its hobbled, okay it has to walk carefully or a bit, but hey, if it works its worth it!

apparently it happens when whatever you have on the floor is slippery, so I read on an American site that if you put shavings down on the floor, then cover it with an old clean sheet, the chicks don't slip and they also don't eat the shavings, as when they are young, they'll eat anything!!!

I get old sheets from auctions etc for a fwe pence each, then throw them away after. The chicks are only on the sheet for a few days, then you take the sheet up and you've still got clean shavings as all the poo is on the sheet!

http://stonehead.wordpress.com/2007/06/03/correcting-splayed-legs/

Have a go, it can't hurt and hopefully your little chick will be right as rain after a bit! Let me know how it gets on please!!!! Ann

Hi Kay, oh I am so sorry I didn't see your comment before.. I've had some trouble with the blog, and often it doesn't notify me that I hae comments, so I only find out sometime after!

How are your chickens now? Hope they are okay and stopped pecking? They are little devils, this lastest lot we've got are really bad for pecking each other too, and nothing seems to work for long either!

Hello Sam and Cheryl. I wasn't sure about ducks being wormed, so went onto the allotment site and was looking through it when I saw that your question has already been answered by my friend chickenlady!

I haven't kept ducks for ages and then only for Christmas, so wasn't sure if you could give them the same stuff, but yes, Flubenvet seems to be the most popular!

But now you have joined the allotment site, you will get all the help you need re chooks and ducks. some of the people on there have been keeping chickens for 40 years!!

Hi Lyn, nice to hear from you! Yes, our girls love hanging up cabbages and things too, depending on what's growing at the time. And we also sometimes buy them cabbages from the farm shop. They love the exercise don't they of jumping up and down!

I've just read quickly through your blog as I'm trying to help hubby with the fencing of the new breeding runs for our purebreeds. They are nto as large as we would like, but hubby is talking about extending them soon when we can.

I'm pleased you like the blog. I just get so behind with it at times. But I'm enjoying yours too, brings back memories of when we had the ex batts and in Essex we used to have ex free range too so I know what its like!

I'm putting your blog onto mine too, and good to know you are near if anyone wants any ex batts, I'll give them your details.

Keep up the good work that you all do!!!! Ann

Hi Tracy, sorry, I've only just been notified of your comment! Silly computers! thank you for the compliment. I just wish I could remember to post more often. but I don't know where my day goes! I don't usually get on here until late evening to check my messages, then I get tired, so don't do half the things I should!!

I hope you find what you are looking for, and good luck with the chicken keeping! they are the best waste of time there is!!! I can stand and chat to mine for ages! Especially the turkeys as they are so intelligent.

My idea of this blog was that if it prevented just one person making some of the mistakes that I have over the past 2 years, it will be worth it, and hopefully some other people find it good too!!!

Hi tracy, I'm sorry to hear about your chickens. it could be a lot of things, but difficult to say without further diagnosis.

when you say she is falling asleep, is she just standing there, listless, head sunk in neck? What colour is her poop? if it is white? any blood in it? could be coccidiosis, if it is, try coxoid, or a course of anti biotics from your vet for 5 days, but with some of these you can eat the eggs for another 7 days either, check whether there is egg withdrawal period. make sure you keep their litter dry

or listless with greenish diarrhoea, gaping, could be worms, have they been wormed lately? the most popular wormer we know if Flubenvet which you add a little to their food.

Tell me any other symptoms and I'll see what I can find out.

Fingers crossed for her. (Oh she's not moulting is she? that can sap their energy levels!)

Take Care Ann

Thank you Brian, I must update it, with being so busy since mid December culling and plucking turkeys and chickens, I'm really behind in the blog AGAIN! But I'm pleased you have found it entertaining!

I wish you luck with the greenhouse. I'm afraid last year my veg garden suffered as I spent so much time looking after the poultry, and this year some of my veg patch is being given over to the chickens too, and the turkeys get the rest when they come in august, so I need to get another patch going elsewhere in the garden! Hubby is even threatening to take down my polytunnel for another chook house, but I hope not as that is were I grow most of my tomatoes!

Hi Tracy, nice to hear from you again! I'm pleased sleepy chicken is fine! It is strange isn't it, how they can go downhill then pick up again when you think they are about to die! Wonderful news!

featherless at the back of the neck I would say first off, have you got a cockerel? You don't mention one, but the girls I have with bare necks at the back are where the cockerels grab hold of them.

Next idea is do they have any chicken wire round a run or anything? although a couple of mine would stick their heads through the wire around their run, but they used to rub the feathers off the front of their necks not the back.

Or is one of the other hens perhaps pecking them there? If its not mites, I can't really think off hand what else it could be.

Hi Sandra, nice to hear from you.

Our proper meat chickens are killed at about 3-4 months, but with the pure breed cockerels, you are looking at more like 6-9 months. Too old and they can be tough, although you said you pressure cooked them. That's like a friend of mine said even older cockerels can be roasted. Just steam them first to get them more succulent, then roast, but I've never tried doing it that way.

Hi Nicholas. Stanground isn't a million miles from here, but our new chooks are only 1 day old at the moment. Have a look on the poultry pages of the allotment website I belong to. There are lots of suppliers around. One thing I will say though is don't go to a garden centre, their prices are way OTT and mostly they know nothing about chooks and you may find yourself saddled with illness like my friend Debbie did. And I think hers had red mite too which is difficult to get rid of!

Hi Ken

Thank you for the message on my blog. I'm pleased you enjoy reading it. Only sorry I don't update it as often as I should do!
These chooks keep me busy enough, without everything else on my 'to do' list!

I'm really pleased you have found out as much info as you can before getting your chickens, and if you haven't already seen it, we have a lovely poultry forum and info pages on the allotment website on my sites I like page! http://www.allotment.org.uk

I know where you are coming from re not having all your chickens moulting at the same time, but really it is best to get all 6 together. they are very territorial, and although most chickens soon get used to each other, if you get them at different times, it can take them a while to get used to the pecking order, and people can get upset when they fight, especially if they draw blood!

As to what breeds, well that is very much a personal preference thing. I usually suggest people get hybrids to start off with. They are usually very friendly, and lay you lots of lovely eggs, and even regularly through at least their first winter, and mostly through their second too. But hybrids were developed for the commercial farms which get rid of them between 72 and 80 weeks old, so they are bred purely to produce eggs, but will only usually live 2-4 years. You occasionally get longer lived one, but they don't lay many eggs after about 3 years.

Pure breeds will live longer, but don't lay so well in the winter, some even stop laying altogether, so may be a good idea to get 3 hybrids and 3 pure breeds, so you get at least some eggs through your first few winters, but you'll have chooks which live longer too!

My favourite hybrids are the brown ones. they are usually the friendliest. I like the look of the amberlinks which are white, but they can have feather pecking problems, more so than other breeds. I've also got 2 Bluebelles which lay well and look nice!

I've got a few bantam sized breeds, which are very pretty, but they are a bit flighty, like the Appenzeller Spitzhaubens which are like dalmations, white with black dots and the Exchequer Leghorns which are black with white dots. They love to free range, and are not so keen on being kept in runs and they can fly high! Then there are the little Silkie's who only lay small eggs, but they are ideal in small gardens as they don't roam far and don't fly very high.

I've got some araucanas which I like as they are pretty, different colours and lay blues eggs, and I keep a few Rhode Island Reds and Light Sussex, but then they grow a bit bigger. Welsummers are also pretty. and lay lovely dark brown eggs.

You have a lovely big shed, but how big is your run? I know they will free range a bit too, but the DEFRA minimum for house space is 1 sq foot per bird, which you have fine, but the minimum for the run is 1 sq metre per bird, but we always ask people to give them as much room as possible, at LEAST 2 sq metres.

I hope this helps, if I've fogotten anything, please let me know.

Good luck with it all and hope to talk again soon.

Hi David/Andrea?

thanks for the message. Although I've put y prices on here for all ages of chicks and pullets, at the moment I only have 2 week old hybrids available. I am only a small rearer/breeder, as you will see if you read the blog, but I put all the prices on because some people order now for collection when they are POL.

As you are new to chicken keeping, I'd say the hybrids are the best for starters as they will lay you loads of lovely eggs, 300+ a year, and they are very friendly. The Bovans Brown which I have now used to be called Goldlines and they are very friendly once they are used to you. The ones I've had most pecking with are the white Amberlinks.

So if you can't get sorted before, come back to me if you want to order for when teh grils are point of lay! Thanks again Ann

Hi Joe, yes, the Rhode islands are lovely aren't they? my youngest 2 hens have only just started to lay, but one of the others is a bit hit and miss at the moment, so getting 3 eggs a day from them. I'll have to start saving some more to put in the incubator soon!

Yes, Joice and Hill are the hatchery. They are in Green Road, Eye. Their phone number is 01733 221833 Kate is the lady in reception. They sell the Amberlinks, Bovans Brown (used to be called Goldlines) and the Babcock B380. Then today we saw in the Poultry World magazine there is another hatchery in Green Road, Tom Barron. They sell the ISA Brown, ISA Warrens and Shaver Brown chicks, but I haven't spoken to them yet. so I don't know if they sell in smaller quantities. We'll talk to them at the Pig and Poultry Show in May. Their number is: 01733 222262.

Good luck!

Hi Dene, yes we are still breeding and rearing some chickens! Look on the Poultry for Sale Page to see what we have at present.

We are concentrating on hybrids again, as the pure breeds don't go so well here, and we have quite a few Bovans Whites (aka white stars) which are white egg layers and the bovans Browns (aka Goldlines) brown egg layers. They are all 15 weeks now.

We also have our first hatchings of Shaver Blacks, which look like the black rocks. But they are younger, between 4 days and 6 weeks old. All are hens, no cockerels.