UK Member Please Say HI

[backyardjack]

Hi Barbara, I brought 6 rhode island red and 6 that are a mix between Copper Black Maran cockerel that was running with 2 Bluebells, 2 Black Sussexs, 2 Speckledys, 2 Gold Brahmas, 2 Exchequer Leghorns, 2 Black Rocks and 2 Salmon Faverolles off of ebay but unfortunately my auto egg turner only fits 9 eggs in it so 9 when in and about an hour ago 6 went into lockdown! whoop whoop

What chickens do you have?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again Jack.

Congrats on getting 6 to lock down. Good luck with the hatch. Did you mark the pure Rhode Island Red eggs and if so, how many of those went into lock down. Will keep my fingers crossed for you to get mostly pullets. I think the leghorn's eggs will be the only properly white ones, so you should know if you have any of them. I'm not familiar with Brahmas or Faverolles. The other hens all lay mid brown eggs, so no way of knowing which are which.

I started out with a trio of exchequer leghorns in Jan this year. I then got a pair of cream legbars, 2 red sex links, a RIR and a Blue Haze(similar to a Bluebell). Then 3 silkie mixes which were hopefully going to be my broodies, then 2 more cream legbars and a so called araucana, although she is clearly a cross breed. She mated with my legbar cockerel and hatched 14 chicks in her first brood and 9 in her second over the summer. I lost a couple of the silkie mixes and a couple of other hens to dog attacks and the final silkie/cochin went broody and hatched 8. My sister out law who incidentally lives on the Lincolnshire/Leicestershire/Nottingham border incubated me some Welsummers and I was also given 2 Marans, a black copper and a blue in exchange for a swarm of bees...............

This is what is referred to on this site as chicken math(s).

You start with a few and before you know it, you have the best part of 50 birds and still have a longing to add to your flock because there is always another breed that you fancy. Be warned, keeping poultry is totally addictive!

I'm chuffed to bits at the moment as the farmyard mutt pullets from my first hatch of chicks have just started laying little blue/green eggs and the Marans and Welsummers have also just started laying really dark brown eggs with speckles, as well as the leghorns laying white eggs, so I have multi-coloured eggs in my egg boxes, which was one of my goals.

The cockerels from that first hatch of crossbreed chicks are due to be processed in the near future too. I'm not looking forward to that, but since they were persistently raping their mother and my favourite red sex link, Molly, I'm steeling myself to sort them. I've done lots of research on the various methods and practiced on chickens that died of other causes and I'm reasonably sure I can do it in a caring and humane way.

Do you have a plan for the cockerels that will inevitably result from your hatch?

I used to have black rocks the previous time I kept poultry (I got wiped out by a fox then) and I really loved them. I think a marans/black rock cross would be really nice and should give you lovely dark brown eggs and great personality. I will keep my fingers crossed you have one of those in your lock down. Cross breeds are great. I have a couple of cream legbar x RIR pullets from my second brood of chicks and I really like them a lot. They will probably not start laying until the spring but I am hoping they will give me olive coloured eggs.

Sorry for all the info, but we chicken enthusiasts don't need much encouragement to talk about our chickens and then forget to stop!!

Look forward to hearing that you have some cute little balls of fluff in a few days.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[GGBEAR]

Hello I'm UK Rotherham south Yorkshire

 

[rebrascora]

Hi GGBEAR and welcome

Tell us a bit more about yourself and your chickens.
Do you have snow at the moment? It's a lovely clear frosty morning here this morning but we haven't had the snow like other places have.

Regards

Barbara

 

[GGBEAR]

Sorry for late reply I posted on other thread I'm from Rotherham and am still new to hen keeping its been 9 months and what started out as 3 is now 5 consisting of a road rock, Columbian black tail, white star, speckled leg horn and my youngest a bluebell I love them but like I said still new so learning all the time.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again

Not sure if you are aware or not (or care for that matter) but I believe it's a RHODE ROCK produced from crossing a RHODE Island Red with a Barred Plymouth ROCK. I think it may also be known as a Black Rock and it is one of several types of black sex link hybrid. They are excellent layers and have a lovely temperament. Hope that doesn't sound snobby or pedantic but personally I would prefer for someone to put me right if I had picked something up wrong.
I've never heard of a speckled leghorn.... is it black and white speckles? These are referred to as exchequer leghorns... I have some of those. Not finding them very good layers though.
I have a Blue Haze which is similar to a Bluebell. They are also a hybrid bred for production. Mine is called "Scranner Anna" because she's a bit of a trougher when it comes to food.... wolfs it down.

Don't know anything about Colombian black tails or white stars although the latter will no doubt also be a production hybrid, so you should do very well for eggs. Are they laying at the moment? My older birds stopped during moult a few months back and haven't really started again but the chicks that I bred during the summer are laying really well and I keep finding secret nests with great mountains of eggs in them, as well as those I get in the nest boxes, so it's eggs for breakfast, lunch and tea as well as the cats and chucks getting scrambled egg every other day and friends and relatives getting half a dozen(only ones I know are fresh) when they visit.

Good to hear that you are enjoying keeping hens. It is a very addictive hobby. I restarted last year (I was wiped out by a fox about 10 years ago and didn't have the heart to restock till now) and a trio of chickens in Jan has rapidly expanded to 40+ (the feed bill is killing me!!!), so do beware that it can get out of hand rapidly. I had forgotten just how much I love keeping chickens in the interim period.

Anyway, good luck with your girls and hope the coming weather doesn't hit you too hard. I've just been out strapping down my bee hives, just in case.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[GGBEAR]

Ah yes I was aware of what you have wrote I researched their origin after purchasing them.
The guy I purchased them from seemed very knowledgeable and had kept and bred for year's.
Unfortunately there is no chance of my little collection getting out of hand as my husband will put his foot down Plus its not the right area to have to many ;^)
I can upload some pictures if u like?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Ah yes I was aware of what you have wrote I researched their origin after purchasing them.
The guy I purchased them from seemed very knowledgeable and had kept and bred for year's.
Unfortunately there is no chance of my little collection getting out of hand as my husband will put his foot down Plus its not the right area to have to many ;^)
I can upload some pictures if u like?

My other half tries to put his put down too!! But when they are hatching in the incubator he just can't resist although he tries not to let on
Would love to see pics of your birds they all sound very interesting

 

[backyardjack]

Hi again Jack.

Congrats on getting 6 to lock down. Good luck with the hatch. Did you mark the pure Rhode Island Red eggs and if so, how many of those went into lock down. Will keep my fingers crossed for you to get mostly pullets. I think the leghorn's eggs will be the only properly white ones, so you should know if you have any of them. I'm not familiar with Brahmas or Faverolles. The other hens all lay mid brown eggs, so no way of knowing which are which.

I started out with a trio of exchequer leghorns in Jan this year. I then got a pair of cream legbars, 2 red sex links, a RIR and a Blue Haze(similar to a Bluebell). Then 3 silkie mixes which were hopefully going to be my broodies, then 2 more cream legbars and a so called araucana, although she is clearly a cross breed. She mated with my legbar cockerel and hatched 14 chicks in her first brood and 9 in her second over the summer. I lost a couple of the silkie mixes and a couple of other hens to dog attacks and the final silkie/cochin went broody and hatched 8. My sister out law who incidentally lives on the Lincolnshire/Leicestershire/Nottingham border incubated me some Welsummers and I was also given 2 Marans, a black copper and a blue in exchange for a swarm of bees...............

 This is what is referred to on this site as chicken math(s).

You start with a few and before you know it, you have the best part of 50 birds and still have a longing to add to your flock because there is always another breed that you fancy. Be warned, keeping poultry is totally addictive!

I'm chuffed to bits at the moment as the farmyard mutt pullets from my first hatch of chicks have just started laying little blue/green eggs and the Marans and Welsummers have also just started laying really dark brown eggs with speckles, as well as the leghorns laying white eggs, so I have multi-coloured eggs in my egg boxes, which was one of my goals.

The cockerels from that first hatch of crossbreed chicks are due to be processed in the near future too. I'm not looking forward to that, but since they were persistently raping their mother and my favourite red sex link, Molly, I'm steeling myself to sort them. I've done lots of research on the various methods and practiced on chickens that died of other causes and I'm reasonably sure I can do it in a caring and humane way.

Do you have a plan for the cockerels that will inevitably result from your hatch?

I used to have black rocks the previous time I kept poultry (I got wiped out by a fox then) and I really loved them. I think a marans/black rock cross would be really nice and should give you lovely dark brown eggs and great personality. I will keep my fingers crossed you have one of those in your lock down. Cross breeds are great. I have a couple of cream legbar x RIR pullets from my second brood of chicks and I really like them a lot. They will probably not start laying until the spring but I am hoping they will give me olive coloured eggs.

Sorry for all the info, but we chicken enthusiasts don't need much encouragement to talk about our chickens and then forget to stop!! 

Look forward to hearing that you have some cute little balls of fluff in a few days.

Best wishes

Barbara 

Hi soo sorry I saw this and was going to reply but I went shopping and totally forgot!

5 hatched whoop whoop 3 rirs and 2 mixes, Yes I have a plan for the cockrels they will either get eaten or they will go to New homes if I can find some but I don't really mind either way in fact I kind of look forward to the experience of slaughtering and eating a bird that I raised! How are all of your guys chickens doing any storys or drama recently? I would love to see some pics of all of your birds!

 

[sumsum252]

HI....Im in UK, manchester!