Grow Your Own Magazine

I was just wondering how many people have....there seem to be more and more of us taking on chooks . ( I hope to have 6 in November- courtesy of an exceptionally generous Vine member!)

Hoping for 4 in Spring - they are supposed to be my BIG BIRTHDAY present! Theory is, we don't need more eggs than these will provide, don't want one on her own when one or two go to hen heaven. Don't want to introduce one on her own. Four is our magic number.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

I was going to have four 2 Speckys and 2 Reds but on day of arrival they brought six as they could not get the Reds, So there were our 2 Speckys and 2 black Rocks and 2 Bluebells. Yes you've guessed it! (well couldn't send two back after not being "chosen") so now we have six and between 5 and six eggs per day. In September we had 162 eggs!! we eat a lot of eggs (my daughter and I being veggies) and the rest are sold at the gate.

I've got 12 Originally intended getting 4 but when I went to collect them I was asked if I could take 6 (ex-batt rescue). 3 more followed as "lodgers" for my grandchildren and when they went the run looked empty so I got another 4 ex-batts. I lost 2 of my 10 but have just had an early birthday present of 2 Black Star and 2 Bluebelles. Have enough eggs for my own uses plus friends, family and sell any excess. Dying to get some from the Bluebelles, they're supposed to be brown with a plum blush!

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Always look on the bright side of life
View my blog - http://chooksandveggies.blogspot.com/ updated November 1st 2008

I Have 3 little cuties, Just love them soooo much! I,m hoping to get another 2 ex-bats soon.

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Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.

i'm planning on getting 3 white ducks, 3 black chickens, and 3 ex batts, so i'll have tortoiseshell flappy things to match my kitten, ........ son eats lots of eggs, and he'll manage to share them with his 6 flatmates, so shouldn't have too much of a problem with excess and he has assured me they will be up for as many cakes as i can make ...... all i have to do now is find someone near who has the types i want, which is proving a bit of a problem.

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http://teachy.myminicity.com/env please visit my town and make it better

http://quiz.ravenblack.net/blood.pl?biter=teach_me please sign up to be a vampire, i get 10 pints of blood if you do, and it's fun as well ....... i have an interactive map if anyone wants it.

I have 6 ex-batts. Only intended getting 3, or 4 if they had more, but when we got to the rescue they had 150 more than they had homes for. Figured we could squeeze a couple more in, and since then OH has build a new bigger coop and run. They prefer free ranging in the garden but am keeping them in pen for a couple of days as I think they overdosed on snails this week. Have had whole weeks when I get 6 eggs every day but some weeks this is down to 3 or 4. Have only had one day when only had 2 eggs but also had 2 soft ones that day so think either they were off colour or frightened by something.

We have 12 also.We started off with just 10(they're at he lotie & I didn't want to be traipsing down there 3 times a day with the possibility of only a couple of eggs a day).But then we visited a local farm(just before my birthday!)& they had some rather beautiful chicks for sale~who could resist!!So we ended up with 12!!During their "good laying" months we have more than enough for us & sell on the excess(contributions to their upkeep you understand!!Not profit making from our lottie!!)& hoping that come the winter months when they slow down a bit on the egg production we'll still have enough for our needs!
Will warn you Nicos it does become a bit addictive!!Since reading about Maureens birthday pressie I'm already craving more!!~I want plum blush eggs!!Also saw some on the internet that lay blue!!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

I have 3, 2 hybrids and an Araucana who lays blue/green eggs!! Hoping to get a couple of Pekin hens. I know someone who has just put smoe in her incubator, so will see if she has a couple of hens spare from that!

Going to hen school 25th October and will be getting 12 ex bats I think in November

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Hayley B

OH is competing in the Macmillan 4x4 challenge (in aid of Macmillan Nurses) partnering Julia Bradbury (Watchdog presenter) in March 2009 http://www.justgiving.com/mac4x4juliabradbury

Good Morning All;

I had 7, two popped their cloggs [so upsetting ] I still have a Bluebell, a Speckledy, 2 Calder Rangers and a brown hen which I was told was a Warren but she has black legs and lays white eggs , she went broody so I bought some eggs and she hatched them and is the most caring mum to 5 Buff Wyandotte week old chicks, I'll also be collecting 2 Amberlinks at the end of the month 'no idea how that happened' is what I said to my OH
Addictive & so much fun

I have 18, mostly rare breeds (Scots Dumpies - love 'em! and Minorcas and Dorkings) and some cross bred chicks I'm hoping to raise for the table.

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Dwell simply ~ love richly

Thinking of getting between 4 and 6 in the Spring.

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Im expecting quads in 2 weeks 1 x speckledy, I sussex hybrid and 2 warrens was very excited, but am a bit anxious about it

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Its an addiction and a pleasure

We have 3 and get 3 eggs a day, which is more than enough to eat and give away!

janeyo

Got 15, all ex-bats except one who is a Light Sussex that I was given as a chick. Did have 20, but have lost 5 in the last few months, 2 to illness, 3 to fox.Plan to get some Black Rocks next spring if I lose any more over the winter, hope also to build new run space over winter so I can raise some table birds next year.
Getting 1 egg a day at mo because they are moulting! In full lay I was bringing home about 14, but friends, neighbours and colleagues happily bought excess. (family got eggs for free)

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I'd rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

http://hollandsroadparadise.blogspot.com
updated 14 May 2008

www.bradleyroundtwo.blogspot.com

10 brown hens, one of which is sitting on 6 Ausrtolorp bantam eggs. Usually get 9 eggs per day off tuthers including regular double yolkers.

'WARNING!!!!!! Chook keeping is highly addictive and should come with a government health warning!

I am at present building a new chook house and run 'just in case' I get the urge to get some more!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I just have 3 warrens who are still to lay an egg .
they seem quite happy and are very amusing to watch

How old are they emijade???
I'm SOOOOO excited about getting mine..warrens look like I imagine hens look like!!!
I understand they were bred as battery hens...are yours rescue ones..or some of the lucky few??

Oh flipping heck......I'm trying So hard to get over my other addictions!

there's plenty of us here to support you through it!!!!I've got my eye on our neighbouring plot(complete with ready made coop & run!!)just in case the chappie gives it up!!....but no!!It's not an addiction!!An addiction would mean spending hours drooling on the internet over different breeds & what eggs they lay &....O.K~it's an addiction!!!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

Totally agree it IS an addiction. After getting my adorable chicks 10 weeks ago, last week my OH bought me 2 Black Rocks as an early birthday pressie. Luckly I had built a coop and run big enough to take 20 chickens so now I have 8 (6 light sussex) I still have to wait a few weeks for my first egg but it will be worth it (haven't had a real fresh egg since I was a kid and had chickens) And I have just managed to get a hold of 18 fertile eggs for my incubator. Yes I am addicted and proud of it, CHOOKS RULE!!!!!

We've got 4, all Marran bantams. Only just started laying and we've had 5 eggs since last Thurs (so nearly one a day!), but I think this is off just one of them. Just bought what I hope will be our last half dozen eggs off the farm... ours are smaller but the most beautiful deep brown colour. And yes it is totally addicitive I'm desperate to get some more, just want to try a different breed, and there are so many to choose from.
We only intended to have 3 originally (enough to keep us in eggs, and also meant that if one died there wouldn't be one on her own). When we went to pick them up there were only 4 marrans left.... we took our 3 and within 48 hours where back cause we couldn't bear to think of the last girl left on her own!