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| Rule the Roost Everything chicken related |
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23-09-2008, 10:35 AM
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 nervous about chickens coming!! help!! hi all have waited so long for house/fence etc to be finished. Now it is all done, looks perfect, but am slightly nervous about my chooks coming thursday. hope they settle in okay, am worried about dog and cat. After taking the time to ensure I have everything just right, would like to relax and enjoy them, but anxious that something will go wrong!! anyone else felt like this?       |
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23-09-2008, 10:40 AM
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| Just like having a baby - except that it won't hurt!
__________________ Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake) |
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23-09-2008, 10:52 AM
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| Don't be nervous! Chickens are easy to look after and great fun. Sounds like you've got everything organised for them so now's the time to get eggcited!
__________________ Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become. |
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23-09-2008, 10:59 AM
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| That's not nerves, it's excitement Just make sure you get all your jobs done before Thursday, 'cos after that you'll be busy chicken watching Definitely don't worry about the cat, the chickens can stand up to cats. They might get a little unsettled if the dog is a "bouncy barky" one. There's loads of threads on here about keeping dogs and chickens in harmony. What kind are you getting and how old are they? You must post some pics so we can all "oooooooo and aaaaaaaaaaaaa" over them
__________________ Always look on the bright side of life  View my blog - http://chooksandveggies.blogspot.com/ updated November 1st 2008 |
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23-09-2008, 11:03 AM
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| Yes !! It's completely normal. I feel nervous whenever we get new hens.... don't know why. They'll be fine and you'll be so chuffed, you'll lose track of time just sitting watching them. I still do, 3 years on. One of mine fell into an empty bucket this morning in an amusing way, and 2 are mounting an ascent on the log pile in search of woodlice. And the eggs are summat else !!!! |
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23-09-2008, 11:05 AM
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| thanks for reassurance thanks for reassurance!!! I can imagine i will do nothing but sit on my bench and watch them all day, so probably good idea to get my jobs done!! will definitely post some pics on, haven't quite decided on names yet, either bo and belle, or carmen and miranda (my husband is spanish)!! |
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23-09-2008, 01:32 PM
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| Im getting mine in a couple of weeks, yet to put the house together, Im so excited, cant wait, OH is now worried about foxes. I have peace of mind as have found a place to buy the chickens and all the sundries they require. Have chosen names already. I will post pickies. I have chosen 4 hybrids
__________________ Its an addiction and a pleasure |
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23-09-2008, 02:03 PM
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| Ooh, it's all very exciting! As long as your run is secure there's not a lot to worry about! they pretty much look after themselves if you want them to and you get some much pleaseure from watching them! I hope you all get them soon and have lots of fun with them! |
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24-09-2008, 12:26 AM
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| I feel the exact same. I am hopefully collecting mine on Monday or Tuesday. I have been rushing about trying to get everything I need (which is easier than I'm making it sound). I think the nerves are normal...we're 'nesting'...that's all! Ooo..can't wait to see all the new arrivals. I have a feeling we will all have lots of pics to "Oooo and ahhhh" over in the next few months!
__________________  I can resist everything, except temptation! |
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24-09-2008, 04:27 PM
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| How many Hens? Hey, this site is great - I've wasted half the day already - it's even stopped raining and I'm still here  My Husband and parents are in agreement about having Hens. Luckily, as I'm having some anyway! I'm planning to get some from our local Battery Hen re-homing place, as I figure they deserve it. They will be able to live free-range, once we've built a coop and put some decent fox-proof fence up. There are 4 of us wanting eggs, and we eat at least one each a day. Several friends have hens, so I don't need to go mad. So really, I'm just wondering what is a sensible number to have? Any advice gratefully received. Cheers, G4 |
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24-09-2008, 05:11 PM
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| As ex-battery hens are "supposed" to be getting towards the end of their egg-producing life (i.e. they're not producing the 1 a day that the farmers want) the production rate goes down to about 50%. Some ex-batt chooks lay more than that but nothing's guaranteed! I'd suggest 6 to 8 depending on how much space you have for them. More if you can house them Congratulations on deciding on ex-battery, they certainly do deserve the freedom and they'll reward you with much more than eggs
__________________ Always look on the bright side of life View my blog - http://chooksandveggies.blogspot.com/ updated November 1st 2008 |
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24-09-2008, 05:43 PM
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| Ahhh! I remember being like that when my first ones arrived. They soon settle in and then comes all the wonderful anticipation of waiting for your very first eggs! I still get excited each day when I open the nest box and see the lovely clutch of eggs lying there and the taste! Mmmmmmmm nothing like it. Crack them in a pan and the high dome of wonderfully dark golden yolks looks fabulouse surrounded by a wonderful white that stays tight and close to the yolk and doesn't spread all over the pan like shop bought ones do. Even the whites have a fantastic taste I make tons of lush lemon curd with my spare eggs and swap them with my neighbours for sacks of horse manure for my vegetable patch and Bramley apples from next doors tree. Fabulous....you'll love watching them! Hope it all goes well and don't worry about your other critters, the hens will soon get used to them. I have a Border Terrier [hmm maybe that should read Border Terrorist!] who loves going over and having a good barking roar at them....they totally ignore him now that they realise he's a big softy and can't get to them! I have Marans that lay dark chocolate brown eggs, Leghorns that lay gorgeous white ones and a mix of hybrids and a few ex battery hens that lay a variety of light brown eggs. I alo have Golden Italian Quail and Chinese Painted Quail. If you get the chance to adopt a battery hen its a fantastically rewarding experience, watching these poor tatty critters who don't even know how to scratch and peck transform from moth eaten dazed and terrified birds into glossy, fat and full feathered little fowl is heavenly. It makes my heart sing when I see my two flapping around pecking at sweetcorn and happily scratching around in the grass such a brilliant transformation from the sorry looking little critters I first got I'm moving on to hatching my own next month and am setting up with an incubator and brooder etc....Oh no! Now I'm feeling all nervous again! Best of Luck Lisa-Dawn |
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24-09-2008, 05:48 PM
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| Hi and welcome Sky-Dreamer. I'm intending to adopt some retired hens in the spring. Just got my weldmesh delivered - hen run making the next few weekends. We've got the plans of a house drawn up but need to go and sort the wood out. I'm excited already but reading posts like yours from people who've had hens for some time makes me really up for it!
__________________ Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake) |
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24-09-2008, 06:18 PM
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| Hi there....Oh my I almost wish I was new to it all again I was sooooooooo very very excited! I still get such immense pleasure out of keeping my hens and can't wait to start hatching my own. I'm planning to try and raise some of the rarer breeds that are in danger of dying out. Many older breeds are falling by the wayside in favour of hybrid birds who are capable of laying far more eggs or [not that I could think of eating mine!] gaining weight and producing far more meat than some of the older breeds so I'm looking at types like Marsh Daisies and Ixworths. What type of hens are you thinking of getting. I've got Marans which lay the most gorgeous big dark brown eggs and some Leghorns that lay lovely white eggs. The leghorns lays tons of eggs I think I got almost 290 in the first year and about 180 -200 in the second. They also look really good when you pop a white egg in with the brown ones in a box....really makes the dark of the Maran eggs stand out. I also keep Italian and Chinese Painted Quail that lay very well....the little eggs look sooooo very very sweet when you fry them and they taste delish! What type are you going to try? Lisa-Dawn |
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24-09-2008, 11:59 PM
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| Lisa-Dawn...you ooze chicken love!! If I wasn't already completely sold on the idea of chickens you would most definitely convince me that chicken keeping was something I have to be a part of!!I'm picking up three faverolles next week, and then hoping to add to them (by 2 or 3) over the next few months. I am thinking of getting ex batts, but haven't entirely decided yet. I just know I don't want anything too light and flighty... Enjoy the Grapevine! B xox
__________________ I can resist everything, except temptation! |
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30-09-2008, 01:56 PM
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| Ahhh thanks so much! Faverolles are such sweeties aren't they Ex Batts are not at all flighty in my opinion...in fact quite the opposite. You almost have to teach them how to do chicken things and they soon become very trusting and handtame. My two faves are Blizzard...she was a bald half pecked little grubby off white looking bird when I got her but now sports a gorgeous set of fluffy brilliant white feathers that she loves showing off by puffing herself up and shaking them in a big ruffle whenever you tell her she's looking gorgeous and my other is called RubyHoudini on account of the fact that she's now a gorgeous shiny red russet colour....and the fact that she had a lucky escape from Mr Fox on the first day I got her! She was completely naked at the back , looked as though all of her feathers had been pulled out and she was totally dazed and listless. Within 2 weeks she was eating out of my hand and now comes when I call her....only if I call RubyHoudini and never if I just call Ruby! All of my hens have names and lovely little cheeky personalilties. You re so going to enjoy looking after them Good Luck Lisa-Dawn |
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30-09-2008, 03:04 PM
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| I wish we could get ex-battery hens but there doesn't seem to be a co-ordinator down this way any more  A trip to Bristol would make for dreadfully expensive chooks and though it would be lovely to re-home them it doesn't make environmental sense really 140 miles each way!!! |
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30-09-2008, 04:22 PM
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