Too Many Chooks!

[minskey]

I know that its never possible to have too many chooks but I have to finally admit to myself that this is so.

Its not that they are any trouble & they have loads of space. I'm just overun with eggs. I have 25 hens and am getting between 14 & 20 a day at the moment, sadly I think its the sensible thing to do.

Would anyone like to give a home to 9 lovely ex-batts. I want to keep the rest of the ex-batts and the hens I bought originally 3 [or was it 4 years ago]

[palomino]

Can you not sell some surplus eggs at the gate, or even give them away to family, neighbours, or at work? I have even seen them offered on freecycle...

[Snadger]

I have 26 hens and I'm getting around 18 to 20 eggs a day! At the moment I have no problem getting rid of them as they no sooner go in the honesty box than they are gone.
I honestly struggle to keep enough back for my family as I don't want to let my paying customers down.
At one time I was giving my Sons and Daughters family loads, but if they want any now they have to let me know how many they want and when they can pick em up............the rest are sold!
OH has just made a couple of egg intensive quiches and we DO eat a lot more eggs than we ever did as they are so nice and fresh and I know where they have came from.

Hope you resolve your problem soon................

[MaureenHall]

I'm having a glut too - 12 - 16 eggs a day from 16 girls. I sell some, give some to family, and use lots to bake with as I sell my cakes at a Farmers Market. Can't sell the eggs there though, DEFRA regulations mean too many hoops to jump through

[minskey]

I take loads to work & sell them for 60p half doz & �1.20 a full doz, my collegues supply the box & that goes towards the feed.
I did think about selling 'over the gate' with an honesty box, worried about them getting pinched or worse still being thrown. Probably a bit paranoid arn't I

Also a letter on page 18 of May's Practical Poultry made me worry too; it suggested for piece of mind get your hens checked for salmonella

[MaureenHall]

Just had a thought!!!! Someone else on here (can't remember who it was, sorry) was saying that her girls aren't laying and the general opinion is that they're having too many treats. Why not feed your girls up and that might slow down the egg production? Or is that being silly and cruel?

[kirsty b]

I'm very tempted minskey, very tempted but it would be a few weeks till I'd be ready for them. Have some essential maintenance to do on the shed/run that I need to do first.

[mr darcy]

four a day is perfect for me (five of us)sometimes i even hoard them a few days as i get such a sense of pride out of looking at rows of them!!!scarlet's mahoosive ones and penny's little ones, buffy's perfect round ones and gypsy's brown specledy ones! i'd like more really as people love being given happy eggs so much that it's a real pleasure to just give them! my friend that comes to hay the pones if i'm away for a night get's given a dozen and collects what's in the nest box too!

[minskey]

Kirsty B, contact me if & when you can have them, although I'll be sorry to see them go I know its for the best.

[kirsty b]

OK minskey, I'd be happy to have them. As soon as I've sorted shed floor and covered everything in creosote, put new tarp on top of run and made sure its all nice and tidy I'll send you a pm and we can get it arranged.
If I can rope in OH to help, I'll get it done quicker!!