We have some chook :o) ...

[Matt]

I have now aquired some chooks, 6 'black comets' from Garden Poultry at Kingsley Cheshire which are some variant of the Black Rock hen. Lisa from GP told me that they were 36 weeks old.

I shut them in the chook house yesterday lunchtime and I will let them out into their new domain today. Within the first few hours they had layed 3 eggs between them I know that that will most likely stop now for a few days whilst they recover from the shock of being moved but fingers crossed they'll be firing on all cylinders soon.

I am chuffed to bits to finally get some birds and will probably add to the flock soon. I'm sure the blog will be updated soon probably at the weekend with loads of chook piccies.

Matt.

[2steps]

excellent you soon be addicted

[Martin]

I started with 6, and ended up with 2,500 of them! - it IS addictive!

[Matt]

I started with 6, and ended up with 2,500 of them! - it IS addictive!

So what are their names then Martin?

LOL jk

Seriously? from 6 to 2500??? hahaha

I can picture you ther at P.A. (poultry anonymous)

'My name's Martin and I'm a henoholic'

(everyone claps) ' well done, admitting it is the first step'.

Matt.

[Martin]

like Topsy, it just sort of grewed!
We started with 6, then got another dozen, then found it made economic sense, did some sums - found the land, converted a vast barn into accommodation for hens with several acres for them to roam over, and went into business (the arrival of 2,000 point-of-lay pullets is quite an occasion)
We were "before our time", we wanted to go fully organic, but there wasn't an economic source of organic feed twenty years ago, so we went "second best", and used additive free feeds (no antibiotics or synthetic colours), and were totally free-range, and while it was going built up a good trade for people with kids who had acute allergy problems - people would drive 60 miles every week to get a tray of eggs, bnecause it was perhaps only one out of six food items that they could eat!
Unfortunately, we just didn't have the capital to get to an economic size, and after three years sold the rounds off to a rival, and closed down - but I still like chooks!

[Stonehead]

I can picture you ther at P.A. (poultry anonymous)

'My name's Martin and I'm a henoholic'

My name's Stonehead and I'm a henoholic, too. I start with three, intending to limit myself to a dozen. But after two years I'm up to 45...

I can't help myself, they're so much fun. And they taste good too. Sob.

[Matt]

I can picture you ther at P.A. (poultry anonymous)

'My name's Martin and I'm a henoholic'

My name's Stonehead and I'm a henoholic, too. I start with three, intending to limit myself to a dozen. But after two years I'm up to 45...

I can't help myself, they're so much fun. And they taste good too. Sob.

LOL

[Matt]

Talking of tasty chooks - what type do you have for eaters Stonehead? These 6 we have will be more pet than product so we wont be munching them but I'm already looking forward to a 'proper' chicken dinner.

Matt.

[Martin]

I'm trying total abstention for a while, but there is a patch of garden that could take a moveable Sussex ark - four ex-battery hens perhaps........

[Martin]

you could try the old classic cross of Rhode Island Red, crossed with a Light Sussex - the hens are reasonable layers, and the cockerels eat well!
The old breeds like that can be used as "dual purpose" birds, but modern poultry has now divided into either good at eggs, or good for meat, but not both! If you look at commercial flocks, using the older breeds really isn't economical, feed conversion ratio/egg size/egg numbers are all that counts, and each year the breeders come up with "improvements" - another egg or two over a season, for a gramme less of daily feed, that sort of thing!

[Matt]

OK Question time...

Suppose I added a RIR cock and some light sussex hens. How would I know whose eggs are who's as in which come from the LS and which are from the girls already in there? I suppose colour and size?

Also, If I get a couple of silky's for broodies at what point do I move the broody and the clutch into a seperate area? Would it be when there are enough fertile eggs? How many eggs would a silky comfortably sit? Would the silky be fine on her own or would I be better having a pair together?

Matt.

[Martin]

the secret is to keep them apart from the rest of the flock while they're producing fertile eggs
what you're producing is a dual-purpose cross - say you have ten fertile eggs, you'll probably end up with an average of five cockerels and five hens (sod's law it'll be 9 cockerels, and one hen when you need layers, and vice versa!) - each is a "cross" - it has characteristics of both parents - the Rhodie is a fabled good layer, and the Light Sussex is a good eater!, so it's a bit of both, and a very economical way of doing it, rather than having birds just for laying, or just for meat!

[Milims]

Is'nt it the RIR and LS cross that gives you colour dimorphic chicks so you can identify the males from the females at an early age? Is this a RIR Cockeral to a LS hen or the other way round?

Tempted to keep a few chooks here too. Been eying up an old shed that has been donated and working out plans for an ark and such. Will let you know how i get on

Chris (and Helen by default)

[2steps]

I have to admit, I'm a henaholic too and I have 3 maybe 4 runne rducks arriving tomorrow so it's spreading!

The birds I have now are just for eggs but this year one goal is to hatch and raise some chicks for meat. Have bought an incubator (can't keep a cock) and am ready to go

[Martin]

I've got a feeling you may be right about the dimorphic chicks - I'm pretty sure it was a Rhodie cockerel with LS hens!