Well, we have decided to take the plunge and get ourselves some chickens: 4 ex battery ones and 3 rare breed. (It was a toss up between Guinea Pigs and chickens and we decided that as GP don't lay eggs, chickens would be far more useful! Plus after watching Hugh FW and Jamie Oliver programmes we wanted to have our own eggs and give a new life to some ex bats!)
Just wondering though about breeds. Getting a Light Sussex, a Gold Laced Orpington but not sure about the 3rd one. I would like something fairly docile, good layer but something which looks quite striking, preferably black and white, or speckled. I am even thinking of going to a chicken show to see what happens there (husband rolls eyes and sighs!!) Where do I find out about shows? There is a place down in Sussex where I think we are getting the Sussex and Orpington but don't mind where we get her from. Seems "breeders" (would you call them breeders, or just farmers??) seem to have several breeds (unlike dogs where people generally stick to one breed.) This is opening up a whole new world - very exciting! Hubby has finished the coop - or should I say chicken palace - and finished their run so we just have to get some birds to go in there!!

Ooh exciting, I love chooks! How soon are you getting them? Perhaps your decision on the third one will partly depend on what is available, as you'll want to introduce them all at the same time I would think.

How about a maran or a speckledy hybrid, they are black and white feathered, laid back and docile, and lay lovely very dark brown eggs. Or what about a cream legbar, a bit flighty but mine haven't been any problem, and they lay lovely light blue eggs. Very pretty looking hens too.

Not sure how you find out about shows. There's one near us which advertises in the local paper. Agricultural shows are a good place to see all the different breeds too but I think it's a bit early for them. A lot of breeders seem to keep a variety of types so you may get some inspiration from visiting a breeder too.

Good luck, and let us know what you end up with!

alex

http://www.backyardchickens.com/

Hope this link helps :-)

Barry

A silkie, especially if you may want a broody at some point to hatch chicks.

Ooh yes, I have Susie a white silkie and she is fab. So fluffy and lovely!

Aww what lucky chuckies... lol
Ex-battery ~ they'll think all of their birthdays have come at once!!
bless, thats lovely x

Oooh, thanks for the link. A great site with a CHICKEN forum!!
I really like the silkies but part of the area of the garden is very muddy at the moment and didn't want a chicken that would get soggy legs (it will dry out come the spring and summer and I have just spread more grass seed to get it green) Hubby said Silkies are the Poodles of the chicken world and as I am not allowed to own a poodle, he said no to the Silkie!!
We won't get the ex bats til May as the people who do the rescues have bookings for around 1500 birds to go to new homes which covers their next 2 rescues! which is great news for the birds. Planning to get the "posh" birds at the end of March. OH has also built a slightly smaller pen so that we can put one lot of birds in, so they will be able to see the new ones when they arrive and get used to each other before intergrating week or so later.
I do really like the Marans too. Been reading about different breeds on the internet and we didn't want anything too flighty as one side the the run is a brick wall, about 6 foot high but didn't really want to be going over that to retrieve naughty escapees!!
I am sure I will have loads more questions to ask about chickens so its nice to know there are fellow fanciers on the list!!

Good point, Susie's feathery legs are a bit of a nuisance in the wet winters.

It's great that you have made provision for separating the two groups at first. You may find the exbatts need a few weeks to get strong and healthy before you'll want to mix them all.

Don't worry too much about flightiness. One of my legbars, my white star (like a leghorn) and my maran bantam are all prone to this but rarely get out. I have on occasion clipped their wings to prevent them escaping, but even though they can fly, they never really seem to bother. An 80cm net kept all mine in until recently, now it is a 4 foot fence. Six feet is pretty high I would say.

Cheers
alex

I have been reading about clipping their wings, sounds like a scary job! Do you not clip wings as a regular thing then? That makes life easier for everyone involved. Do you vaccinate yours?

I haven't found that I have needed to with most of mine. I had a book with a good picture and instructions and did it from that, but rather than cutting as much off the feather as they suggest in one go, I did it inch by inch as I was worried I'd take too much off and make them bleed. In fact I hold the bird and extend the wing and get hubby to snip the feathers (I tell him which ones and how much). I did Monique the maran bantam when I got her in May 2006 and have never done it since but she hasn't been flying, even though her feathers have grown back ages ago.

I don't vaccinate mine, I don't think it's economical unless you have loads. Some of my are hybrids and will have been vaccinated when they were chicks, against stuff like Mareks. Your exbatts will have been too I should think. If you buy from a good source and aren't constantly buying in new birds from all over the place your risk should be minimal but I guess wild birds can carry a lot of stuff. My birds are pretty healthy, not really had any problems with them, just one-off problem affecting single birds - a legbar died three years ago from a mystery respiratory condition, a hybrid died of a prolapse in 2003, and Angel the pekin bantam had a bad eye last year but she recovered after antibiotics. We lost a duck last year but that was taken by a fox :-( That's probably the worst risk, making sure they are safe from foxes.

Cheers
alex

I love hens!  We had some warrens, light sussex, some beautiful Buff Orpingtons which are very docile and lovely, and some Bluebells which are some kind of hybrid and were very fiesty characters full of cheek!
We had ours free range but on occasions shut them in the backgarden , we had no need to clip their wings, dont think I would if I were you, its good they can fly up onto something if a cat or dog is chasing them etc...

Youll find first week or two they wont be brave and just hang about their hut!  Each one is a character you will love them.
They are nt daft either, mine got to know my routine and the three warrens would every day follow me down to the stables with the dogs!!! an sit on the feedbins clucking as they knew once Id mucked out theyd get a bit of horse feed!
Plus we had fresh eggs every day and they do taste different!

Feathery legs are a must!! lol They look fantastic with little shorts on!

re vaccination.  when I had my chooks I was under the impression that the feed contained vac stuff?!  there is nothing to beat going out and collecting warm eggs and eating them fresh (cooked of course!)

Meadowhay, I have a Bluebell and she is fiesty as anything, must be the breed! If I go out with tidbits and don't give them out quickly enough, she just flys up and snatches them out of my hand!

I think some feeds contain coccidiostats but not heard of any containing vaccination.

Fresh eggs are definitely great aren't they, so exciting when you get the first one!

I think I will give Bluebells a miss then! Have been collecting my quiche, omlette etc recipes for some time and can't wait to start collecting those eggs!

Aw she is lovely too though! She is one of my tamest chooks and also really nice looking and a great little layer.

I have chickens - at the moment we have Orpingtons, Brahmas, Cochins, Light Sussex and Dutch and Belgian bantams . the Bantams are a litle more fiesty but all my bigger breeds are wonderful docile characters - the best ones for a regular supply of eggs are the Light Sussex - the friendliest and most easy going are the Orpingtons but my favourite is Snowball my massive Brahma girl - she rides on the wheelbarrrow muttering to me when I go  to clean out their huts and will snuggle up on my lap when I sit on the bench in the chicken area - however she has never laid an egg in her life ( she's 6 now !) and just stamps around like a huge feathery pillow.

Just LOVE my chooks and cannot recommend them highly enough as pets !

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne

Whats a Brahama like? Not familiar with that type she sounds lovely. I really hens, think having them as pets would make you think twice about eating chicken! lol (im veggie anyway) but people dont realise how lovely these little creatures are.

awww. I'm so jealous!!  I would love a couple of chooks!!!  By mum used to keep all manner as a child, bantams etc...
Don't think it's likely though, cos the Staffords would eat 'em!! (and the small matter of emigrating)

Brahmas are one of the biggest breed of poultry with a very large and heavy build and full 'soft' feathering including feathering on the legs.  They are very placid, trusting chickens that quickly become tame but being so large they do need quite a big hut ,although they are too heavy to fly so their run does not need to be roofed in. They are not fast growing and do not reach adulthood until they are a year old. They are also not prolific layers and not natural 'broodies ' like the Silkies or other Bantams can be. They are a quiet breed - even the Cockrels make relatively little noise. They are tolerant chickens and will accept other poultry with little problems. My Snowball is a great 'talker' though and will stomp around with me whilst I'm gardening mutttering away and commenting on anything interesting she finds in the garden.  Brahma's and Orpingtons are quite similar in both looks and temperament and are my favourite breeds of poultry.

Yvonne

Chickens are just fantastic...I had two ex-battery hens and they were just like dogs.They came in the house and stole the dog food at any oppotunity.I have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier also and she would not go anywhere near them.Infact I came downstairs one day and they had been in the lounge with the Staff for over an hour and she was just asleep on the sofa! Chickens are definately the most under-rated pets ever. They interact and follow you everywhere and anywhere. I miss mine as they died of old age.Did think about getting more but I cant bear it when they die.

Marans are speckled and they are lovely :)

We had three Marans but lost them unfortunately.

Now we have 2 Welsummers which have great personalities! I also have 5 ex-batts which are very tame and very like dogs!

Well, we finally have some chickens in the chicken "palace" which my hubby lovingly built!
We had a call last week to say that the Battery Hen Welfare Trust were doing an emergency evacuation from a farm in Wales and were we ready to take some chickens!! So we went up to Coventry yesterday to collect our 3 girls. They don't have many feathers at all (few down their backs but you can almost count them!) and they are very thin but seem happy enough. We put them in the coup yesterday when we got home (we were advised to shut them away for at least 24 hours so that they get the idea that it their space and it is easier to get them in at night.) which seemed a shame as we had only just got them home! but I had a peek this morning to check they were ok and had enough food/water and they had laid 1 egg! How exciting!! We are now trying to decide what to do with it (boil, scramble etc)
The lady who does the rescuing was saying that they have a cage the size of 2 supermarket shopping baskets put together and that houses 8 chickens so hardly even enough room to turn around in. They were being dragged out of their crates 10 at a time upside down so have a lot of bruising on their legs and bodies.
Even though I have bought Free Range eggs for many years, its nice to know we will never have to buy in any more eggs now (if ours stop laying, I just won't buy them!!)

aw thats great news, congrats. hope they cntinue to be happy. i say poached btw.

Congrats, I am glad they have arrived and I hope you enjoy them! They are very lucky chickens :)

I did a google search http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=713758 and depending on what source you believe it would seem your lucky birds could have a lifespan of 7 to 15 years.

I'd love to have some ex bat hens, but no room at the moment, hopefully soon. :-)