My chickens

[Ally]

Thanks Jo.....although as soon as I saw the word pork my mind closed down.

[TheOstrich]

That's brilliant, Meriad! Although I expect your chickens will be demanding a productivity bonus before too long ....

[miasmum]

I know exactly what you mean Ria, I used to do the same. Eggs as thanks you, eggs with birthday gifts, I even bought some labels that said laid especially for you by Annie, Millicent and Blossom. But as is the way with ex-batts the labels outlived the chickens.

I really missed my girls, they way they made me laugh, their clucking, their eggs, funnily enough least of all the eggs, I just missed them. Bloody fox

[JanB]

Eagles took about 6 of Mitchell's bantams Just swooped down and took them. He watched from another field, shouting but they just kept coming. He was devastated too MM.

[meriad]

How many do they usually pay, Ria?

I usually get 6 a day (I have 6 chickens) but some days it's only five and every so often only four.

I must admit that the egg situation was so bad around here that I considered getting some chickens,

I started off with four chickens and I remember just before lockdown started and the egg situation in the shops was dire, I was at the farm supply store where I buy chicken food and there was this lonely chicken in a run all on her own. I asked the chap why and he said that they'd had a delivery of 250 chickens that morning and it was just her and about another 20 in the run next to her left - I was there just after noon; people were obviously now panic buying chickens. So, me being me, I grabbed a box, gave it to the man and told him to pack up that lonely chicken plus one friend from the other lot. If I could have rehomed more I would have but I don't have space for more - even 6 is a bit of tight fit in the coop at night. I suspect many of those girls ended up with people that didn't do any research before and figure out what the needs were and didn't have the right set ups and once eggs were back in shops then the novelty would wear off.... also all the chickens at the shop were POL's (point of lays) which means they hadn't started laying yet but were about to - and that could be anything up to a month after rehoming. But at least I managed to give Annie and Gloria a home and they are the two funniest creatures - I always wanted a little red hen, and now I have two

But seriously Jo, if you have the space - then go for it. They are such fun and the eggs are like nothing you can get in the shops.

[TheOstrich]

If you do, Jo, just check there's no restrictions in your property deeds. We found, on moving here, we are specifically prohibited from keeping pigs!

[meriad]

Although I expect your chickens will be demanding a productivity bonus before too long ....

Ossie, I was meant to reply this morning.... trust me, my chooks eat better than I do; I spend more money on their veg than I do for myself

[saundra]

Your chickens sound lovely ria when i,see program on tv,about free range eggs and the poor things are in,huge hugs makes my blood boil they all look unhappy

[Gal2]

Ahh that's lovely Ria!

I'm afraid I couldn't home a hen to save my life - I have a 'thing' about birds....but I do love a good egg!!


(there's a pun of some sort in there isn't there?)