help with buying chickens

Hi im thinking about buyuing chickens. ive got the land for them but have no idea how to look after them properly!

can anyone help, i dont no whats kinds i should get or where from either.

thanks

hello

you should speak to youngstevie, she rescued some ex battery hens and they look fantastic now !! and she gets tonnes of eggs.

if you search her threads you will see their progress !!!

ok brilliant thats what i was thinking og getting battery hens.

thanks

You need to read up a bit first Hun, as there is a wide range and they need differing things plus of course the basics of food, shelter, water and so on. I you have 50 or even less in some circumstances you have to apply to get a parish holding number and then a stock holding number through defra. Chickens need very secure fox and dog proof fencing and housing they need grain, layers pellets, hay, straw and /or chippings for bedding, grit and regular worming and vaccinations. These are just the basic requirements I'm afraid. You'll need to know something about the breeds you are interested in as some need quite differing things to others and as with dogs there are a wide range of breeds available. If you just want a few hens for yourself to lay a few eggs your better looking for some point of lay birds and you can get the hi-sex which are egg laying machines or go for the old pure breeds which are not quite as good layers, more expensive to buy. Personally mine are all totally free range pure breeds as their welfare is my main concern.

Heres one of my buff Orpinton girls with some of last years chicks - the speckled chicks are cuckoo Marans;

The black one with copper feathers is a copper laced Maran and the brownish one is a rescued Warren (one of the high-sex ones I was talking about);

and here's some more with mum;

that should give you something to start with. X

Try contacting here.

http://littlehenrescue.co.uk/default.aspx

thanks for the site had a look defently would like to rescue some. im going to read into a bit more luckly my partner is a woodwork teacher so he can make me a run and a coop!!

thanks again

I'm sure lots of people will give you some advice chickens seem a favourite with alot of members.

We got our as rescues....17 months old from ex battery living conditions.....Battery Chicken Welfare website.

They rescue them as they would only be slaughtered, I have to say they probably come bald and bruised when you first get them but within 6 weeks the change in them is awesome.

The Welfare offer loads of advice and are just a phone call away if you have any problems, they advise about feeding, housing etc., I took three Paxo,Tyme and Little Onion, they have doubled in size and give 3to4 eggs daily, they have such characters it is funny getting to know them and give me many many laughs.

They charged me £5 per chicken, which goes towards rescuing more and it is wonderful knowing that you were able to save them being slaughtered. If you need any help feel free to pm me.

Try these people:

http://www.bhwt.org.uk

This is where we got our 4 girls from last August. As Youngstevie says, they will be bald and battered but they still have so much to give. We are down to one egg a day now but the girls are really flourishing now they have stopped laying and I'd rather have more healthy girls than the eggs.

We didn't have long to wait for ours although I know that some people wait for a couple of months for them. I think it depends on the amount of farms you have in your area and how many people there are waiting for them.

As Meganrose says, there is quite a lot to learn. Omlet (who make housing and runs) have a forum. I'm not a member but I go on there for research. It's a really good site.

If you are making the run yourself go for weldmesh rather than chickenwire, a fox or badger will get through chicken wire very easily. The omlet forum has some examples of what people have built.

Good luck with your search. Chickens are wonderful animals.

Thats who ours came from....sorry I couldn't find the link...well done majuka, I waited 4 weeks for mine, but I was glad as it gave us time to build thier run and house xxx

I frequently have a look on their website, checking avaliability for the next collection dates!!!!!!!