Funny looking chickens

I had been considering starting to stock some feathered or furred members to the garden lately, but I vowed there would be no passengers with a ticket for a free meal. Poultry would earn their keep by eggs and meat etc, but for one reason or another I kept putting the idea off.
Sadly on friday I received news from a very kind gentleman who'd found him, that one of our cats had been killed outright in an RTA it would seem (not a mark on him) so was feeling rather down in the dumps. So decided, to take my mind off it I would finally go and get me some chickens.
I'd had my coop delivered quite a while ago and it was just waiting to be assembled in the shed, knocked it up together and went to visit a small holder I know through friends of friends of friends who keeps furred and feathered livestock on their land. Looking for two light sussex, and two hybrids. However they didn't have anything for sale which I wanted, so decided alas I would leave it.
However whilst there, and nosing at some of the furred stock (lovely saanen *sp* goats!) I noticed something I'd been fancying for a while. So the chicken coop has some residents, in the form of two 6 week old mini lops. A light harlequin and blue...I think it's called fox markings, I can't for the life of me think what it's called, does from two different litters but had been mixed in and bonded well. Very sweet little things, but definitely going against my "strictly no passengers" ethos I vowed. But they are very sweet, and I guess I can justify by the fact that they keep all three foot of said stepchild quite entertained...and they will mow the lawn.
Will take some pictures tomorrow when hopefully less wriggly for the rabbit fans. I'm a very weak person, but they have a very opulent and spaceous residence which was always a reason I didn't keep rabbits anymore, loath the accomodation options for rabbits offered now...a large chicken coop is very good.

Taken yesterday via phone so not great, but they are too wriggly still!
They have settled in very well, the others don't mind them too much. Flo just has a sniff, Hunter likes them too much and keeps trying to bite their bums when they hop so he's a bit more supervised near them!! The now, rather sadly, one remaining cat is a great hunter and the one I was most dubious about as he regularly brings wild baby rabbits back...so you can imagine my fear when I was feeding them this morning and noticed he had snook in...he lay in the shavings and started to wash one! But we won't see how long that last's for, he was promptly removed and told off!
Rather originally named by said three and a half foot of little legs, Moo (harlequin) and Roo (Blue something)!



And said curious cat, who's great hunter street cred would be destroyed if the public knew what lived in there!

Oh they are darling I'm afraid after my last bunny died last month my rabbit hutch (all 8 foot of it!!) was promptly disposed of via freecycle. Not taking the risk of any heartstring tuggers lol.

So has the idea of the chickens gone out the window now Luke?

Definitely not, I have another coop ordered this morning I'm too picky about what I want with chooks, I'm set on light sussex then a hybrid or 2 just to keep the flow continuous. I just don't like the quality of LS I find anywhere, and the ones I do all come in a trio of two hens and a cockrel which I definitely do not want.

Have you had a look here?

http://www.shropshire-poultry.co.uk/

I've been and had a look at their chooks, some very nice birds I ended up getting some ex battery hens from Bettys farm though

Ah very good, thankyou!

There is also Gobbets rare breeds in Cleobury where we got ours from. They have some light sussex and you can buy chicks up to POL hens there. They have a great range of other breeds as well and its lovely to walk round

Alex didnt know it was you with the hutch, I was very tempted but Dave has said no more small furries!!

LOL! It took 3 different people before I got rid of it, even after me stating in the ad it was HUGE! The first 2 just couldn't get transport, and the 3rd, took 3 days to arrange , but we got there in the end

LOL well we could have just walked down and carried it home