Got my first chickens :D

[jonny_s_p]

Hi All,

I finally finished my hen house and run about 6 weeks ago and picked 6 black rocks up around 4 weeks ago. I am now looking forward to breakfast tomorrow as we got our first eggs today. My wife is upset as she has just found out she is pregnant and has been advised to stay off eggs! I think she intends to ignore that advice

This is the first time I have kept chickens, and so far it is such a pleasure. They make a wonderful sound, they sound so contented.

I threw a slug in yesterday and almost started world war 3!

If you are interested I will submit a photo at the weekend when there is more light.

Cheers,

John

[cottage garden]

Yes please, I would love to see a photo of your chooks. We are hoping to get some soon .

VERY pleased to hear they like slugs.....We have plenty of them!!!!

[shirlthegirl43]

Congratulations on the chickens, the eggs and the forthcoming little un.

About the only thing I could eat when I was pregnant with our eldest was a nice boiled egg. If you have your own hens and know exactly what they are fed, I can't see a problem with eating eggs so long as they are properly cooked, but that is a personal view.

[terrier]

Congrats, John. Are they to be kept in the run or are they free to roam? We've just had delivery of our winter hay for the horses, nicely stacked in the barn,next day, NO EGGS! In fact no eggs all week, on Sunday when I had a bit of spare time, I searched the barn for the missing eggs and sure enough, tucked hidden away in a dark corner the chooks had made a nice comfy nest in the fresh hay and I found a pile of 30 eggs! The chooks are now grounded in the run until they behave.

[shirlthegirl43]

Congrats, John. Are they to be kept in the run or are they free to roam? We've just had delivery of our winter hay for the horses, nicely stacked in the barn,next day, NO EGGS! In fact no eggs all week, on Sunday when I had a bit of spare time, I searched the barn for the missing eggs and sure enough, tucked hidden away in a dark corner the chooks had made a nice comfy nest in the fresh hay and I found a pile of 30 eggs! The chooks are now grounded in the run until they behave.

Lol, we used to find nests like that all through the hay and straw stores over winter. Funniest thing ever was finding a double nest with 2 banties sitting on 30 odd eggs. Then one of them gave up and the other hatched the majority of them by herself!! She was a super little hen - she hatched 2 duck eggs once and scolded my sister and I for trying to teach the ducklings to swim, boy was she a feisty one. Can't wait for Madmax to come home again and build me a chook house.

[kirsty b]

Congratulations John, both on getting hens and baby-to-be.

[jonny_s_p]

Congrats, John. Are they to be kept in the run or are they free to roam?

Hi Terrier,

A bit of both really. When I am at work they are in a run but I let them out in the evening and at weekends. I intend to let them roam full time when I am a bit more confident that I am looking after them OK.

Cheers

Jonny

[jonny_s_p]

Hi,

I finally got round to uploading some photos. They seem very happy and we get an average of 5 eggs a day from 6 birds. They are all very socialable and don't mind being picked up. They are also doing wonders for the slug population in the garden, I have hardly seen any since I got the birds!

The highlight has to be when they recognise my motorbike pulling into the front of the house from work and they all come running up the back garden waiting for their afternoon treat :~)

Cheers

Jonny

[mandyballantyne]

They are lovely Johnny,

It is black rocks I am after too, can't wait!

Mandy

[Birdie Wife]

They are beauties, can't wait for the Dingwall sale so I can get some more too! It looks like a great set-up you've got there Jonny.

[Forget-me-Not]

Hi,Wow, they are beautiful. I'm very envious. Have fun!!!!
Beth

[daisychook]

Jonny, please can you tell me the breed in the first picture!!! Our Doreen (I posted lots about her in Maywhen I got her as a chick alledgedly a cream legbar, she was very ill, but after a vet bill that would have bought me a smallholding and several million chooks, and a lot of TLC she has grown into a fab bird, even if she never lays an egg she is so fab...) anyway back to my point.....!!!

Doreen is exactly like the chook in your first picture. What breed is she??? I was going to post a pic of her and ask but you have done it for me??

We did have a cream legbar last year, but she had more feathers on her head, so I am not so sure. Also Doreen has a few feathers on her feet???!!!!! Any help appreciated in identifying her breed!!!!

Thanks!

[Birdie Wife]

She looks like a Welsummer to me, although if she's got feathery legs then she might have a bit of Marans in her.

[muckman]

Looks like a black rock to me, they also can be brown more than black.

[jonny_s_p]

I believe they are all Black Rocks. At least that is what I thought I bought.

Jonny