They've arrived!!

[lettucegrow!]

Hi Glutton! Yes, very well thanks and enjoying this lovely sunny weather. Lovely to settle newcomers in with.

[HayleyB]

Sweet.........

[Squizz]

They are lovely! We had to choose from a barn full of hens, I had to stay at home with kiddies so left the OH to do it, he said one of our Leghorn x jumped on the box so she chose us!

[RedThorn]

soooo........ when you getting more?

[colser]

looking good lettuce, got mine today and they have settled in nicely (after a brief stand off with the cats).
We chose one Bendish Blue, one Hertfordshire Honey, one Stagenhoe Speckled and one Whitwell black. (i should really say the wife and eldest kid chose them as my choice and the toddlers choice were quickly overruled)
i'll post some photos soon

[lettucegrow!]

Looking forward to the pics,colser ( where's the name from??!) Wasn't it hard to choose? I thought I knew which ones I wanted but confronted with a barn full off lovely hens totally confused me! I really want to get one more, Either a Whitwell Black or one of the brown hens but until I can make my enclosed space bigger for day time lock in it will have to be the three. Have to say they are lovely but my cat has been on a mission to chase them and they haven't been very brave in standing upto him, hence pot of water thrown=one sulky cat!!!

[Lemon]

Hello lettucegrow,
I also got our girlees from Stagenhoe (Aug 08), although I was alarmed by the catching method - a huge great fishing net! I was tempted by the blue - but on showing a picture of a blue to my hubby, he decided he didn't like the grey face.

We got a Hertfordshire Honey (brown bird) and a St Pauls Walden Sussex (white bird). I was instructed only 2 chickens by hubby so only took exact amount of money with me - heaven knows what I would've bought otherwise!

We have been fortunate enough to have had eggs from day one - the first egg after 2-3 hours of being home! Only Bokky, our white one is laying at the moment - Korma spent half a night asleep under their house in Dec and since that day, hasn't laid.

As for cats - the girlees are terrified of them! Our girlees now have complete ownership of our back garden and free-range allday (& also dig the garden allday too!). We used to leave their door to their run open all night so they can come down and wander when they like in the morning. About 4 weeks ago, we woke up to squawking from Bokky (she has that name as she was very vocal the day I brought her home). It was about 3am - still dark but I think a cat had landed on the roof of their enclosure and spooked Bokky. Hubby went out to find Bokky wandering the patio in darkness!

We have recently invested in a couple of water guns as I was woken up again to squawking. The enclosure doors were shut, but their hatch door was open and they'd wandered down for brekkie. A noisy cat from the neighbourhood was on their run roof with his head peering down looking at the girlees! This time it was around 6:50am - my neighbours are ok with the girlees but I'm not sure about the squawking!

I just wish the girlees were brave enough to give any cats a peck on the nose to stop them from wandering in - they scratch and poop my veg beds anyway - the cats not the chickens! (Although they eat everything in sight! - Chickens!)

[Bephlam]

They're lovely!!

[colser]

colser is what most of my friends back in scotland know me by, real name is colin.
yes it was hard to choose, although looking back i think we would have been happy with all of them.

[lettucegrow!]

[QUOTE=colser;426450]colser is what most of my friends back in scotland know me by, real name is colin.
yes it was hard to choose, although looking back i think we would have been happy with all of them.[/QUOTE
How are they settling in? Have you eggs yet ? I'm a bit confused, I didn't think they would lay just yet but maybe I've misread the paper work they come with.

[colser]

they are settling in very well, still, the kids are smitten by them and we have has a stream of neighbours popping in for a look, no eggs yet .... although the entertainment factor and the slug munching has meant the main reason i got them is sudenly less important )

[Lemon]

Hi Colser,

I'm from Hemel Hempstead - born and bred and although my mum still lives there, we moved out to Stevenage after we married as we couldn't afford the house prices there. Hadn't realised chicken keeping was popular in Hemel - whereabouts are you?

When are you going to put up piccies of your lovely flock? We also got a Hertfordshire Honey (brown one but she seems to be turning into a light ginger colour?) and a St Pauls Walden Sussex (Lt Sussex Hybrid, white with black tail).

We were lucky as our girls starting laying straight away - the first egg delivered 3hrs after being in the new home! Our girls are great garden destroyers and worm devourers. Not sure they like slugs. Remembered tried feeding them a slug last Summer and they didn't really take to it.

We are still getting daily eggs, but past few months it's only 1 a day not 2. Someone is having a break from egg laying and eating for free!

[colser]

hello lemon,
christchurch road, i don't think keeping chooks is that popular in hemel although the guy across the road from me keeps batans so i think i must live in a hot spot

[Lemon]

Ah...off Queensway right?

Suprised you heard off Stagenhoe chickens as I had to do some research to find chicken suppliers near to us. Was lucky enough to see ad for Stagenhoe's at Titmuss when stocking up on supplies.

Are your girls laying?

[colser]

yep, next street to Queensway, i found Stagenhoe due to the wonders of google, not laying yet (although they did pop out a couple of creme eggs for the kids to find on easter sunday)