Happy Forum... and loving it! :D

[sheena]

I was surfing the net last night and found a group dedicated to ex-batt owners. I thought i'd join up and see if it was any good.

But my god, in few hours that I have been signed upto it, there as been a HUGE debate over what should happen to ex-batts etc etc.

One guy had said he was rescuing 100 ex-batts so he can sell their eggs. That strikes me as commercial usage, which is not what ex-batts are for. Although he goes on to say how they would be free range.

Can you have 100 as pet status?

Anyway, after a year or so of their eggs being sold off he apparently plans to sell them on again and refresh he's stock.
Within this arguement was what should happen to the hen's when they have been spent, but refuses to accept a chook as a food source.

You can see where this is going I think! (I know I no longer wish to be part of that group, and heaven forbid I should tell them my girl's will be going on my plate at some point).

We all love our girl's dearly, some more passionate than others... but we do all agree that we do what is right for our girl's without fighting about it.

So I would like to thank you all (each and every one of you) for making this the best forum for any chook owner.
You get fun, friendlyness, and advice... whilst also sharing experiences along the way. It is a true honour to part of this group.

Long may we prosper!

[di]

We all have chooks for different reasons...some as pets,some egg layers & others for meat.
I totally agree with you(I think...as long as I read right?),that it's pointless to be getting into debates about "why"...so long as while they're in our care,they get the best treatment & are well looked after,no~one has the right to judge what someones reasons for having them are.In our little flock we have two that have become definate pets & regardless of how few eggs they give us in a few years to come,I can't imagine not keeping them.However,the reason we got our brown hens,was simply for eggs...I love them to bits,but I know that in a couple of years time we may have a decision to make!IMHO,that doesn't make me a bad person,just realistic.
That said,I really can't see how this chap can "sell~on" ex bats at three years old???
Oh & ditto...long may we prosper!I've recieved sooo much help along the way...Thankyou all for your help/knowledge/support & humour!xx

[Nicos]

Aww...that's a lovely thing to say about us sheena!!!

..about that bloke- you have to register with DEFRA if you have more than 50 birds..I wonder if he has????
It's clearly a business for him and he should also be paying tax on his income

(00 birds- minimum of say 80 eggs per day....I wonder at what price he selling the eggs???.)

[Glutton4...]

Yup - agreed on the above!

I bought mine for the eggs, and out of the sixteen layers, I'm not getting sixteen eggs a day. They all squat, so I guess they're all laying, just not all every day. Even so, I'm selling enough eggs to pay for their feed, and supply us and family with as many eggs as we need (or more). They won't be culled if they stop laying, but allowed to live out their days eating grass, dirtbathing, sunbathing and scratching about. I love my 'Laydees'

Later on, if I decide to have birds for meat, it will be a separate entity.

I've read other forum sites, but don't like the 'attitude' they seem to have. So it looks like you lot are stuck with me !

[MaureenHall]

I like this site bestest too Some of the others seem to have a lot of "dictatorial" members but I like to hear lots of different sides to problems and solutions and choose which one I go with. Long may we prosper

[Bephlam]

I agree...this is a superdooper site...filled with superdooper chicken lovers!!

[pdblake]

I've had quite a bit of help already and I don't even have any hens yet

[Flummery]

Same here pdbalke - although I now HAVE got my 4 little brown friends. I had so much information from these lovely people - and encouragement when one chicken was off-colour last weekend. What would we do without each other?

[Bephlam]

I'd be lost without the Vine now. I have lots of advice, hints and tips at my fingertips...through a wide variety of topics (hell you even helped me make my Christmas present this year - although the fudge couldn't work!!!)...and to top it all...you're all fabby virtual friends! I just wish we all lived a little closer!!

[Apple Betty]

I may not say a lot but I do come here often and have found lots of answers without having to ask the question.

And as everyone else agrees, everyone is friendly and you're guaranteed a laugh now and again.

[HayleyB]

I love this place and I don't 'do' forums never did, till I came here and now look at me, when I started I was just trying to grow veg and now 32 ex-batts later thanks to Aunty Mos powers of persuasion here I am and you ain't getting rid of me now..... Sheena, you're great too

I'm with G4 as in most things cause she's a long lost sis, my girls pay for themselves and give me sone 'pin' money and they'll be scratching out their days at Chookenham :P

[sheena]

I'm working on selling the egg's, but have no idea of how much to charge.

I have passed some along the road side selling a dozen for £2, the cheapest I have seen is a dozen for £1.80

I don't want to charge over the top prices, but enough to cover their needs. Which isn't a lot, but any extra help moneywise is good from where i'm sitting right now.

[di]

Careful who you sell to!...not wanting to scaremonger,but after your hassles from someone over getting to keep them,the last thing you need is for her to find out you're selling the eggs!...petty as it would be,but probably a clause in your rental aggreement not to sell/make money from the property???Don't want to give her any ammo!
That said £2 sounds about right!

[sheena]

My sentiments exactly, the last thing I need is her getting on my case about that too.
But I can sell them from my mum's house, as it's owned.

Think I might have to look into that then... I can give them to my mum to sell, and she can "lend" the money back to me! hehe
There is more than 1 way to skin a cat after all.

No animlas were hurt in the making of this post. lol

[lizzylemon]

what lovely thoughts and sentiments Sheena.

I have to admit, to start with I was bit...."someone been on the ol'vino" but thats because I'm mostly a grumpy codger and mostly flippant about everything (apart from Rhubarb), but ya know what, you're right.....without this site, and this forum in particular, I'd be a much poorer, much more stressed out person and my gals wouldn't be so happy without everyone's kind help and shared experiences. I guess that's what keeps me coming back - even at my most grumpiest and flippennest (a new word).

As they say....You can't choose your family but you can choose your forums.... Ahhem!!