Ok, we're getting chooks for Yule, but where to get them from?

[Sue]

Mrs D
Have you got a feed merchant, farm animal feed supplier near you, I've noticed in both our local ones they have notice boards with details of nearby hen suppliers, none of which I'd ever been able to find by googling, looking in Poultry magazines, local ads etc.
And good luck with the poultry keeping, very addictive and hens are so lovely, I suspect they'll get very spoilt chez Dobby
best wishes
Sue

[its hilly]

Great..another addict...more picis....
congats. Lovely run, chooks are great fun you wont regret it. Ducks are lovely too, but sooo messy.

[Hans Mum]

really good idea Mrs D a proper brick wall why didnt we think of that?????goes of to sweet talk DH into a slight modification

you'll love 'em they rreally are addictive

[RedThorn]

congratz!!!! You'll wonder what life was like pre chooks....

[Mrs Dobby]

Ok, been looking around, there's not much happening locally in terms of rescued hens with the BHWT, so looks like we're gonna have to buy some proper breeds to start with!

Mr D seems to think that 3 hens will be enough for us, but as tis a big shed n run (9' by 6' by 6' run with built in coop as per the piccy in the post above) I wouldnt like the girls to get too cold at nights, so think that 6 would be a much better option (its big enough for 6 large birds, and having 6 together would keep them much warmer than 3 in such a big space, dont you think? )

I'm thinking along the lines of 2 sussex, 2 marans and 2 welsummers, all of which are supposed to be good egg layers, and if they produce too many eggs for us to eat, then we'll just have to give them away (or sell them to fellow allotment holders at the plot and work colleagues!)

Mr D has also mentioned getting ducks too, perhaps in a separate run at the side of the house, but methinks that will be a project for another year, setting up the chooks in the back yard this year and building and kitting out our second apiary at the allotment is going to be expense enough!

Oh, and as for names, I have a feeling the girls are all going to be named after herbs, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender and Dill!

[Alison]

Friend of mine got some locally a couple of months ago, not 100% sure where from but know it was a guy recommended by the people at Abbey Leys Farm Welcome to Abbeyleys Organic Farm so you could give them a ring on 01925 753465.

[RedThorn]

Hmmm 6 would definately be better, especially if you let them freerange too. Though with 6, I would consider extending the run a bit...

just to really throw the cat amoungst the pigeons... What about 6 different colour egg layers? Think of the 1/2dz egg boxes, white, Dark Brown, blue, green, normal brown and cream...... Think there's even a pinkish colour egg layer too.....

[Mrs Dobby]

Yep, they'll be allowed to free range in the garden whilst we are in, there's nothing growing thats edible (apart from some strawbs) that isnt protected, and I'm sure we can move them out of reach!

[Suechooks]

If you're Cheshire side there's Creag Mhor Poultry at Nantwich. He does POL hybrids - very reasonable prices and good quality healthy birds. I've had some and so has Maureen. Theres also Garden Poultry at Kingsley near Frodsham - I've had 2 lots from there also very good stock. (Not sure where Partington is though so may be no use to you!)

[Eco-Chic]

Yep, they'll be allowed to free range in the garden whilst we are in, there's nothing growing thats edible (apart from some strawbs) that isnt protected, and I'm sure we can move them out of reach!

Chooks idea of what is edible and yours might not be eggsactly the same

I shall be caging the garden in the spring so the chooks can continue to free range

And you are quite right to worry about 3 girls feeling cold and lonely in a nice big run

[Mrs Dobby]

Grr, having problems with the ebay seller now!

Allegedly his courier wont deliver cos the package is 10cm too big (not really our problem, he agreed the price for delivery, if it costs him more then he should pay, or offer us the chance to pay the difference), so his son was going to deliver on his way to Scotland!

Then he allegedly had his van broken into, so cant now deliver, and although we emailed him to say that we'd be happy to have it even if it was late, he then refunded the money and has cancelled our order!

Now, not being funny, but he still has 57 of the same item on sale on ebay, at higher prices, with delivery for the same charge as we paid, surely this must mean his courier problems are now sorted and he just doesnt want to sell to us because we won it for a cheaper price than he wanted to sell it for?

Looking at his other auctions for the same thing that have also ended, it does appear he may have been 'shill bidding' to raise the prices, as another bidder (who has only ever made 2 bids, both for the same thing from him) and won for a similar price to what we did hasnt left or received feedback!

Looks to me like he is trying to wriggle out of the sale to us because he hasnt made the amount he wanted from the sale!

We've emailed him to say we didnt want the refund and still want the goods that our contract says we bid for at the price we wanted, but no idea if he's going to respond!

If he doesnt, then Trading Standards are going to be visiting him (we do have a case for 'loss of bargain', which could result in him being liable for the difference between what he agreed to sell us and what we would have to pay to buy it from someone else), plus I will be reporting him to ebay, then speaking to his local newspaper and doing a few other things aswell!

He's picked the wrong people to try and rip off or annoy!!!!!

This could be a bit of fun!! Lol!!

If we dont hear anything, then I will post his company name and details on here and would be happy for anyone and everyone to forward it to as many other forums and other groups (where folks could be thinking of getting chooks) as possibe, lets get the message that hes a scammer out there and stop other folks from being let down like this!

[lettucegrow!]

Oh dear, don't want to get on the wrong side of you!! Good luck,shame it's turning into a hassle after making the big unregrettable decision. Keep us posted.

[tlck9]

Have you though of contacting the BHWT, the next rescue in my area wasnt till next year, but I rang them and they told me they had a last minute one.

The BHWT only rescue hens they can rehome.

I found this company, she seems to be somewhat involved in rescuing chcikens, could be wrong but worth checking out:

The Great Little Cupcake Company - Welcome

[Eco-Chic]

Suzanne,

If the seller doesn't send you the coop file a seller non-performance report, neg him and leave 1* for all his DSRs.