Can you mix breeds?

[its hilly]

Not me G4, not when I started out with 3 ...........

[jessmorris]

The 1sq m per bird is the RSPCA recommended MINIMUM for commercial free range apparently.

CRIKEY. Thats mad

[jessmorris]

mmmm, just to say, and quoting IH's exceptions, my game birds run with the rest, and yes they are more aggressive, but generally they are all fine together. When a broody comes back into the flock the games will chase her around a bit, but they settle down eventually. The games are also very broody (strangely) so they are quite often too busy with fluffies to scrap!...............

[chris]

ROFL OK, who's gonna take bets!!!?

I'm in, owt for money

There's only 2 of us + our 1year old sooo.. 4 is fine TOPS. I'm def putting my foot down on that

[Nicos]

Yeh...right!

[chris]

stoppit!

anyways. Is there a league table of egg layers, or similar? i.e what breeds are said to lay up to what count per year with egg colours (do diff breeds' eggs taste diff btW?)

[Suechooks]

stoppit!

anyways. Is there a league table of egg layers, or similar? i.e what breeds are said to lay up to what count per year with egg colours (do diff breeds' eggs taste diff btW?)

Most of the hybrid layers do over 300 eggs in their first year of laying and reduce gradually. As they lay more eggs early on they tend not to live as long as pure breeds. I have a Speckledy who is about 6 years old and still does around 3 per week during the Spring and summer but usually has a well earned rest in winter.
Someone told me that lifespan of hens is reflected in the price you pay! I know Warrens are about £8 around here and I can get pure breeds for about £15 POL.
If you google one of the bigger suppliers they usually have a description of the birds and what they're likely to lay.
All home-gown eggs taste fab!

[chris]

Thanks Sue.

Bit of a grim one next. If one bird dies, how do you dispose of it? Not sure i'm really keen on the idea of just plonking it in a bag in the bin.

[OverWyreGrower]

Thanks Sue.

Bit of a grim one next. If one bird dies, how do you dispose of it? Not sure i'm really keen on the idea of just plonking it in a bag in the bin.

I double bag them and put them in my (non-recyclables) bin.

I wouldn't bury them because we have dogs who might dig it up... plus, we have 40 or so birds, and eventually, that's a lot of graves....

[Nicos]

.

Bit of a grim one next. If one bird dies, how do you dispose of it? Not sure i'm really keen on the idea of just plonking it in a bag in the bin.

Yup- that's exactly what you're supposed to do

[Suechooks]

Thanks Sue.

Bit of a grim one next. If one bird dies, how do you dispose of it? Not sure i'm really keen on the idea of just plonking it in a bag in the bin.

We have a bin for waste food and compostable stuff like corrugated cardboard so mine go in compostable bag then cardboard box then bin. Unless the ordinary bin is being emptied next day then it goes in that. If its been pts by the vet then they "take care of them"!

[its hilly]

There are two websites I've found good for comparisons
Hendersons Chicken Breeds Chart
and Feathersite's chicken pages (although you have to dig through as its not a chart..nice pics though.
Hybrids are usualy top of the layers, closely followed by Rhode Island Red, white commercial leghorns
and there my memory quits on me

[Scarlet]

You have to add in an extra one, maybe a little pekin bantam for the little one. They love cuddles, not many eggs but a real pet.

[jessmorris]

yup, pekins are cute as hell. Mine (7 weeks old) already come up to me to have their tummies scratched..!! get two tho;, for company ;-)