2 new girls

[janeyo]

Hoorah!

Picked up 2 new girls today (so back up to 6, after losing 2 over the winter), a Cambridge Blue and a Speckledy.

They are currently in a box with flaps out getting acquainted with the old girls, who have some corn sprinkled round so they come to investigate.
I am off to clean the coop then going to put them in with the old girls after dark, straight in to the coop.

No names yet - and pics to follow

happy!

[jessmorris]

Yay! How lovely!
New hens (sigh)..
pics??

[janeyo]

Pics of the new girls - one fo them made it into the coop tonight and one had to be put in, but early days! One likes people a lot, is very friendly and has already been cuddled by all of us!
Myrtle is the all blue one and Matilda is the speckeldy

[Glutton4...]

What lovely Hens, Janey, you must be pleased! Love the Blue one!

[jessmorris]

ooo, they're pretty!

[janeyo]

The speckeldy is grey/ blue with white specks, she is very friendly already. The other is a really pretty blue with a kind of dark red neck. I am hoping they will fit right in - not had too many fisticuffs yet...

[polo]

They are both lovely but especially the speckledy

[becslb]

They are gorgeous! Makes me very excited to go and choose our new girls next week!

[Flummery]

Lovely birds. I am hoping to get a couple of new layers, maybe in March. I hope our existing 3 don't bully them rotten though. I'll be watching with interst to see how your new girls integrate.

[RichmondHens]

Interesting you say they came from Cambridge Poultry - I was looking at their website the other day. I'm after a few more white egg layers and although I intend to hatch some more Minorcas they won't obviously be laying till this time next year so thought about getting a white leghorn to see me through this year.

[polo]

My White leghorn is my favourite RH (my daughter calls her snowdrop). She is so friendly and lays brilliantly barely missing a day. Here's me wishing for more space to get more of all sorts...

Polo

[Bramble-Poultry]

sally - watch out for the minorcas - they arent renkowned for winter hardiness being of spanish origin. you may end up having to heat them over a winter if we have a sharp one like this year.

having said that - as long as you can keep them frost free in a barn or similar over the winter you should be ok. ask maureen how she got on with hers. she has them i think....

[RichmondHens]

sally - watch out for the minorcas - they arent renkowned for winter hardiness being of spanish origin. you may end up having to heat them over a winter if we have a sharp one like this year.

having said that - as long as you can keep them frost free in a barn or similar over the winter you should be ok. ask maureen how she got on with hers. she has them i think....

Well, the two I have I bought in as 11 week olds in 2009 so this is their second winter and they have been fine, no frostbite at all. They have been free ranging most of this winter and did hide up in the barn during the snowy spell but appear to be quite tough creatures despite their reputation. I don't have a Minorca cock so will be getting some hatching eggs from another breeder, possibly not the same one as before so I could keep back one of the cocks as they will be unrelated to my existing hens and then ..................

[Bramble-Poultry]

sally - fair enough. i have never kept minorca so can only go on what others have told me. looks like they are doing well with you (as most breeds seem to )

[Snadger]

Well, the two I have I bought in as 11 week olds in 2009 so this is their second winter and they have been fine, no frostbite at all. They have been free ranging most of this winter and did hide up in the barn during the snowy spell but appear to be quite tough creatures despite their reputation. I don't have a Minorca cock so will be getting some hatching eggs from another breeder, possibly not the same one as before so I could keep back one of the cocks as they will be unrelated to my existing hens and then ..................

I have two black Minorca's which last year spent the winter in the greenhouse.
This year they have been outdoors all winter and appear to be thriving. There combs are just starting to colour up again so maybe I will get an egg or two soon. They layed reasonably well through the summer last year.
They are very muscular birds but they don't have 'downy' feathers so maybe this is the reason they aren't deemed hardy!