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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

PLEASE SIGN IN IF YOU HAVE CHICKENS

177 replies

tortoiseSHELL · 17/03/2008 13:54

I'm still campaigning for a 'chicken' topic - I think MNHQ have said it is too much of a 'minority' topic. But, there seem to be loads of us. So please sign in so I can see how many there are! Thank you!

OP posts:
WelliesAndPyjamas · 17/03/2008 16:52

Got chickens - 6 hens, 1 cockerel, 12 eggs in the incubator, and an appointment with The Meat Chicken Man to buy meat chicks once the spring is properly with us.

What would we discuss in a chicken topic though?

GentleOtter, can you tell me more about goats? I really want a couple but not sure where to start or whether to just take the plunge this year.

GentleOtter · 17/03/2008 17:05

We originally got goats for the milk plus I used to take one with me when I was a freelance gardener - rented her out as a non selective, chemical free weed killer.
We had about seven at one point but that got mental - two were Cashmere and a real handful plus an Anglo Nubian with a hormone problem..permanent PMT.
We have now had our British Saanen for 11 years and she is so sweet and gentle. I would highly recommend this breed if you have children due to their couthy nature and fairly decent milk output.
They like a warm clean shed, hate the cold, need their hooves trimmed regularly, loved lots and fussed over and for milking well it would be worth helping out for a bit on a farm that had goats. they are milked differently to cows.
I love having goats and find them fairly straightforward once you get used to the routine. DONT GET A BILLY.They smell and are evil.

WelliesAndPyjamas · 17/03/2008 17:13

LOL at the permanent PMT goat!!

For a family of 4, do you think two would be ok? We'd be wanting them for the milk and for ocassional meat (in the long term).

Thanks for the tip re British Saanen. Will look the breed up (told you I was clueless!). We're not in the UK but they might have that breed here.
We would keep them in the room we have under the house, so benefitting from heat (but not hot iyswim) and direct access to outside. They'd be able to use most of an acre for grazing, and sometimes our neighbour's land too - do you think that would be enough for two goats? Sorry for all the questions!

ProfYaffle · 17/03/2008 17:17

What would we discuss on a chicken topic? Have you seen the Omlet website? Whole forum devoted to discussing chickens! I'm sure once mine arrive I'll have loads to ask.

GentleOtter · 17/03/2008 17:31

Yes, Wellies, that sounds like plenty of room and a bit like goat heaven!
Other breeds that have been sweet natured and good milkers are Golden Jersey and the Anglo Nubians are good...it was just our psycho one. She grew massive and more evil and bitey.
There are some really good goat pages and maybe your local paper advertises goats so it would be worth visiting any local goatkeepers for advice, feed supplies in winter etc.

GentleOtter · 17/03/2008 17:34

ProfYaffle- we could discuss stuff like housing, husbandry, breeds, egg swaps for incubating, incubation ....

hippipotami · 17/03/2008 19:15

Goats! Does anyone else have goats? (by Gentleotter)

I do! Only 4 (and only one of them seems to be laying eggs which wasn't quite the plan...) by Hermionegranate

Sorry, these two sentences in posts following eachother made me spit my glass of water across the keyboard....

I can't wait for the chicken topic. I have soooo many questions, you will all be fed up of me within a week!!

oggsfrog · 17/03/2008 19:24

I have 8 at moment, soon to be 7 (+ 1 in the freezer)

PillockOfTheCommunity · 17/03/2008 19:27

5 hens and one cockerel resident in the Pillock garden

ingles2 · 17/03/2008 19:32

tortoiseshell,...ducks are adorable,...but my god do they ever sh*t everywhere! Do not be tempted!
My fav was a small black call duck, called Peking. She liked us so much (well the dog!) she moved into the house. She sat by the aga, drank from the dogs bowl and basically lay under the dogs chin all day.. bless...

MehgaLegs · 17/03/2008 20:30

I'd love some ducks but have a friend with a garden full and couldn't cope with the poo and the mud.

We also keep pigs. The current two a re Berkshires but will very shortly become nice ham but yum!

BoysOnToast · 17/03/2008 21:23

me, me, me.
my chickens arent here yet but are being delivered on weds 2 april. 6 chickens and an eglu cube.
yay for new topic - well done tortoise!

DoodleToYou · 17/03/2008 21:25

Message withdrawn

DoodleToYou · 17/03/2008 21:27

Message withdrawn

Madlentileater · 17/03/2008 21:28

we have chickens too and would love a slot!
we have...Madeleine (black rock) Tahini (cream legbar) Betty (bantam ancona) Fenimore B Buttercrunch (white leghorn) Guinness (polish crested bantam) Aunt Agatha (cuckoo maran) and DS4 has Thing One and Thing Two (black silkies) Bella (Belgian bantam and a seabright/pekin cross who hasn only just been named, and I can't remember what she's called! And now I've just outed myself to any local MNers!

FrannyandZooey · 17/03/2008 21:29

I think a chicken topic would be hilarious marvellous
so as a non-chicken owner please may I register my support

BoysOnToast · 17/03/2008 21:35

madlentils - thats an amazing array. i will have 3 miss pepperpots and 3 gingernut rangers. this now seems terribly dull
actually, gentleotter is going to let me have a bantam cock or two i think... or am i making that up?
planted a new apple tree in my future chickens future garden this evening. all by myself [preen]

Hassled · 17/03/2008 21:41

I have a chicken! Only the one as her friend got foxed and I have yet to replace her. We live in a semi on a ring road so will be sticking with 2.

I have no idea what type she is (small, a lovely bluey black, white eggs) but she has clearly watched Chicken Run as her mission in life is to escape the garden - we have clipped her wings etc but any opportunity she gets and she's out.

I left her out in the (fenced in and secure) garden for the school run once and came back to a note from the neighbour: "Your chicken crossed the road. Why? I threw it over the fence - hope it's OK" .

AlienEars · 17/03/2008 21:46

Chickens (and bantams) will take over the site...

Strangely our hen house has been given more attention than our house (which is part-way through renovation). It is having to be extended further as, having put some birds in together to get a separate pen for the chicks, the older girls are pecking hell out of the newbies. Bless them, they are spending half their life running up their climbing frame of branches and quaking at the top, or putting their heads in a corner and pretending it will all go away. Has anyone else managed to get hens to accept each other? It's been two weeks now and it's not getting a lot better!

Eve · 17/03/2008 21:49

me... can I join,, never been in a clique so I am sure chicken clique is the place to be.

We have a few chickens, no idea what brreds but white one and brown fluffy ones and they are lovely.

BoysOnToast · 17/03/2008 22:10

i like that note hassled

KatyMac · 17/03/2008 22:13

I have a chicken
I want another one

Where would I get one from?

PS where is our topic & what is it called (I kinda speed read this)

BoysOnToast · 17/03/2008 22:17

is there a kids farm park place near you katymac? we go to a place called longdown dairy farm... and they sell hens at point of lay.

Eve · 17/03/2008 22:22

1 of ours came from Longdown farm..as did the rabbit.

barnstaple · 17/03/2008 22:25

Our garden is a sea of mud and gravel, but when we've got it sorted we're going to re-home a couple of ex-battery chickens. Can I join?