PLEASE SIGN IN IF YOU HAVE CHICKENS

[tortoiseSHELL]

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!

love your neighbour's sense of humour, hassled!

Meghalegs... now that I have hassled picked GentleOtter's brains re the goats... can I do the same to you about pigs? We also want a pig. Probably not until next year now but DH is ever so keen. We'd need to build a new structure for it further down the field and wait for some trees to grow for shade.

tortoiseshell, I think you have started something here. I didn't realise there were so many chicken people on MN. Still not sure what we would talk about after the initial excitement (and after I have have hassled people about goats and pigs!) but never mind - Go, Girl!

My name is Waynetta. Id o not have chickens, however I defend to the death the right for you to have a topic to discuss them in!

BoysonToast- how many do you want and how can I get them to you ? they are ALL doing their dinger right now as I forgot to close the henhouse door last night .
As I've been up since 5.30 I would be happy to mince them and send them in an envelope.
I will take photos of them and post them on profile later on today.
p.s.There are seven bantam Scots Greys cockerels....all singing lustily as I write..

Waynetta- As a token of your support I will name our new Frizzle chick Waynetta Frogmella Slob in your honour.

New list of chicken people....

tortoiseshell
ska
gentleotter
alienears
mehgalegs
marmadukescarlet (coming soon)
hippipotami (would like some)
DuchessofNorksBride
Ripeberry
Professor Yaffle (on order)
handlemecarefully
geekgirl
PrincessPeaHead
zog (would like some)
hermionegrangerat34
ingles2
BigBadMouse
Mercy (used to have them)
WelliesandPyjamas
oggsfrog
PillockoftheCommunity
BoysonToast (coming April)
DoodleToYou (coming April)
Madlentileater
FrannyandZooey (no chickens, but supporter of topic )
Hassled
Eve
KatyMac
Barnstaple (ex-batts coming soon)
Waynetta (no chickens, but topic defender )

Oh Otter, I am indeed honoured - would you like me to make a little chick sized tracksuit for Waynetta junior?

Loads of us!

KatyMac - do you have any ideas of what sort of chicken you want to get? Have a look at the meadowsweet site - they have a nice range of hybrids, and agents across the country where you can buy them.

Or you could look at Battery Hen Welfare Trust and rescue a couple of ex-batts, if there's a rescue near you soon.

From acorns mighty oaks grow.

mwah hahaha, .
How many of you Marie Antoinette wannabes have had me around last night?

Sounds like a chicke, not a cleek

Waynetta - Ooh...are there matching trainers and stuff? I might pierce her ears too once I can find them.

fox ate my chickens last year booo. am going to get some new ones when i get round to improving the pen. i like marans. can i join in??

I've had 3 chickens for a few weeks - no eggs yet....

Would love chicken topic on mumsnet...

The poultrychat forum thing is just a bit scarey - some of them sound a tad weird...

...and I feel a bit of an imposter on the eglu/omlet chat thing since I didn't feel it necessary to fork out shedloads of money on an ugly coloured bit of plastic to keep the chickens in (enough ugly bits of coloured plastic from children already in garden!)

Must admit have learnt loads from both above forums but would be great to have one here!

That was a traumatic half hour....the usual can't find socks and pants three minutes before the school bus came then the chameleon ran away into the Dont Go In There room.
It was pretending to be an Argyll sock.
Am off to do my roots as the grey just got worse...

It's not just exBatts that need new homes, I'm getting a few ex free rangers - I didn't realise until recently that they are slaughtered once they reach 1!

Probably getting 3 or 4 of these (Colombian Blacktails) depending on if I can get a pair of Aracuna's at Hatherley (I think that's how it is spelt)market.

I also have on order a Mendlesham Amber, Mendlesham Blue and a Fenning Cou Cou - I actually wanted some Heritage Skylines or Legbars (blue layers) but cannot get any locally so that they all arrive in the coup (coop?) at the same time. I am bringing the CB's back from my hols in Dorset.

WE are in the process of buying some extra garden, so then hope ot get some chickens. So a chicken topic would be really useful for us!

My stepmum is lookign at getting alpacas next year.

Can I just get a new chicken & put it in with Silkie - she has seemed a bit lonely since Louise died, or are there rules about how & when (& if) to introduce a chicken into another chicken territory

I see that the "Am I being unreasonable" squad are having issues with our chicken section...

lots more of us! Will update the list a bit later!

KatyMac - what sort of chicken is Silkie? If you try and get a similar sized one then you should be fine introductions wise - they'll peck each other for a few days, and then settle down. Best way to do it is to put the new one into the sleeping quarters after dark so they both wake up together, and be on hand to break up any squabbles that get completely out of hand (i.e. drawing blood!).

KatyMac - if you put your new chicken in a run beside your lonely Silkie then they should get used to each other fairly quickly. Introduce new chicken into new pen at night.
There might be a little bit of pecking order squabbles at first but they soon settle.

KatyMac - assuming from the name that your chicken is a silkie, I would get a very small, gentle breed - possibly even a bantam?

Silkie - is a silkie cross (apparently)

tortoiseshell
I have a phobia/mortal fear/deep seated loating of chickens.

If I had a nice sparklyfairybubhunsmom name you would all take pity on me and stop harping on about evil evil chickens with their hateful scaly legs and evil beady eyes.

Don't get me started on their combs.

hello I have 4 hens

We have 27, of whom 7!! are cockerels!!, time for coq au vin if we can steel ourselves to do the deed.