[lindo-spireite]

Out of interest, what do you do with a chicken once it's died? Bury it? Or put it in the bin?

[hilly81]

lindo-spireite, on 26 January 2016 - 11:36 AM, said:

Out of interest, what do you do with a chicken once it's died? Bury it? Or put it in the bin?

coq au vin?

[Ernie Ernie Ernie]

hilly81, on 26 January 2016 - 11:44 AM, said:

coq au vin?

There wouldn't be much coq from a laying chicken

[Heavy_Soul]

NOKIN, on 26 January 2016 - 11:17 AM, said:

I know a few on here keep chickens and I am interested to know where you get your Point of Lay Chickens from. I have had a couple die (old age) and I want to buy a couple more layers to keep the wife happy.

The last ones I got were from Little Morton Farm but its difficult for me to get over there as its opening hours don't suit my work etc. Any recommendations? I am leaning towards Bank View Farm Nr Sheffield.

Cheers

Mark, Ive bought a few from bank view farm. A couple of orpingtons, a couple of speckled sussex, an exchequer leghorn and two hybrid layers.

The hybrids are £15.00 each and for your pure breeds your looking at £30.00 plus. I payed £40.00 each for the 2 orpingtons I got a couple of week ago.

The birds from there are very healthy and you can really tell its a passion of the families. Highly recommended.

I've also bought a few hybrids from a lady up matlock POL. Again nice healthy birds. I could find the number out for you should you wish.

I've also rescued a few chickens from slaughter, straight from the battery farms. They lay plenty still. These come to you with feathers missing, sometimes barley able to walk and have never seen the outside, very upsetting to see. They've never had the chance to be a "chicken" Rescues happen regularly and the change you see in them over a month or so is amazing. They end up full feathered happy chickens with a proper life. These are probably my personal favourites for obvious reasons.

This post has been edited by Screamadelica: 26 January 2016 - 07:18 PM

[Middle East]

Screamadelica, on 26 January 2016 - 07:16 PM, said:

Mark, Ive bought a few from bank view farm. A couple of orpingtons, a couple of speckled sussex, an exchequer leghorn and two hybrid layers.

The hybrids are £15.00 each and for your pure breeds your looking at £30.00 plus. I payed £40.00 each for the 2 orpingtons I got a couple of week ago.

The birds from there are very healthy and you can really tell its a passion of the families. Highly recommended.

I've also bought a few hybrids from a lady up matlock POL. Again nice healthy birds. I could find the number out for you should you wish.

I've also rescued a few chickens from slaughter, straight from the battery farms. They lay plenty still. These come to you with feathers missing, sometimes barley able to walk and have never seen the outside, very upsetting to see. They've never had the chance to be a "chicken" Rescues happen regularly and the change you see in them over a month or so is amazing. They end up full feathered happy chickens with a proper life. These are probably my personal favourites for obvious reasons.

We've all just had an omelette for tea courtesy of your hens eggs mate! Top notch and the Mrs says thanks...

[Heavy_Soul]

Middle East, on 26 January 2016 - 07:26 PM, said:

We've all just had an omelette for tea courtesy of your hens eggs mate! Top notch and the Mrs says thanks...

Anytime mate. You can have as many as you want!

[Middle East]

Screamadelica, on 26 January 2016 - 07:28 PM, said:

Anytime mate. You can have as many as you want!

Cheers do you want me to save any egg boxes we get mate ?

[Heavy_Soul]

NOKIN, on 26 January 2016 - 07:28 PM, said:

That's excellent, thanks for taking the time to write that up. I think I'll go with Bank View Farm. They look like they know their stuff and you have confirmed what I was thinking. I am only after three for now so I will take a trip up on Saturday..

If I could fit more in I would definitely try the ex battery hens. A friend of mine near Buxton took on 200 ex battery hens a couple of years ago and they served her really well.

Thanks again, much appreciated 👍

No probs mark. I'll be visitng them again soon as I'm on a waiting list for a couple of a pure breed they've recently hatched. Whilst your up there ask them to show you the aracuanas. Not the prettiest looking chicken but their eggs are a turquoise blue colour! They're also on my list for the future.

Middle East, on 26 January 2016 - 07:30 PM, said:

Cheers do you want me to save any egg boxes we get mate ?

Nah mate your ok. I bought a few hundred off ebay lately for next to nothing!

[fishini]

Screamadelica, on 26 January 2016 - 07:16 PM, said:

Mark, Ive bought a few from bank view farm. A couple of orpingtons, a couple of speckled sussex, an exchequer leghorn and two hybrid layers.

The hybrids are £15.00 each and for your pure breeds your looking at £30.00 plus. I payed £40.00 each for the 2 orpingtons I got a couple of week ago.

The birds from there are very healthy and you can really tell its a passion of the families. Highly recommended.

I've also bought a few hybrids from a lady up matlock POL. Again nice healthy birds. I could find the number out for you should you wish.

I've also rescued a few chickens from slaughter, straight from the battery farms. They lay plenty still. These come to you with feathers missing, sometimes barley able to walk and have never seen the outside, very upsetting to see. They've never had the chance to be a "chicken" Rescues happen regularly and the change you see in them over a month or so is amazing. They end up full feathered happy chickens with a proper life. These are probably my personal favourites for obvious reasons.

All mine are from the same sort of place. Doesn't take long to get them back to health does it? Have you, your missus or kids named them yet? LOL

[Heavy_Soul]

fishini, on 26 January 2016 - 07:41 PM, said:

All mine are from the same sort of place. Doesn't take long to get them back to health does it? Have you, your missus or kids named them yet? LOL

Doesn't take them long at all fish and very rewarding to see!

Yep, all the rescue ones have names from my daughter but none of the others. Apart from the two cockerels I have, they were named by myself.

[dalekpete]

Screamadelica, on 26 January 2016 - 07:49 PM, said:

Doesn't take them long at all fish and very rewarding to see!

Yep, all the rescue ones have names from my daughter but none of the others. Apart from the two cockerels I have, they were named by myself.

My three hens are Ernie, Herbert and Jack. Now about three years old they look as healthy as ever but the eggs have really dropped off over the last quarter. I got them from Little Morton but might have to think about adding to them now.

[Heavy_Soul]

dalekpete, on 26 January 2016 - 08:16 PM, said:

My three hens are Ernie, Herbert and Jack. Now about three years old they look as healthy as ever but the eggs have really dropped off over the last quarter. I got them from Little Morton but might have to think about adding to them now.

Out of interest what is little Morton like for chickens? Do they sell pure breeds or just hybrids?

[Misnomer]

Screamadelica, on 26 January 2016 - 07:16 PM, said:

Mark, Ive bought a few from bank view farm. A couple of orpingtons, a couple of speckled sussex, an exchequer leghorn and two hybrid layers.

The hybrids are £15.00 each and for your pure breeds your looking at £30.00 plus. I payed £40.00 each for the 2 orpingtons I got a couple of week ago.

The birds from there are very healthy and you can really tell its a passion of the families. Highly recommended.

I've also bought a few hybrids from a lady up matlock POL. Again nice healthy birds. I could find the number out for you should you wish.

I've also rescued a few chickens from slaughter, straight from the battery farms. They lay plenty still. These come to you with feathers missing, sometimes barley able to walk and have never seen the outside, very upsetting to see. They've never had the chance to be a "chicken" Rescues happen regularly and the change you see in them over a month or so is amazing. They end up full feathered happy chickens with a proper life. These are probably my personal favourites for obvious reasons.

Might sound a wee bit silly, but where do I get rescue chickens from; any tips on what to look for, etc? Cheers....

[Heavy_Soul]

Misnomer, on 26 January 2016 - 09:16 PM, said:

Might sound a wee bit silly, but where do I get rescue chickens from; any tips on what to look for, etc? Cheers....

I get mine from a rescue group mate. The two ladies that get them buy them off the farmer the day they're released from the battery farm. They're sold to them from the farmer rather than ending up as pet food and thigs like that.

There's not really any tips on what to look for. What you will get is a chicken that has just been used for egg production, is in a really horrific way and has been sold when they're 72 weeks of age I think it is (when they no longer produce 7 eggs a week)

The chicken will have a lot of feather loss from pecking from others in the cramped space they've lived in their whole lives. They won't have seen the outside and generally won't exhibit natural chicken behaviours at first as they've not had chance... Dust bathing, foraging etc.

It doesn't take them long as said before to become a "normal" chicken. A few days and they'll be foraging, dust bathing. A few weeks/ month or so and they'll have grown all their full feathers back.

The only thing that you can guarantee really is that the chickens have been fully vaccinated etc as they've been used solely for egg production that are sold to the general public.

I can pass you on the number if you wish. all you would need to do is say how many you'd like and you pick them up on the day of rescue.

[Misnomer]

Screamadelica, on 26 January 2016 - 09:26 PM, said:

I get mine from a rescue group mate. The two ladies that get them buy them off the farmer the day they're released from the battery farm. They're sold to them from the farmer rather than ending up as pet food and thigs like that.

There's not really any tips on what to look for. What you will get is a chicken that has just been used for egg production, is in a really horrific way and has been sold when they're 72 weeks of age I think it is (when they no longer produce 7 eggs a week)

The chicken will have a lot of feather loss from pecking from others in the cramped space they've lived in their whole lives. They won't have seen the outside and generally won't exhibit natural chicken behaviours at first as they've not had chance... Dust bathing, foraging etc.

It doesn't take them long as said before to become a "normal" chicken. A few days and they'll be foraging, dust bathing. A few weeks/ month or so and they'll have grown all their full feathers back.

The only thing that you can guarantee really is that the chickens have been fully vaccinated etc as they've been used solely for egg production that are sold to the general public.

I can pass you on the number if you wish. all you would need to do is say how many you'd like and you pick them up on the day of rescue.

Lovely stuff, mate; much appreciated. I think I'll have to have further dialogue with you over this as I've not kept chickens before.

[dalekpete]

NOKIN, on 26 January 2016 - 10:48 PM, said:

Chickens are excellent pets. Very easy to keep and quite loyal. Whenever I'm in the garden they follow me everywhere. My grandkids love em, and the eggs are better than any you buy in the shops.

I just wish I could trust my dogs with them. The Cocker usually ignores them or runs away while the Bassett either pins them down or herds them back into the run. I am sure if I wasn't there the
Basset, if not both, might take advantage...