A
Anonymous
Guest
Hi from Cornwall!
Have just decided to dip my toe into the world of keeping hens and will be looking forward to picking the brains of all those knowledgeable people on here.
6 Acres of empty land and numerous stable and outbuildings, we decided a few hens was the way to get things off the ground so we started to look what was available.
Well despite looking at some really fantastic birds, we finally settled on Ex Batts.
Yes yes yes, I know they come with a shed load of problems, but when my wife (tracey) and i went through to meet Michelle at the BHWT and saw the state of some of the hens, we didn't have the heart to even think about other options.
So here we are, 61 Warrens hens and 1 cockerel, most looking a little shabby but generally in good health. Lots of missing feathers, pecked combs, squabbling over pecking order and eating like there is no tommorow.
Despite all of that, we have found the friendliest and most loving hens in the UK, quick to learn and highly entertaining, they follow Tracey everywhere (women always stick together dont they? Lol)
Since taking them in on Wed 26th we have been rewarded with a total of 173 eggs, though after reading through the forum, i do believe they are due to stop laying for a while.
So for now they are in a barn attached to the house and fenced out onto the garden (or what's left of it).
Intend to build a couple of chicken huts and let them have a 1 acre field to play in. We plan to take an awful lot more eventualy, but for now we are just feeling our way with these and gaining the needed experience and with your kind help, knowledge that we will need.
Thankyou for letting me join your forum and look forward to pestering you all in the near future as I have a problem with the cockerel.
Cheers
Steve
Have just decided to dip my toe into the world of keeping hens and will be looking forward to picking the brains of all those knowledgeable people on here.
6 Acres of empty land and numerous stable and outbuildings, we decided a few hens was the way to get things off the ground so we started to look what was available.
Well despite looking at some really fantastic birds, we finally settled on Ex Batts.
Yes yes yes, I know they come with a shed load of problems, but when my wife (tracey) and i went through to meet Michelle at the BHWT and saw the state of some of the hens, we didn't have the heart to even think about other options.
So here we are, 61 Warrens hens and 1 cockerel, most looking a little shabby but generally in good health. Lots of missing feathers, pecked combs, squabbling over pecking order and eating like there is no tommorow.
Despite all of that, we have found the friendliest and most loving hens in the UK, quick to learn and highly entertaining, they follow Tracey everywhere (women always stick together dont they? Lol)
Since taking them in on Wed 26th we have been rewarded with a total of 173 eggs, though after reading through the forum, i do believe they are due to stop laying for a while.
So for now they are in a barn attached to the house and fenced out onto the garden (or what's left of it).
Intend to build a couple of chicken huts and let them have a 1 acre field to play in. We plan to take an awful lot more eventualy, but for now we are just feeling our way with these and gaining the needed experience and with your kind help, knowledge that we will need.
Thankyou for letting me join your forum and look forward to pestering you all in the near future as I have a problem with the cockerel.
Cheers
Steve
Well done to both of you for giving these girls (and boy!) a chance.