[newatthis]

great news someone new me has some yr old ex-free range black rock hens for sale for 7.50, not sure if thats a good price, but i will be getting 2, i think, just wish i could get my other half to get a move on with the run... but it's looking the weather could be against me too..it's looking like rain again..

[joyfull]

Sounds like a good price to me - think I paid about £15 for my black rock , and she is worth every penny of it  . Mind you mine were point of lay.   From her I get 6 eggs a week from her without fail (except for when she went broody and raised some chicks for me - she was an excellent mum). mine now is 17 months old and still laying like a trooper 

[nzdunn]

arh good news, looking forward to seeing piccys, i paid £15 for my girl to but like joyfulls cassie was pol.    Nickyx

[agingchick]

perhaps you should ask why they are selling them at that price? Are they still laying? are they healthy? why does he want to get rid of them? be aware there are unscrupleous people around.
Diane

[newatthis]

yes i did ask why, he said they always re-new their stock evey yr to keep the egg prodution going, the hens he is selling are about a yr old.

[GrannieAnnie]

We used to pay £1 for our ex-free range hens!  Black rocks or no, £7.50 is a bit expensive if they are 18 months old like they usually are.

one year?  farmers don't usually get rid of them until they are at least 72 or 80 weeks old   

[newatthis]

thankyou for that bit of info, i will keep that in mind, and carry on looking round, i not looking to try to get the hens as cheap as poss, but the best price for the birds that im buying, (sorry not very good with putting words on paper)...
fingers x the base will be in by the weekend and if i fill up to it and weather i may have 1 side and poss front up, so could be a while befor i get the girls, 1 question is would it be best to get all 4 girls together(2 black rock/2 exbatt) or get 2 exbatts first then add the other 2 later when i can get them?

will ad pic of base when it's done(we are digging in railway sleepers to stop mr fox)

[newatthis]

hi just a quick up date, the run when finnished will be 16ft long by 12ft long we have 1 side almost dug and railway sleeper in lol, but due to a busy weekend didnt get much done (had to pick my 9 yr old up from her nan's, she had a 2 week hoil's), but we are hoping to get at least the base done by the end of this weekend, and the i can do some pic's as it's going up...
i have promised my 9yr old that she can name i of the girl's when we get some, so that should be fun,
she did ask a question about the eggs, how will we know who layed which egg???, so here i ask you hen keepers....
do differeant hens lay diff coloured eggs and what colours to the breed so i can pick may be 1 of each breed so i can say to my 9 yr old well so and so layed that egg, you get what i mean, lol
hope you hen keepers out there can help her thankyou

[chickenlady]

Hello! cant wait to see the finished article 
have a look at this thread to find out egg colours etc!
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=29685.0

Debbie

[newatthis]

thankyou for the list i didnt see bluebell, i think i have the name right, what colour eggs do they lay???,

[chickenlady]

thankyou for the list i didnt see bluebell, i think i have the name right, what colour eggs do they lay???,

They lay a pale brown eggie! as i have a bluebelle myself called Attilla the hen!

Debbie

[death of rats]

just been reading on another site about chicken coops that one should allow 2 square feet per chicken. 
I would assume that this is the house part of it.So yours at 12 X 16 feet gives 192 square feet which according to this site gives you 96 chickens .
Somehow I dont think that this is right.
Your 4 will give them about 50 square feet each.

[joyfull]

Your run (if it doesn't include the hen house) gives you a total of 21.33 square yards. The minimum recommended per hen is 1 square yard but ideally should be at least 2 square yards. So if you get four (ideally pol) they will have plenty of space  joyfullxx

[newatthis]

96 chickens, there's a nice thought, i wounder what size house that lot would need to live in???, the house my lot will be living in is about 4ft x4ft cube( i think), the run is 12 x 16ft,  shame im allowed 15 on the plot, may be if im allowed 15 per plot then if i had another 5 then may be i could get a way with it, lol
i was told to let them have as much run as i could allow them to have, and of couse you never stop at a few chickens so if i see any chickens that me or katie(9yr old) full in love with then we have space for her, lol (up to 6 in total)....