[richyrich7]

Any body have any experience with light Sussex x Rhode island reds ?

Local farmer's got some POL for £6 each, It's either them or warren hybrids to choose from at £4.50 each from somewhere else.

I was going to go for a pure breed but they seem to be a bit steep on the price and all we want is eggs.

Over to you guys 'n gels

[babe]

i have three warrens and they are my favourites.

always at the gate when they hear me coming and will happily climb up on my lap for a treat.

they are so friendly and funny, the reason i fell in love with chickens. and so far they have each laid an egg every day.

[slowef]

Go for the Rhode Islands they are brilliant layers.  

I think 6.00 is good I have been trying to find some for my daughter locally and they want £9-£14  per bird.

[KathyH]

The RIR and L Sussex cross produces a Bovan Goldline and its an excellent layer and a friendly hen. They are supposed to lay between 250 and 300 eggs per year and are one of the hybrids used widely in commercial chicken farms.
 Sad to think of that as ours is an inquisitive little soul and enjoys an explore.
We have just the one in our new little trio and they are all just coming up to lay (fingers still crossed!). "Henna" the Goldline is the most adventurous and curious of them all and is very friendly.
I would go for the £6. We paid £10 for ours.

[mercury]

Go for the RIRxLS, richy, lovely birds, and £6 is a good price, it always makes me mad, when i see pure breeds advertised at astronomical prices,(£50 in some cases) the breeders are always promoting the pure breeds, but dont encourage people to buy them, i think they're greedy, rant over.  

[MontyTom]

I have a few warrens and they lay like troopers.

[richyrich7]

Yes must agree Monty I've had them a couple of times before and they lay like machines and a very friendly easy to tame bird. Just really wondered what the LSxRIR where like.

Mercury I think your right some of the prices you see :shock:

Thanks everyone

[GrannieAnnie]

As you know Richy, Warrens are egg laying machines, but I have heard so many good things about RIR x LS,  that if I had £6 per bird, I'd buy some.  Unfortunately, now we are not getting many eggs from our ex batt girls (about 1 dozen a day from 50 chooks!) we'll have to look for the cheapest we can find!

[richyrich7]

Mmm biggest thing I found with the warrens they took an age to moult and did'nt "do much good" after that, perhaps it's because they lay so intensely first year or perhaps it was something I did wrong  :?  would quite like the x's but not sure how much longer I'm gonna have to wait for them, and I wonder how they perform 2nd year of lay etc

[GrannieAnnie]

All the 'hybrid' chooks are bred to only lay intensively for 72 weeks, after that they are k*******d anyway.  We've had our first lot of ex batts a year now, so they are 2 and a half, and like I said they've just about done as much as they can I think.

But pure breeds can go on laying for several years, so why not a nice RIRxLS too?

[richyrich7]

Ok so I've gone and ordered 4 RIRxLS  POL birds and they will be ready for collection at the end of Sept, and now I'm all excited   :roll:
Gives me time to put a new roof on the run etc.

BTW Grannie the farmer I'm getting them from said pretty much the same as you about hybrids.

And I've told the kids No naming them this time    

[Aunt Sally]

And I've told the kids No naming them this time    

Oh yeh... like that'll work  :roll:

[richyrich7]

And I've told the kids No naming them this time    

Oh yeh... like that'll work  :roll:

Ok no telling me what they have called them  

[Aunt Sally]

And I've told the kids No naming them this time    

Oh yeh... like that'll work  :roll:

Ok no telling me what they have called them  

      That won't work either  :roll: