[VM]

Thanks everyone for advice and views - and thanks Peggy for your reply re: organic feed as well - I'll check out hipeak - I think we'll want to use organic feed if we can.

We've been to Chelford once with a neighbour and it was interesting, but think I wouldn't buy there unless said neighbour could come with us again and tell us what to do! We're too new at chickens and at auctions to do well at it, I think.

We're getting chickens with people on the neighbouring allotment plot - seems better to have more chickens in one bigger run than lots of smaller runs on individual allotments - and we can share care if we go away etc. So decisions about what we get will have to be made by committee!

Think we'll just be starting with 6 or 8 hens and reading what you've said has confirmed my feeling that a few hybrids together with some pure breeds will be the best bet. Like the idea of keeping old breeds going, but as well we are all trying to eat well for not much money and so reasonable egg production is important!

Thanks again - really helpful reading other people's views and experience.

[babe]

im not saying

you never know who might see

[Kym503]

Well here in Kent (Dartford/Swanley) I paid £11 for each of POL (Sussex Silver, Sussex Light, 2 black ones and a brown one...).  The hen house was a shed from Wickes (£99) and the very secure covered run was made for about £150.  The wire was free (off the tip).  I thought a 20 foot run would be plenty big enough but the little darlings have now taken over the large green house. This runs along side one side of the run and is easily accessable by lifting up a pane of glass!  I thought this would be a good idea for them to have additional space in the winter, rather than let them out of the 'secure' run to free range when I wasn't sure what time I'd be homefrom work.

The result - I now have 6 chooks who produce 5/6 eggs a day and are sold for £1 a box, no tomato plants or cucumber plants in the green house and because they are hybrids I gather (from reading this site) that they are unlikely to go broody so can't raise a few chicks to increase the flock and help meet the huge demand for eggs that I have from my neighbours.

But look on the bright side - I have 6 very pampered and well loved hens living in luxury with more room than they know what to do with, and an OH who if he reads this will go mad when he finds out the true cost ..... sorry Darling! XXX

[Jellyhead]

because they are hybrids I gather (from reading this site) that they are unlikely to go broody so can't raise a few chicks to increase the flock and help meet the huge demand for eggs that I have from my neighbours.

I didn't realise that, I have broody hybrids, are they the exception then???

[nettynoodles1]

i have paid a variety of prices for mine ranging from £5 for pol marans and warrans to £15 for a bluebelle and most recently i paid  £20 for  my silkie grower 10 weeks and £15 for my lemon cukoo peking grower 11 weeks prolly over priced but from a good breeder fully innoculated and they are just sooooooooooooo lovely.

bred some myself and that cost next to nothing just food/ bedding for mummy hen.

[Bodger]

A fiver for the Marans was very good.

[pushrod]

i  recently i paid  £20 for  my silkie grower 10 weeks  from a good breeder fully innoculated and they are just sooooooooooooo lovely.

.

Hope you have more joy than i did when i paid that sort of money for show quality silkies from a breeder/enthusiast. They were nice looking birds but not very robust - i suspect they were a bit inbred.