[Bigblacktaximan]

Firstly,   may I introduce myself to the group,

My Name's Neil, Im in Chelmsford Essex and a recent convert (& enthusiast) to keeping chickens.

I have 6 hybrids at home,  4 of whom are laying one a day  (why is it the biggest bird is laying the smallest egg  )

Anyways I digress,     On my allotment plot I am hoping to use a 25m electric poultry net to make an enclosure  6m x 6.5m to keep birds to be reared for the table rather than egg production (am I the only person who keeps chickens despite an aversion to eggs )

How many can I keep in this size of area ?

[poultrygeist]

Hi Bigblacktaximan. 

In theory, you can keep up to about 3 dozen but sensibly, about a dozen or so. We do have a member Babe), who isn't around at the moment, who kept lots of assorted chickens but didn't like eggs.

Rob

[Roughlee Handled]

If you are going to go for hybrid meat birds that will not live past 14 weeks I would suggest 13-4 this will give you a ratio of 1 bird to every 3 metres. In the winter you will need it but so they do not turn the place to mud. In the summer you could have more chickens 2 metres per chicken.  But it depends really on what the quality of life you want to give the birds.  

How are you going to pluck the chickens? To pluck by hand it takes about an hour per bird.

[Bigblacktaximan]

Well,
Eggs as far as Im concerned are the spawn of satan and completely un natural and to consider eating them OMG, (they come out of chickens bums ya know ! (may not be technically correct) so Im giving them away to friends , family, neighbours.

Plucking will be done by hand,   wont be culling all birds at same time, and yes I want them to have an existance that's balanced between better than acceptable and productive.

I had hoped somewhere in region of 12- 15 birds,  this will vary as birds are culled at 14 - 20 weeks dependant on breed.

Trouble Im having is finding a supplier of 'table birds' near to me in Essex

[Roughlee Handled]

Ask GrannieAnnie. She may be able to help
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?action=profile;u=77

[sheringhamlass]

hi, I'm new here too, but a huge welcome to the site. Isn't it an amazing place?

Anyway, about finding table birds in your area. We got all our girls from "Cambridge Poultry". Google it. You'll find egg producing and table birds there. Seems to be one lady doing what she loves. Out of the 15 'hens' we bought from her, only one turned out to be a cock bird. And what a handsome boy he is too.