[boosh]

I hope i've posted on the correct forum.
Looking to aquire some chickens we are allowed to keep 3 in our garden. Visted the website Free at Last, which supply ex battery hens for a small fee + donation if you want too.
Our local pet food supplier, Jollys. Has Chickens for sale several breads for £18.00 each or 3 for £50.00.
Is the Jollys a good deal and how difficult is it to bring battery hens back to decent happy Chickens, I know you should not mix the ex batterys with the other chickens which i won't do.
So for a novice which would be the best way to go. Thankyou.

[joyfull]

hi Boosh and welcome to our world 
If you look at this link you may find breeders close by you:-

http://www.poultry.allotment-garden.org/poultry-suppliers/index.php

Do you want chickens for eggs or do you want to get rescue girls? There is no guarantee that ex batts will ever lay for you and they can come with all sorts of problems. They may also only live for about another year but it is rewarding watching them recover and learn how to become real chickens after the miserable life they have had in their cage.
As for the trio (a trio usually means 2 hens and a cockerel so you may need to clarify this) it depends on the breed. Pure breeds generally tend to be more expensive and lay less eggs per week but lay for longer and they can live to be over 10. Hybrids tend to lay lots of eggs for a couple of years and then tail off and these generally die at a younger age. Look at lots of different breeds to see what you like the look of. Also you need to think about whether you want large fowls or bantams. Bantams can come very small like seramas and sablepoots through to smaller versions of large fowls. True bantams have no large fowl equivelent.

[boosh]

Thankyou for the info joyfull 

[evie2]

Hi Boosh, I'm bias, Sablepoots are tiny bundles of character and very pretty.  Don't know about egg size as mine aren't laying yet 

[boosh]

Hi Boosh, I'm bias, Sablepoots are tiny bundles of character and very pretty.  Don't know about egg size as mine aren't laying yet 

I shall pass this info onto my OH as she will choose what chickens we get in the end.  and these sound like the sort she would go for 

[GrannieAnnie]

Sablepoots are wonderful.  Joyfull has some, but they have to be kept in during the winter, or very well protected.

the eggs are tiny, as I incubated 4 for Joyfull earlier in the year and I was worried the eggs would fall through the holes in the trays!

Here they are!

[Sassy]

They look like quail with tails

[rachelr]

Hi earlier this year I got 4 hens from a local supplier once they had setled in i got some ex batterys. Most ex battery people will not let you take lesss than 3 so it would be a hard choice for you. I am such a convert to chickens that i enjoy them and whilst their nice eggs are a bonus they give us hours of fun just watching them.

Grannie anne has helped me a lot and check out her blog. also read wat other people say. I am looking at getting some with blue eggs they seem weird. but i might have to make my kitchen bigger as they will keep coming in to check wat is for dinner!

One thing that everyone has said is try and get all your chooks at one time so that the pecking order is sorted especially when you are getting just three. My ex batterys are after two weeks begining to look a lot better and two of the three are laying already.

[evie2]

Our poots are still coming in at night to keep them safe from the badger, the fox and next doors cats but it's just until we get their coop and run completely safe or I can persuade OH they're big poots now and can look after themselves

[peter rooster]

Hi

I would check local markets, I got a marran hen and eight chicks for £17 from Selby market. Just waiting for them to lay now (the 4 cocks wont lay as they are in the freezer now ) better to take some body who knows hens with you.

[tedsdad]

If you want eggs and are new to poultry - keeping iwould go for a decent RIR\LS type hybrid hen at point of lay.They should be agreat deal cheaper than £18 .They are bred to be kept as free range birds,they have hybrid vigour,and are just as much fun as any other chicken(every breed has it's passionate devotees,and they'll probably contradict this, but it's true  -  I love Indian Game birds,being Cornish, but I wouldn't start with them)Check out Cyril Bason in Craven Arms,they deliver all over the country.

[EJCTM]

Hi Boosh,

You are not far from me, I am near Ware. I got my hens from a great home breeder in Romford. They are Rhode Island Red/Light Sussex cross, which is s sex-linked hybrid (although he keeps other breeds too). That means you know you are getting girls and not boys from day one, as they hatch out different colours. They are also great free-rangers and lay an egg every day except in harsh winter and during a moult. They are 2 years old now and very happy hens!

We got them as day old chicks as the children wanted to watch them grow up. You have to keep them indoors for 3-4 weeks with a lamp for heat in a large box or cage, but it was lovely to see them grow. If you want grown up hens, then you should get "point of lay" chickens who will be from 18-22 weeks old and should be sexed as females by then.

I would consider your neighbours if you get a cockerel as they crow at first light which could be half four in the morning! You don't need a cockerel to have eggs, and our girls are all happy spinsters!

I would be happy if you and the missus wanted to pop round and see my set up to give you some ideas. There is a good freecycle site for both Hertford and Harlow, and you might be able to get a free 2nd hand shed to use for a coop - I did!

You can find a list of breeders here http://www.bestofbreeds.com/countrybreeds/poultry/poultry.htm

I got mine from John Palmer who is on the list. He was very kind and let me see his flock so I knew what conditions the chickens were kept in.

Hope that is helpful.

[boosh]

Hi EJCTM
Thankyou for that.
We have asked Harlow Council what we are allowed to do and how many we can keep, We are allowed a max of three to five depending on the size of garden and coop witch they would come round and check before we aquired the chickens and no Cockerel because of the neigbours, who we have to ask to see if they have any quams about us keeping them.

[EJCTM]

You can also "bribe" the neighbours with the promise of free fresh eggs   

[tesni]

it's not local to you but our local egg producer sells POL hybrids for £7.50 each - you could try contacting any local to you to see if that is an option.  It worked well for us when we were starting out as chicken owners as they came vaccinated, not too expensive and we had the feel good factor of pre saving some battery hens!