As some of you know, I'm trying to take a back seat and let Brian take on more of the poultry looking after!
Well, while I was in Kent last week he had to look after all of the chooks, including the day old chicks we collected on 21st Feb. This week, I have pushed him into still looking after the chicks much more than me, although I've still been letting the older ones out, feeding them and I did clean out a shed yesterday!
However he did manage to run out of gas for the chicks on Thursday, after sevral reminders from me to phone and order a new cylinder! Won't be here until Tuesday, so lst night at 11.30 we were scrablling around trying to find the infra reds in the greenhouse and getting them hung up!
Last year we were enquiring about getting some black chicks and our hatchery said they were getting some in the New Year. Well they didn't get them, but said that their ex director who is the chap who was going to supply them with eggs may want to sell a few of his breeding stock for the Shaver Blacks.
So Brian spoke to the breeder and we went over to Norfolk on Thursday to pick up 20 hens and 2 cockerals.
That was an experience! I've not seen so many chickens in a shed for years! they must have been at the maximum DEFRA stocking density, they could hardly move! But they all looked happy and they were lovely and clean with plenty of food.
However, they weren't black, so I said to the stockman, what breed are these chickens? The hens look like Barred Plymouth Rocks, no they be shaver blacks he said, and what are the cockerals? They look like RIR's. No he replied, they be shaver blacks too!
Well, I know that basically a shaver black is a cross betwwen a RIR and a BPR, so I don't think he's been in the business very long! lol
Anyway, got them back home and they are very good, but it took them a day to come out of their house as they'd never been out before, bit like the ex batts! Poor things, but then they didn't want to go in either! So the 2nd night I put a torch inside the door and then ushered them in and they went in much better.
They don't like layers pellets much, so Brian told me to put them on wheat and oats, but I don't think there's enough goodness in that for them.
But have a look at the photo's. Notice anything strange about the cockerals??