Anyone want chickens?

Honestly, in fact it says 'no chickens or pidgeons' .... My Daughter would love it if we had ducks!!

 

Let me get back to you - raising ducklings is a lot messier than chicks. I'll have another broody by then, probably more. One of them lays for three weeks, then goes broody. Repeat all year. Sigh.

However, I have found a solution - a friend makes/sells poultry housing near me and wants a trio (2 hens and a cock) as a selling point...'this what they look like with chickens in them. She keeps ducks too, so knows her poultry. I am getting some fertilised eggs this week and she'll have what she wants and I sell the rest.

So, Salmon Faverolles anyone? Lovely docile breed and friendly breed

Vicky, you would love having chickens. They don't need a huge amount of space, just somewhere secure to sleep and lay and a run to pootle about in during the day. But if you're getting any, get three, not two, just in case one of them keels over and dies, leaving her friend, friendless :(

The secret with raising meat birds is not to name them. And thinking that they have had a brilliant life right up to the moment of culling. A lot better than what commercial birds have.

 

A covenant eh?

I believe they can be overturned by the Allotment Act, but don't quote me.

 

Oh really? Hmmmmm, worth considering me thinks!

 

SG in Canada we raised 'meat king' chickens - for the meat - purpose built - after four months some of our chickens were 14 lbs in weight! We did name them, as the kids thought it was fair to do so. They had to name them after a meal though - so named them things like 'stir fry' ' casserole' 'buffalo chook' etc. We also had three piglets that were raised for the freezer - didn't realise hwo stinky they could get - and when slaughtered and hams/bacon smoked, we had to take hams and bacon around to our neighbours (a whole two!) and give them some of the 'better smelling' meat.
Our ducks now though are purely for eggs. I think if you decide on the outset the purpose of the animal, then if being eaten, the end result is not as hard on the kids especially.

 

A friend raises her own birds for the table and when it came to culling them, her littlies were the most intrigued and interested in the process. Not in the culling, but in helping with the plucking and preparation afterwards...and was fascinated by the bird hanging (as is customary) in the kitchen! She knew the bird as it was running around the garden, but also understood that it was dinner!

 

Sussexgardener,
I keep thinking aobut keeping chickens and maye I will get there in the next 6 months or so.
I will contact you again nearer the time to see if you have any then.
Though I'm in MK, I go down to Horsham every month.

 

Cheers Shobhna and feel free to ask any questions. If you want to save a trip, there will be plenty of breeders close to you - I can think of a couple off the top of my head.

 

I am curious, how much do you want for a chicken? Or are you doing this out of good will (free)?
I would have to ask my mum if we could have chickens.

 

I would like to know where to find chickens as well as owls in East London.

 

A OWL !?

 

That is a fowl joke John!

 

Try Mudchute City Farm

 

Much obliged, Sir.