New member from UK saying Hello

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Glad you're here !

A must have for your poultry is a FIRST AID KIT for any issues that would arise. (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/suggestions-for-a-first-aid-kit.1150128/)
It's definitely better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it.

Also, make sure your coop(s) have a proper amount of VENTILATION. (https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/) Your chickens will absolutely thank you for it!

One last thing, if you're into gardening, feel free to join this years SEED SWAP (https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/seed-swap.1220129/)
 
And a huge THANK YOU to everybody for making me feel so welcome and at home straight away :hugs This has to be THE friendliest and most helpful forum I've ever been on for advice and supporting each other.....I just know my wee girls will be in good hands once I get them as I'll have all you to answer any questions I may have :D

I think it may be a few months before I get my hens as we need to build them a sooper-dooper run and coop but, in the meantime, I'm getting stuck in with my allotment garden and putting in new beds, pulling down the tunnel (Neil will be building a new one later in the year) and ~ I'm Very Excited!!!!!! ~ I'm getting some Quail in about a months' time :wee I work in a shop and last Friday one of my customers, Tony, asked me if I would still be interested in taking his four female Coturnix Quail. He had to move from his former home which had a garden into a house with a concrete yard and always felt guilty about his birds not being able to be on grass as they were previously. Well, he's moving to a new house in four/five weeks' time which unfortunately also has a concrete yard so, as he knew I was going to be getting chickens this year anyway, he offered his girls to me. He reared them from eggs so his family could see them grow and originally had about 10. They're about 3 now so, from what I've read, about 'middle aged' ;) They're still laying eggs ok (or they were last summer as Tony gave me a scotch egg he'd cooked with a quail egg inside instead of a chicken egg - not sure if they do at the mo....probably not) but as far as I'm concerned they will be with me for a spoilt rotten life (aka pets! :lau ) and Neil will be building them a larger run which I will plant up so they can have a relatively natural lifestyle and enjoy doing whatever quails like to do :) From what I gather from Tony's wife they're currently in a run about 4 or 5ft long which also has a coop attached but Tony told me they never use the coop itself (so there's possibly a spare one for me for future use for a hen raising chicks ;) ) and I'll be getting all their food and stuff. They just want a good home for their four girls....and, obviously, I've told them they're more than welcome to come visit their girls and see how they're doing :)

Anyway, postie's been (Neil told me to wait in for a big parcel he was expecting) so I can now head off out to play on the allotment :yesss: Got four days off and forecast is ok so I should get a bit done.
 
Funnily enough I was just thinking yesterday that I'd better start sowing some tomato seeds soon. I generally do a couple of Gardener's Delight but this year my Kitchen Garden magazine has been giving loads of other varieties away so I'm tempted to try another couple too. I've had some onion & shallots for about a month now but not got around to planting them (I generally start them off in pots of compost in the greenhouse) but do have some potatoes chitting on my living room windowsill ;) I got some Anya and Arran Pilot from Wilko.
Stuff like cucumbers and beans etc can wait another few weeks.....especially as they say we're supposed to be getting another cold spell next weekend! Hope not!

I generally work on Sunday but if I finish early I'll let you know. I used to go horse riding years ago (just a beginner mind....never got past canter and still very wobbly on trot!) and loved it and it's something I'd love to get back into in the future....once I shift a few pounds! At the moment I think even a weight bearer like a Highland might balk at me LOL
 
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Yes my weight is creeping steadily upwards these days too but so far the ggs haven't complained. Actually, from the way they behave they don't seem to notice.... it certainly doesn't steady them up any! Last year it was a gloriously sunny day at Hulne Park and we took the horses in the river to cool off afterwards. I doubt we will be so lucky this year with the weather but the parkland is beautiful to ride across and they have quite a few tree trunk jumps to play over. I'm fortunate to have ridden from the age of 6, but I'm losing some of my confidence as I get older. It doesn't help that my horses are not getting more sensible as they age! Rascal will be a juvenile delinquent until the day he dies! At 19 he is showing no sign of gaining any mental maturity and Rebel isn't much better at 20yrs. Thankfully their baby sister who is 9 is less silly, but I will be riding my partner's horse for the ride as his are fitter than mine.

That's great that you are being given some quail. I haven't kept those... yet! Please post some photos of them once they are settled into their new home. If they are anything like chickens, the grass/greenery in their pen will not last long though!

I planted some Japanese onions sets in autumn in some planters so that I could keep them out of the way of my chickens that have had the run of the garden during the winter. I need to pen them in soon so that I can reclaim my garden and it is not going to go down well I think!
Have you sown Wilja potatoes before? I looked at them yesterday and considered getting some. I was brought up on Arran Pilots (my Dad was a fantastic gardener) and nothing beats them for flavour but I like the Nadines because they are scab and blight resistant and are really nice baked. I grew Gardener's delight last year and was a little disappointed with both cropping and flavour, so will be trying something different this year. Sungold are delicious, so I might try those and perhaps some Aylsa Craig. Frost is the big problem here too. Being down in the bottom of the valley near the river you get late frosts. Last year I started my tomatoes too early indoors and they got leggy before I could plant them out in the poly tunnel and even then some of them got nipped.
Anyway, good luck with getting your quail pen knocked up and look forward to seeing photos of them soon.

Regards

Barbara
 
Gillykat said:
Hi everyone :frow I'm Gill and live in Alnwick which is in the fabulously rural county of Northumberland in England (the top right-hand corner bit next to Scotland!). :) Married to Neil since 2001 and, ever since I was a wee bairn, I've always had animals around me. I often say to folks it's easier to say what I haven't had (pony, chickens & tropical fish) than what I have! ;) Neil made the 'mistake' a few weeks ago of saying that perhaps we should get a few chickens (Ha! My subtle hints of the past few months have worked! :yesss: ) as it's my 50th soon and that IS a pretty big birthday and worthy of a pretty decent pressie, ain't it? And since then I've been reading anything and everything I can lay my hands on about chicken husbandry and building coops and runs! Our allotment garden is 90ft x 35ft and I'm currently in the process of pulling down a 30ft polytunnel which was rotten and beginning to keel over and also making a garden where I can relax, read, write and paint......and what better than a few feathered ladies to keep me company too :love

I've been browsing the t'internet for ideas, advice but what I really wanted was a forum that was up to date (so many seemed to have barely a dozen replies to threads a year!!!) where I could chat to other feathered fanatics and learn from their experiences. Years ago, when we fostered old cats, I was a member of a cat rescue community and it was lovely to have somewhere to go to chat to others who didn't think I was 'odd' or a Crazy Cat Lady :lol: *which I was!!!* It would also give poor Neil a break from the relentless onslaught of me asking him whether we should go for this type of coop or that one....what size run....or telling him other facts I'd learnt about chicken husbandry):lau This forum looked SO friendly that, after a couple of days browsing, I plucked up the courage to sign up and.....here I am!

To answer some of the questions in the Intro Advice post.....yes, I'm completely new to chickens (but soaking it all in like a sponge and loving every single minute of it!).....I haven't got my Girls yet. As to breeds....help! :idunno Neil originally said Silkies and they are kinda cute.....but so are SO MANY others!!!!!!! Do I go for bantams or 'normal' sized birds? They are going to be pets first and foremost with any eggs as a nice benefit so perhaps I don't really want a breed or hybrid which will give me 300+ eggs per year (I'll be giving them away to customers in our shop at that rate as, much as I love eggs, I cannot eat a dozen or more a week!) Decisions, decisions.....but in a nice way :D The only negative I've found is mites!!! But I'm sure they won't be a problem as long as I keep an eye out for them and take all available precautions in coop hygiene and maintenance.

For the moment I am thinking either 3-4 of whatever size/breed/variety I go for and I'm planning a huge run (around about 14ft x 8ft x 6ft high) for them for the odd time I have to go to work and am not in the garden to supervise their free ranging. Tonight I've been pricing up 1/2'' welded mesh to use for my run and plan to treat myself to some with my birthday money ;) *that should raise a few eyebrows when folk ask what Neil bought me for my 50th...expecting a nice piece of jewellery etc - not weld mesh!*

Other hobbies/interests include gardening, writing to penpals (got a few in USA, Australia, Canada and UK), painting & sketching and birdwatching. I also work around 25hrs per week in a small convenience store & post office. No other pets at the moment as our last two foster cats, Olivia & Dexter, went off to their new Forever Home two weeks ago....it's the first time since 2009 we haven't had any animals at home!!!

Anyway.....off to browse the rest of the forum and meet you all......:hugs


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Welcome aboard to BYC family gr8 people tons of information loads of fun enjoy shake your tail feathers :jumpy
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Gillykat said:
Hi everyone :frow I'm Gill and live in Alnwick which is in the fabulously rural county of Northumberland in England (the top right-hand corner bit next to Scotland!). :) Married to Neil since 2001 and, ever since I was a wee bairn, I've always had animals around me. I often say to folks it's easier to say what I haven't had (pony, chickens & tropical fish) than what I have! ;) Neil made the 'mistake' a few weeks ago of saying that perhaps we should get a few chickens (Ha! My subtle hints of the past few months have worked! :yesss: ) as it's my 50th soon and that IS a pretty big birthday and worthy of a pretty decent pressie, ain't it? And since then I've been reading anything and everything I can lay my hands on about chicken husbandry and building coops and runs! Our allotment garden is 90ft x 35ft and I'm currently in the process of pulling down a 30ft polytunnel which was rotten and beginning to keel over and also making a garden where I can relax, read, write and paint......and what better than a few feathered ladies to keep me company too :love

I've been browsing the t'internet for ideas, advice but what I really wanted was a forum that was up to date (so many seemed to have barely a dozen replies to threads a year!!!) where I could chat to other feathered fanatics and learn from their experiences. Years ago, when we fostered old cats, I was a member of a cat rescue community and it was lovely to have somewhere to go to chat to others who didn't think I was 'odd' or a Crazy Cat Lady :lol: *which I was!!!* It would also give poor Neil a break from the relentless onslaught of me asking him whether we should go for this type of coop or that one....what size run....or telling him other facts I'd learnt about chicken husbandry):lau This forum looked SO friendly that, after a couple of days browsing, I plucked up the courage to sign up and.....here I am!

To answer some of the questions in the Intro Advice post.....yes, I'm completely new to chickens (but soaking it all in like a sponge and loving every single minute of it!).....I haven't got my Girls yet. As to breeds....help! :idunno Neil originally said Silkies and they are kinda cute.....but so are SO MANY others!!!!!!! Do I go for bantams or 'normal' sized birds? They are going to be pets first and foremost with any eggs as a nice benefit so perhaps I don't really want a breed or hybrid which will give me 300+ eggs per year (I'll be giving them away to customers in our shop at that rate as, much as I love eggs, I cannot eat a dozen or more a week!) Decisions, decisions.....but in a nice way :D The only negative I've found is mites!!! But I'm sure they won't be a problem as long as I keep an eye out for them and take all available precautions in coop hygiene and maintenance.

For the moment I am thinking either 3-4 of whatever size/breed/variety I go for and I'm planning a huge run (around about 14ft x 8ft x 6ft high) for them for the odd time I have to go to work and am not in the garden to supervise their free ranging. Tonight I've been pricing up 1/2'' welded mesh to use for my run and plan to treat myself to some with my birthday money ;) *that should raise a few eyebrows when folk ask what Neil bought me for my 50th...expecting a nice piece of jewellery etc - not weld mesh!*

Other hobbies/interests include gardening, writing to penpals (got a few in USA, Australia, Canada and UK), painting & sketching and birdwatching. I also work around 25hrs per week in a small convenience store & post office. No other pets at the moment as our last two foster cats, Olivia & Dexter, went off to their new Forever Home two weeks ago....it's the first time since 2009 we haven't had any animals at home!!!

Anyway.....off to browse the rest of the forum and meet you all......:hugs


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Hi Gill
Welcome, I only joined yesterday, having found BYC an invaluable source of info over the years to help me with my hens (without registering before), even though it's mainly USA.I'm in Northern Ireland so great to have more UK experience.

I would strongly suggest rescue hens. I started with my rose-tinted view of an ideal group, 3 of various breeds picked form a local breeder, and they were really lovely and laid regularly with little trouble. However, having lost them all over time, I opted next for rescue hens and got 2 from a nearby rescue in Moira. It has been so much more rewarding seeing them improve their health, feathers, combs etc but the main difference I have found is that they are so much more sociable with me, running to me, allowing me to lift and cuddle them - and they lay of course (as the industry usually slaughters at only 18 months when laying doesn't stop just reduces) you should have lots more years of eggs.
The only issues I have found is yes, mites, but they can be treated easily enough with powder in the coop and in their dust bath. Then just worm regularly (I use Flubenvet as recommended by the rescue centre) and keep an eye out for signs of illness. Hens, as all prey animals, hide any issues for so long that usually by the time you realise there's an issue, it's too late.
The other thing is watch for egg bound hens, I had to take one of my original hens to the vet who broke the egg inside her - it was just too big. Shortly after that she laid a 'lash egg', a really strange looking thing, then what seemed to be her 'tubes', after that she never laid again.
I have never bathed mine, but apparently a warm bath help with an egg-bound hen.
My best advice is to keep to maintain good health practices and avoid issues rather than having to treat issues, so a good quality feed, regular healthy treats, apple cider vinegar in the water, flax oil regularly for feathers etc
And, of course, access to your herb garden to keep your pests at bay - win win!
Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask - anything - keeping hens is a real joy :)
 
Willowfield ~ I was originally tempted to adopt some ex-battery hens as we found caring for the old & abused cats so rewarding when they began to blossom and trust again....taking on abused hens seemed the obvious step for us both. But then a couple of people who'd had ex-batts said they had nothing but problems with them with them getting egg-bound etc and they were back and forth to the vet with them (I've already sourced a good chicken vet here in town....same branch who were so good with my cats.....as well as a company who will care for my girls if I ever go on holiday) and it kinda put me off a little :hmm That's why I started looking towards 'pedigree' breeds from decent hatcheries/companies (like Durham Hens) as they vaccinate and have such fabulous reviews from folk who've had birds from then. They also do a one day course to show the basics of hen husbandry which I am mulling over the idea of booking up for :)
But today I was chatting to one of the guys, John, who has a plot two up from me and he's had ex-batts for five years and never had a problem with them. I DO support the British Hen Welfare Trust and get their Chicken & Egg magazine (got Spring issue on Friday) so getting some tatty young ladies and pampering them back to full health IS very appealing :hugs

First thing is to get my coop and run built though and once that is done I can source some ladies to fill it ;) I'll keep you's all filled in on my progress....
 
A quick update:

Got my roll of weld mesh.....half inch, 48inch tall and 30m long (90ft!!!) so next thing next month when I get paid is to check out wood 'n' stuff (probably from the sawmill in Hulne Park itself) and price it up. The weather has remained SO cold and wet since I last posted so the allotment is still no further forward but this coming week (15th onwards) is looking much better so I think I'll be spending every available daylight hour I can on the plot to get the veg beds marked out & dug. Seeds can be sown too and I'm expecting some asparagus crowns to be delivered as well.
Tony decided to keep his quail so, sadly, we won't be getting them but my chickens are definitely still on the agenda this year *the sooner the better if I have my way!* ;)

Oh, and Neil has decided he simply can NOT live without a cat so once we've finished painting the walls of the living room and stairs we'll be on the hunt for a couple of kittens :hugs We've had years of looking after oldies so have decided to 'treat' ourselves and go for a couple of babies this time :D
 

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