Anyone keep/kept chickens here?
 

I am hoping to get some cute little chicks sometime this week and am a bit confused as to what to get.

I want Bantams hatching eggs/chicks.We want to see the chicks hatch

The plan is to have eggs later on but i don't want a cock, just the ladies. I know you can get egg laying chickens that don't need a cock but can i get bantams that don't need the male input?

I live in Hertfordshire, can anyone help? :thumb:

Killjoy! ;)

Great big waste of space :p

I'll raise you...

You could try :D

If you want chicks you need some cock(s), if you just want eggs then no male input required

Its just the eggs we want. Dont know is Bantams lay eggs with out the cock though :wonder:

There are chickens in our Stable Yard. They spend more time in our garden, much to Jets delight :lol1: There is a cock too, he gets bossed about something rotten :D

you do not need a cock to get eggs, we had 3 hens (no cock) for a few years and regularly got 16-20 eggs a week.

If you get some feed them anything, they love meat - bacon rind, chicken, etc.

I seem to remember feeding Chickens with Chicken was a bad idea, cant remember why.

You could of got a max 10k fine for that and a criminal record.

Sara, have a read of this...

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welf...layerscode.pdf

used to half about a dozen chickens and a cock, they were fantastic to have running around. We also had at the same time a Goat and 3 geese. I am not ashamed to say the Geese scared the **** out of me as the leader "Jemima Puddle Duck" had it in for me!:lol1:

I used to look after Chickens (and other animals) when I worked on a farm, there is nothing funnier than watching a Bantam run when your trying to catch it to put it in the coop for the night! :lol1: There was also a 4 year old Turkey, now it wasn't so fun to try and catch, 'twas a grumpy old sh!t! :D

I have light sussex, big birds, friendly, low maintenance, good layers. hate bantams, too small, flighty, neurotic, and too much work to pluck then eat.

We have 3 warrens and a couple of sussex hens. There were 3 of each, but one had a game of chicken with my Jack Russell!
They're great pets. They really love being with people, and will follow you around and poke their beaks in where they're noy wanted, like most females.
Our's are spoilt rotten. They get warm porridge on these cold winter mornings, and are very partial to mango (39p at LIDL!).
For a hen house, avoid the Ebay cheapies. The doors will swell up at the first sniff of rain, trapping them inside.
Practical Poultry is where the chicken nutters hang out, and is good for all manner of advice.
We get 5 eggs a day, and they really do taste better, but at over a quid each, so they should!

Squaresey, one minute you don't want a cock, then you don't need a cock.....

And now you want me to try and raise you?

Sorry, i'm too young!!! You'll get a name for yourself saying that to whippersnappers like myself...... :P

Used to have 36,000 hens, laid no probs at all and certainly no cockerill required:cool:

And now can anyone tell me what the best hens are for laying?

I wanted smaller birds so they are not too much bigger than my dogs, any suggestions? :wonder: