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I am almost ready for my chickens but totally cannot decide what breed/s to have. mainly we want them for eggs and pets. Would prefere something easy to handle and friendly and lots of eggs. Is it ok to keep many types together? All our fences are now just under 6ft. Don't really want a breed that defiantly won't go broody, but not one that is very likely too either. We cannot keep a cock and are thinking (at some point) of buying some eggs to hatch so a broody hen would be a help. I like Brahmas but know nothing of what they are like and also rhode island reds. Seen some very pretty Exchequer Leghorns too. I'd also like a breed thats quite plain and chicken looking, if you see what I mean? just brown, like red sussex.

So many to chose from, is too hard they won't be eaten so I'm not worried about how big they will be

G'Day 2Steps,

We have always had Rhodies, but now have some Austrlorps as well. Both are good for us - and not too flighty once they get used to us. The Rhodies certainly go broody (don't go for spent layers if you want broody) and can be a pain that way. I don't know what sort of mothers they make but I suspect pretty good.

Lots of luck!

Nev

2steps wrote: So many to chose from, is too hard they won't be eaten so I'm not worried about how big they will be

Generally, the heavier they are, the less likely to get across your fence, if that's an issue!

Ina

maybe an issue. could they get over a 6ft fence as thats the highest we're allowed? I doubt they'd be bothered but I'd go out and go nooo there's one missing!

My friend's got rather light hens, and they are very good flyers!
Way over my head, anyway. They often perch about twice as high as I am, which means they can easily get up 11 foot or so... If they really want to. I am going to get Black Rock (when I get round to it ), they are supposed to be nice and quiet and domestic, stay-at-home!

Ina

When we kept chooks, our fences were only waist high, and we clipped one wing on each chook, after that, none got over the fence. Ours were Red Shavers, from a free-range farm.

Yeah Magpie, We've found that wing clipping only slows down a really determined chook!

Nev

Ours are heavy breeds and clipping one wing didn't make any difference to the one who wants to get out. So now all the fences are about 6 foot and so far, so good. (She does keep eyeing them up though!).

If she gets over then I give up cos we've spent a ruddy fortune on fencing wire due to this chook. She's also the one who goes broody. Give me the plain red hybrid Sussex anyday! They lay better too!

Actually I am letting them out about twice a week now to totally free range and they are having a whale of a time scratching around under the pine trees and in all the leaves and long grass of the woodland area. Sometimes they follow me around and then Daisy the cat brings up the rear like a well trained sheepdog and I just have hysterics! Oh they are fun!

I can't wait. everyone else in the world likes I'm mad

Does anyone have light sussex's? and if I have a few chickens is it easy to introduce others at a later date?

Two Steps,

If you intorduce new chooks to exisitng ones (particularly if the newer ones are smaller) they wil cop a bit of a pecking until they re-sort out the pecking order. After that things should be fine!

Nev

I've had Warrens, Black Rocks and a speckledy hen. The speckledy is a little greedy guts and a real character. She elbows the others out of the way when she spots they have got to the food first. Always reminds me of a little old lady getting to the front of the scrummage at a jumble sale... She lays quite well too. The Warrens are lovely friendly, easy to handle little hens that lay loads of eggs. The Black Rocks have been the shortest lived of my hens and didn't prove nearly so easy to handle as the Warrens. Nor did they lay as many eggs as the Warrens. As of today I am down to 3 hens so I want to get some more next spring. If I get a choice, I would go for Warrens again. Last spring, I was offered some chicks that a local primary school had hatched and needed a home. I had no space then. Hopefully I'll get offered some chicks again but if not, then Warrens it is.

Jo

I've been trying to find photos on the web of Warrens, but although they are mentioned a lot, I can't find a picture! What do they look like?

Ina

2steps wrote: I can't wait. everyone else in the world likes I'm mad

Does anyone have light sussex's? and if I have a few chickens is it easy to introduce others at a later date?

Hi

We have light and buff sussex - really good egg laying from the light sussex and very tasty the eggs are too!!

The buff sussex we've just introduced and they are being kept separately at the moment as the two pullets are only little and would be attacked by the other birds if we just let them mix immediately. We also have a buff cockerel but he's huge so we have to keep him separately from the pullets for a few weeks yet.

We use electric fencing so that they can free range to a good extent while hopefully avoiding mr fox! Mr Fox took a few of our birds when we lived in Herefordshire, including our beautiful BIG mother goose

I'd definitely recommend keeping chooks to anyone - they are great fun.

Shirlz xx

Ooops , you've just answered the question I asked you on another thread... SHould have read all your postings first.

Ina

Warrens

Ina - they are little brown hens. They were first recognised as a 'legitimate' hybrid over a hundred years ago. They were first bred to be battery hens so they were meant to be of a peaceful temperament. The only picture I can remember off the top of my head is on the low impact living website:

http://www.lowimpact.org

http://www.lowimpact.org/infosheetpoultry.pdf

They have info sheets and one is on poultry. At the bottom of the first info sheet, there is a nice picture of some Warrens

Jo