Diary

Chicken shuffleRSS feed

Posted: Saturday 8 September, 2007

by Rosemary at 8:58pm in Poultry 3 comments Comments closed

Dan and I did a chicken shuffle tonight. We moved the four cockerels that we hatched over the summer into one run - this will be their home until they are killed - and moved the three pullets in together. They will stay there until they all start to lay and can go into the layer flock.

This empties the small Forsham ark and the extension run, so that we can get it cleaned, repaired and painted. Then there will be another shuffle, so we can do the same with the other Forsham ark.

We've bought two new poultry houses this summer, from other manufacturers but it has only confirmed our opinion that the Forsham arks are the best. They are well-built, well designed and very practical. They aren't cheap but are good value for money.

I hope there's not too much fighting in the morning...

Comments

Sara

Wednesday 12 September, 2007 at 5:10pm

I would be interested to know how the all male group get on as I want to separate my male and female guinea fowl.

Sara from farmingfriends

Jo Knight

Monday 17 September, 2007 at 10:14pm

Hello there Rosemary -

just wanted to echo your sentiments about the Forsham Cottage Arks: we currently have two on the go; but having bought other types/makes we've also found nothing to match the Forshams (although the Domestic Fowl Trust at Honeybourne do an excellent range which are great value for money).

We're fellow smallholders in South West Wales on a 36-acre farm with 11 acres of woodland (just as well because we have no central heating!). We are in the process of setting up a dairy making artisan goats' cheese, ice cream & yogurt with the milk from our small pedigree herd of British Toggenburg goats. Thanks to your influence & inspiration, we've just started our own Blog - you can find it at http://littleffarmdairy.wordpress.com - please let us know what you think as we'd be grateful for the feedback from fellow downshifters! Oh yes & you'lll be delighted to learn that you prompted me to do a guilty search for stray ragwort plants I'd missed earlier in the season - just as well, because I found a fair few tucked away in the folds of the meadow. Anyway hope this is the start of a long & 'fruitful' dialogue - if you'll excuse the pun -

Cheers aye,

Jo, Tony & Ffarm Fach menagerie.

Rosemary Champion

Saturday 22 September, 2007 at 10:35am

Not good. We had to take the single cockerel out and keep him on his own. I thought he was going to kill the other three. Hobbes intimidates him a lot but doesn't bother about the other three - maybe they're too immature yet.

So we've still got four houses on the go - but the sinle young cockerel is going in the pot - well, the roasting tin - next weekend. I'm looking forward to fresh chicken but not to killing him.

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