The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Bordersbairn on July 29, 2010, 05:14:05 pm

Title: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Bordersbairn on July 29, 2010, 05:14:05 pm

Really interesting posts on this site - I'm enjoying it.  We're in the centre of the Borders and have a medium sized garden with only a few other houses nearby and we're planning to keep three or four chickens.  We've got the henhouse (tonight's building project if the rain stays away) but does anyone know where I can find hens in this area please?  I'd really like a Marans along with a couple of good white and brown egg layers.  Any help, hints and tips welcome!   :D
Cheers, Bordersbairn

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: jameslindsay on July 29, 2010, 05:17:23 pm

Hello and welcome from Fife  :wave:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Samantha on July 29, 2010, 05:18:43 pm

Hi there and welcome to the forum .. from not so sunny Bristol  :wave:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Daisys Mum on July 29, 2010, 05:57:12 pm

Hi and welcome from a fellow Borderer, if you are looking for hybrid hens here is a Peebles number 01721 740226, I have had hens from them before and they are ok, sorry cant help with the Marans although I am hoping to get Maran eggs into the incubator soon.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: woodlandproductsfife on July 29, 2010, 07:09:06 pm

hi and welcome again from Fife

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: carrie on July 29, 2010, 07:38:53 pm

hello and welcome from ireland

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Anke on July 29, 2010, 09:42:23 pm

Hi, I am in the Borders too (near St Boswells) and have Maran crosses. I use a Maran Cockerel on both RIR and Lght Sssx. The offspring is dark and lays light to medium brown eggs.

Pure marans are difficult to get hold of, you would have to go to one of the poultry sales. Even then it is not guaranteed that they will be dark eggs layers.

Ogilvie of Longniddrie advertises in Country Smallholding, but I think its only RIR and Lt Ssx and other utility breeds he does. Also there is Poultry magazine, and they have addresses in the back, but you might have to travel.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Pony-n-trap on July 29, 2010, 10:05:40 pm

Hi from Aberdeenshire!!

I have black bantams, well, saying that they have quite a bit of red on them, hatched them all out of incubator, so far 8 cockerels and 6 hens with another 15 eggs in the incubator to hatch this weekend, boss then has half a dozen or so Legbars ready for me to hatch!!

I think I am becoming a hatchery!!  Got 4 ducks and 2 drakes too, again from the incubator.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Rosemary on July 30, 2010, 08:43:35 am

Hi and welcome!

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Hilarysmum on August 02, 2010, 01:24:54 pm

Hi and welcome, I'm a great fan of brahmas.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: JulieS on August 02, 2010, 01:36:46 pm

Hello and welcome from Devon  :)

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Sandy on August 04, 2010, 08:09:48 pm

Hello from Clackmannann, whops, too many N's any way, it's central Scotland.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: piggy on August 04, 2010, 11:13:50 pm

Hi and welcome from Suffolk.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: sheardale on August 07, 2010, 04:31:30 pm

Hi from Sunny Dollar           :wave: :wave: :wave: :wave:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: jameslindsay on August 07, 2010, 04:47:12 pm

Hi and welcome  :wave:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Mickyork on August 07, 2010, 05:22:51 pm

Hi and welcome from North Yorkshire   8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: little blue on August 07, 2010, 08:04:33 pm

hello and welcome

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Bordersbairn on August 19, 2010, 04:10:26 pm

Thanks for all these lovely welcome messages!  We've picked up three lovely hens - a White Star, an Amber Star and a Blackrock - which are keeping us busy.  They're settling in well and we've built them an extended run so they're not tripping over each other and we're working our way through a menu of fruit and veg to see what's hot and what's not.  I've managed to find a lady about half an hour away from us who keeps Marans and I hope to add one along with a Cream Legbar from the same source very soon.  Fingers crossed for a smooth integration!  (and maybe some eggs soon!) :chook:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: jameslindsay on August 19, 2010, 04:15:20 pm

Well done but let me tell you you will struggle to fond anything that they won't like to eat. My lot eat simply everything and have not yet found anything that they won't eat. They get all the scraps of veg, salad etc from the hotel and just love it, especially any prawns. :yum:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: BlueDaisy on August 20, 2010, 09:46:40 am

Hello :wave:

Favourites here include grapes (watch your fingers!) and left over cat food! ;)

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: storm35 on August 23, 2010, 05:54:47 pm

Hello and welcome, another from scottish borders.

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: Bordersbairn on August 27, 2010, 08:15:16 pm

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.  I'm finding that grapes and worms are a great incentive for our girls to jump about the place!  The youngest but biggest (Blackrock) is leaping up to the treat-hole to take them out of our fingers much to the dismay of chief hen but much daintier White Star who couldn't possibly get involved in such immature behaviour.  Must try them on prawns although there's never much waste when they're on our menu!   :corn:

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: storm35 on September 01, 2010, 07:58:10 pm

Quote from: Bordersbairn on August 27, 2010, 08:15:16 pm

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.  I'm finding that grapes and worms are a great incentive for our girls to jump about the place!  The youngest but biggest (Blackrock) is leaping up to the treat-hole to take them out of our fingers much to the dismay of chief hen but much daintier White Star who couldn't possibly get involved in such immature behaviour.  Must try them on prawns although there's never much waste when they're on our menu!   :corn:

Where abouts in the borders are you?

Title: Re: Hi from the Scottish Borders
Post by: viewfield on September 01, 2010, 08:57:57 pm

Welcome to the forum , I love the borders we lived in the Ettrick Valley loved it....
this is a great place for any tips and information or help you need with anything from chickens to veggies