The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Jay C on April 29, 2009, 01:41:58 pm
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Hello members
After talking with some people and pointed in the way of Black Rocks for there ease to there starter owner im now looking in to buying ourselfs four girls for there egg's.
What im after is young girls around 8/10 weeks off laying eggs just so we can get used to each other and help them settle in better with my family.
Now can anybody with a good breed of Black Rocks help me out on a sale and help get me set up please :)
I live in Barrow Upon Humber, North Lincolnshire with my partner and three girls oldest been 11 so your more then welcome to pop in for a cuppa and a chat on the subject if you'd be in the area that is ;)
Thanks for your time,
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Jay c,
i would personally say just get birds at point of lay and get on with it. it's not rocket science, and birds will soon get used to the hand that feeds them. Try Outgate Poultry, not far from you, and the chap is really helpful. he has pol of many types of hybrid, some similar to black rock, but all have similar charecters. your kids will love them, when they arrive, and could go and help you pick them up.
good luck
carl
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Jay c,
i would personally say just get birds at point of lay and get on with it. it's not rocket science, and birds will soon get used to the hand that feeds them. Try Outgate Poultry, not far from you, and the chap is really helpful. he has pol of many types of hybrid, some similar to black rock, but all have similar charecters. your kids will love them, when they arrive, and could go and help you pick them up.
good luck
carl
Hi Carl,
what do you mean POINT OF LAY? Still quiet new to all this :-[
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A hen should start to lay at about 26 weeks can be a few weeks earlier for the typical red hen. You buy the hen at around 20 weeks and these are called pol they tend to be the easiest option. The draw back is that the older the hen the more it costs. Blackrocks are a nice bird will make a small tablebird at the end of laying. Don't be scared as long as they have shelter food and water you won't go wrong. I would recommend buying a good basic guide book on hens as a start.
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sorry jayc, i should be a bit less technical. i mean young females, old enough to look after themselves and nearly or about to start laying their first eggs. it is not an exact science as all creatures mature at different speeds. usually when they are moved to a new home they will take a short while to get settled any way. some might lay straight away like some i got earlier this year, including some ex commercial hens from outgate. others might take a while and you think you'll never get an egg. but when they start its fantastic. I still take great delight picking up every new egg even though i have had up to 32 a day. the beauty of point of lay is that you will get the best years of the birds life. black rocks are very hardy and easy to keep, but I would think that once they stop laying they may be too old for the table, and have not much meat on, compared to bigger breeds.
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ive not tried one yet but they look a lot meatier than highlines
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What be the best starter bird then (All rounder)
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It all depends what you want them for. Lots of eggs a hybrid layer Cheap and easy. usual eggs traditional breeds. meat birds lots of choices. Decorative bantams
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It all depends what you want them for. Lots of eggs a hybrid layer Cheap and easy. usual eggs traditional breeds. meat birds lots of choices. Decorative bantams
Has im new to the bird owning world then it be a hardy bird, very tame and a good supply of egg's
They will be for the table after there days but no bothered about big or small bird.
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aye, hybrid layers for lots of eggs, easy to keep, forget the meat. trad breeds for looks, some give reasonable egg production, also different egg colours, some also give you the option of a good size for meat. even some of the more traditional breeds are hybrids, so they get the qualities people cherish. my first birds were a mottley bunch i inherited when I moved in. they were all passed it and gave very few eggs. I moved these on to the market. I then bought some black rocks and some light sussex, who still give me eggs, after a few years. I have added , by swapping and buying, ixworths, faverolles, marans, legbars and leghorns.I now have 30 + birds who lay me a pile of multicoloured eggs every day. If I get too many birds I usually swap them with neighbours who want that particular breed for looks or egg colour.i despatch any cockerels born, and have just done a little lesson in how to best do it and process the carcass. ( was a bit reluctant to do before and wasted a lot of meat feeding the cat). there are so many breeds with excellent chareceristics that it would be impossible to give a definitive answer. maybe see what your girls like the look of and see if it works. light sussex, rhode island reds, ixworths might give you most of your needs.
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We are first time hen owners and got our Black Rocks at around 14 - 16 weeks old. It seemed an age before they layed but once they have started it is brilliant and I still love going out and collecting them. They are very friendly (in fact one is too friendly and I cant get anything done for her she wants on my knee or on my shoulder all the time!) and just love company or is it the food?! They are all used to being handled now and are a pleasure, wish I had got them years ago.
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I was, like you an absolute novice. I bought six Point of lay Isa Warrens and within about three weeks I was getting six eggs a day. I seemed to have done everything right just by guesswork and commonsense. It depends what you want from your girls. Do you want to sell the eggs? Most customers don't want the fancy coloured eggs that you get from the more exotic birds. They are nice to have around though!
good luck.
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yes i would like the egg's just for my family and if any left over then i could give away to friends..
Also when there at there end of there laying day's then i could use them for the table, size is not a problem big or small.
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very little on the hybrid types you would get two small breast fillets at most.