[little blue]

hello and welcome from a chicken keeper (and more!) in Derbyshire
Just ask anything, we're full of.. advice!

[SLI]

Hi Chickenfeed - I'd LOVE to come and see your brood! Whereabouts are you? I'm North of Great Yarmouth.
I'm taking advice and am interested in Rhode Island Red x Black Rock as a few people have mentioned that they're good layers. I'm going to the Country & Game Fair at the end of April so will probably get a few ideas there.
I'm SO pleased I found this site. Thanks to you All for your help.   

[chickenfeed]

hi

i am just outside of peterborough.

[spencers mum]

Hi there I'm very new too and I agree this site is full of help and information.  I have 3 chooks who have been with me for a month now and have just started laying.  Finding those eggs is as someone else said "very eggciting" (sorry). They are such funny creatures and my two teenagers who thought this latest addition to our family were not cool love them too!  My hubbie and I witnessed the first lay right before our eyes - you'd have thought it was the first egg ever to be laid!! I've had several questions which have been answered here and tried 2 recipes to date so from me "welcome" and I hope you enjoy the girls when you get them!

[sandy]

Hello and welcome, I started with 3 Black Rocks but then bought 7 ex battery hens, then another 5 Black rocks and then, a neighbour brought a stray chicken to the door, not sure who or where she came from? They are entertaining and relitively easy to care for, great pets really and getting nice eggs a bonus. Mine are free range and I usualy pick dock leaves and grass for them when I go out with the dogs...welcome and enjoy!!

[Brucklay]

Hi SLI - welcome, I'm new too, from Aberdeenshire. I was exactly the same a you wanted a couple of chooks. My husband was fine about it as long as we didn't have a cockerel, so rang and asked about and finally found a lady who said she had a couple spare, young ones, I thought great they'll get used to me etc so happily went to get them and brought them home. They were quite young, called them Poppy and Penny but sure enough after a few weeks they started to look different!!! Yes Poppy was a cockerel but they do make a lovely pair we've had them for 8 years and Penny still lays when the weather is good, they roam around quite happily.

[Hilarysmum]

8 years  ... that must be almost a record for chickens.  Does anyone know how long their lifespan is?

[chickenfeed]

 :chook:i know of a man that has a 9 year old black rock and she still lays, mum had a light sussex that was 7 when she died.

[Brucklay]

If you  'google' life span of chicken you get average of 7-10 and then up to 20 although I guess that must be really rare - Penny and Poppy are slowing down a bit and always hide themselves away from bad weather and I've noticed they go to bed earlier these days!!

[Wizard]

Hello SLI I have been thinking about this and I clearly remember we had a yard cock The sort that is much larger than the rest and very pretty I don't suppose that he was a sort he just happened to be bigger than any of the others.I remember he was in the yard when I started school he used to come for me but I grew very brave and belted him with a thack peg on Mothers advice She said if he sees you are scared of him he will chase you all the more.Stand up to him and it worked he kept his distance after that.Now I know he was still about when I left school at 15 so he was more than 10 years old.I don't know what happened to him he just disappeared like things do you know