Bootsha 1,306 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 Darbo, i have kept white leghorns, cream legbars, cuckoo marans, light sussex, warrens, all sorts, they all have theyre own qualities, i like the pure white colour of the leghorn eggs, the chocolate dark colour of the marans, the pretty sussex, the layning amount of the warrens etc, but this is the first time i have ever tried black rocks myself, always heard good things about them, but i must say, they beat all the others into a top hat, an egg a day per bird almost, hardly slowed up during the winter, quality of shell is second to none, and apparently will stay so for many years, nice size egg, and, on an aesthetic note, pretty friendly hens. I doubt i'll bother with anything else again tbh, unless its a few light sussex purely because i like them. Cheers B 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,774 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 Darbo, i have kept white leghorns, cream legbars, cuckoo marans, light sussex, warrens, all sorts, they all have theyre own qualities, i like the pure white colour of the leghorn eggs, the chocolate dark colour of the marans, the pretty sussex, the layning amount of the warrens etc, but this is the first time i have ever tried black rocks myself, always heard good things about them, but i must say, they beat all the others into a top hat, an egg a day per bird almost, hardly slowed up during the winter, quality of shell is second to none, and apparently will stay so for many years, nice size egg, and, on an aesthetic note, pretty friendly hens. I doubt i'll bother with anything else again tbh, unless its a few light sussex purely because i like them. Cheers B Thanks for the information much appreciated. my hybrids which are isa browns im down to just 3 now. so i will get some black rocks in when its time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,774 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 i got my chicken pen,built,and installed my bantys there on friday,waiting for weather to change and going to start forking it over. What bantams have you got ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,183 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 i got my chicken pen,built,and installed my bantys there on friday,waiting for weather to change and going to start forking it over. What bantams have you got ? 3 black pekin x japanese and 4 blue partridge brahma bantams going to get a gold brahma bantam cockerel to run with them. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,774 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 i got my chicken pen,built,and installed my bantys there on friday,waiting for weather to change and going to start forking it over. What bantams have you got ? 3 black pekin x japanese and 4 blue partridge brahma bantams going to get a gold brahma bantam cockerel to run with them. Nice one. my mate had some brahma bantams easy to handle birds. decent layers. good luck with them. i have a pair of jap bantams lay tiny eggs. they would be good first birds for children as they tame real easy. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,183 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I love banty eggs,bought 4 back today,and boiled them up ,me and missus had 2 each for lunch with soldiers,lol I'm glad I got the allotment,thought I was going to have to sell the birds as garden was flooded all winter,even now with 2 days rain n sleet its reflooded with puddles on lawn,and grass that's dieing off. Birds had to be kept in a shed all winter ,it had a secondary screen door I made so I could open the original door and let plenty air/ light in at day time, but now they can get on the grass up there and they will colour back up,as they went pale shut in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darbo 4,774 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 once the weather picks up and they go outside they will get their vigour back. i like banty eggs myself there is a greater yolk to white ratio compared to a large fowl egg. had a few poached this morning. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TWOTWOTHREE 152 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 (edited) Not much been happening to be fair,managed to prep the gardens before the snow but that's about it, http://i.imgur.com/0sxhXP4.jpg potted a few things on in the tunnels,not too worried yet there's time to catch up, http://i.imgur.com/mAKfwEH.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jeqh2VY.jpg Will post more as it goes on through the growing year, Atb Edited March 27, 2013 by TWOTWOTHREE Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bootsha 1,306 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Not much been happening to be fair,managed to prep the gardens before the snow but that's about it, http://i.imgur.com/0sxhXP4.jpg potted a few things on in the tunnels,not too worried yet there's time to catch up, http://i.imgur.com/mAKfwEH.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jeqh2VY.jpg Will post more as it goes on through the growing year, Atb What machine do you use to get that sort of tilth mate?? i can see some sort of track there. I managed to turn mine over again yesterday, its a fresh patch ( was lawn) so its been turned twice now, and mucked, will turn it another couple of times perhaps in the hard weather before i start to rake it down to where i want it, last years veg patch has been more than doubled, got a plan, adaptable of course, but going to give it a more organised effort this time around. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TWOTWOTHREE 152 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Hi I use a 8hp tiller which goes down about 10 inch then a garden tractor with a rotavator on it,that takes it down yo about 16 inch depth,only that though every few years to get past the pan,but normaly just the big rotavator http://i.imgur.com/cd2TkGl.jpg which is very time consuming, this year is looking crap again upto now, if you look through some previouse posts I put up in this section around this time the other year it was well planted up,fingers crossed for a better may Atb 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bootsha 1,306 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 i have a 5hp rotovator on loan , when would you plant your first earlies and put your runner beans in to trays ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,183 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 years ago i had a mayfield rotavator lovely bit of kit,wish i still had it,not for the allotment as dont want it to pan out,but to tinker with and feel manly pmsl, i did take some pics of the bantys on my mobile ,darbo,but when i text them to the missus iphone to upload to the pc the missus said they looked dead,so not bothered. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bootsha 1,306 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 may get the use of a tractor mounted one next season to get down amongst it a bit deeper. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Argh 6 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Moved into our place 18 months ago....garden hadn't been touched for 6 or 7 years. Full of bamboo, brambles, shrubs n stuff. Didn't even know we had a greenhouse until I was half way through clearing it all! Last year, planted spuds. Helped to clear the weeds. They didn't do too bad, considerling the wettest year EVER! Tried toms in the greenhouse....they were rubbish This year: soft fruit along the fence (to hide the Methodists Chapel). Going for blackcurrant, raspberry, boysenberry, japanese wineberry, blackberry and the current Mrs Jay wants some Goji berries. Veg wise, am doing spuds, carrots and cabbage.....with marigolds, tagetes and nasturshums (can't spell) between the rows. Will also be adding a few chooks. The greenhouse is still a dumping ground for everything that can't fit in the shed, but will be going for toms & peppers.......though may try to squeeze in some melons, too! Love melons, me! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
just jack 997 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 i'm just in the process of getting another allotment as i cant keep any chucks or ducks on this one, i was thinking of ex battery hens myself but i hear the price has gone up? a pal 2 yr ago was paying 1.50 a layer and now they are 5.50 i know nothing about chucks but that is a hike in price Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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