How Did You Get Started/into Fowl/chickens?

[Chicken_man 1,651]

My Step Dad gave me a Banty x and 10 chicks as a boy, kept them in a box under my bed the first night.

Next day I built a coup/pen for them, walked to town and bought a 1lb of crumb.

I built a small chicken empire in the garden, out of old tin sheets, scrap wood, tatty chicken wire and old tea chests as cabins.

A couple of the older chicken men nr me told me they were game bird's.

After a while I got a cockril given, a Heinz 57 and bred some mongrels :-)

I entered some of these mongrels in local Agriculture show, didn't get a ticket but plenty of encouragement.

Managed to get a couple of Spangled Hamburg, this was me starting on the up :-)

Me and my pals spent many hrs building and talking chickens, having big ideas of making vast amounts of money with the Empire.

I sold 6 eggs for 50p to the local shop keeper when I had them.

Any way a local man gave me and my brother some OEG Bantys and all the mongrels were gone.

We bred a good load and won a good few shows.

I kept OEG for many yrs and saw my first Oxford type bird's. Since then I've only kept that type.

It's hard work at times, but wouldn't be without bird's.

I've made some great friends over the yrs too.

Atb

[darbo 4,779]

28 years ago i got a veg plot . There were a few poultry plots on there a vacancy came up and i took it im glad i did there is a 10 year waiting list now. Kept quite a few breeds just for eggs.Breed every few years to keep new stock on a hobby i still really enjoy.

[darbo 4,779]

[darbo 4,779]

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Great that darbo. Like the silkie.

Atb

[darbo 4,779]

Great that darbo. Like the silkie.

Atb

Thanks CM. I had a soft spot for this cockeral got some cracking welsummer chicks over the years by him. Some slack work on the pens by me cost me dear a fox got in and wiped out all my welsummers a lesson learned.

Edited September 19, 2015 by darbo

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Fox are a bloody swine. Lost a few to them and other vermin, had my retribution though.

Nice bird him, welsummer make decent bird's. I know someone who crossed with Plymouth this yr. Correct if I'm wrong but for sex linking chicks?

[darbo 4,779]

Fox are a bloody swine. Lost a few to them and other vermin, had my retribution though.

Nice bird him, welsummer make decent bird's. I know someone who crossed with Plymouth this yr. Correct if I'm wrong but for sex linking chicks?

i think they are called welbars? i crossed the welsummer with some warrens got some nice laying birds from them.

[Chicken_man 1,651]

Yes that's it welbar.

Atb :-)

[lurchers 2,998]

I've always liked the light Sussex but now I just have the hybrids,they are Sussex/Rhode Island reds 1stx I've bought a rhode cockerel to try and put into the stock so I can end up with pure Rhodes.we only keep them for eggs for us then I give the surplus away.

[darbo 4,779]

 

I've always liked the light Sussex but now I just have the hybrids,they are Sussex/Rhode Island reds 1stx I've bought a rhode cockerel to try and put into the stock so I can end up with pure Rhodes.we only keep them for eggs for us then I give the surplus away.

 

i got 8 rhode island red hatching eggs last year 5 were cocks kept 3 hens back im pleased with them.

 

 

[Chicken_man 1,651]

They look like the real deal them darbo.

Nice :-)

Atb

[lurchers 2,998]

 

 

 

I've always liked the light Sussex but now I just have the hybrids,they are Sussex/Rhode Island reds 1stx I've bought a rhode cockerel to try and put into the stock so I can end up with pure Rhodes.we only keep them for eggs for us then I give the surplus away.

i got 8 rhode island red hatching eggs last year 5 were cocks kept 3 hens back im pleased with them.

 

 

Nice colour to mate are the Rhodes just as good layers as cross breeds.the cockerel I have if he was human he would be doing life for rape.he pins them to the floor when I 1st let them out on a morning.he does his ally shuffle then drops them