So two weeks ago something exciting happened. I finally got my chickens! I’ve been talking about getting chickens for probably the last two years, ever since I moved to Chartham, but finally it was the right time to get them.
I decided to make the leap into chicken ownership once I’d returned from my Easter holidays (a nice two weeks in Cyprus) and so on Easter Sunday I spent the day making a nice run to attach to the chicken coop my wife bought me at Christmas and once all that was sorted it was time to get the chooks!
Where did I buy my chickens?
After looking at several places I decided to get the chickens from a local farm a few miles down the road who I’d already spoken to on twitter and email, and I guess this shows how important it is to have a good web presence. Little Eaten Farm have a good website, lots of information, and a good friendly manner which made me want to buy from them.
When we turned up it was great to see that this was a proper working farm and when we entered the barn there were loads of chickens to choose from in all colours and sizes. It was like chicken Pick ‘n’ Mix!
In the end we picked up a Calder Ranger, a Beechwood Blue, and a Light Sussex Ranger.
How much did they cost?
Chickens start laying at 16+ weeks and these are termed Point Of Lay, and are slightly more expensive than younger chickens, but they still only cost a shade over £9 each which is pretty cheap. I have seen chickens in large garden centres but you will expect to see a larger markup and have seen then cost up to £25 each so it’s definitely worth shopping local. The girls were 14 weeks old so not too far off POL.
Other accessories
I’ve mentioned that I already had the coop and run but still needed some more items to make the chickens feel and home and these were also sold at the farm so I came home not only with the chickens, but also plenty of layers pellets (all the nutrients for tasty eggs), some corn (for treats), a feeder, a drinker, wood shavings (for the nest box), and some straw (for the run).
Meet Mavis, Maude and Mable!
So here are the girls! Mavis is white (Light Sussex Ranger), Maude is grey (Beechwood Blue), and Mable is Red (Calder Ranger).
Any eggs yet?
Yesterday was their 16 week birthday so in theory I should be getting eggs from now but no eggs yet. Fingers crossed we’ll have some soon and in total we should average 2 eggs a day over the year!