Frugal Living
Free Range Hens, Hatching Eggs and Broody Bantams

Our first Silkie chick, hatched 04/03/09
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In total, we'll have up to 18 hens & bantams, 6 ducks and about 50 quail. This will provide us with sufficient eating & baking eggs, breeding stock and a surplus for selling to help recover costs and pay their keep. Buying eggs and incubating them looks far cheaper than paying between £5 and £20 per bird, so I have 3 small incubators and, hopefully, a broody hen now and again. (Please note that if you intend keeping 50+ birds, including quail, you must register with DEFRA. You'll also need to register and apply for a holding number if you want to keep a goat, pig, sheep or cow, even if it's just one animal.)

31/12/08 - Just in time for the start of 2009, a new hutch and run combo was completed. Everything has had to be fixed securely and we've lined the ground with fine wire mesh to prevent anything from burrowing underneath and into the run - a must with 'Mr Weasel' on the prowl! The grass will be able to grow through so the birds have something to scratch about in. The run measures 2 metres x 1 metre, so should be big enough for a few bantams during inclement weather, otherwise they'll be free ranging and this will be their secure overnight accommodation.

Having fresh eggs means having hens or bantams, so they need a safe house. The second delapidated kennel should make an ideal renovation project. 25/02/09 - A few major adjustments and we're almost there, the former kennels just need doosr, and nest boxes. The duck house is the one seen in the background.
Twin hutches and run - originally planned to be used for quail, however, 12/03/09 saw the arrival of 2 broody hens. An extra coat of non-toxic wood preservative was given, so all the poultry housing is the same colour. (Mrs Brown is in the run at the moment)
Photo from Dawn1530's eBay listing
06/03/09 - A selection of eggs from this lot of hens were bought in for the incubator. I risked buying on eBay, so they have come through the post. It should be a colourful hatch if it all goes to plan 08/03/09 - 18 assorted eggs went into the incubator on 5th, including some pure bred Lavender Araucana eggs, which are the pale blue ones. Of the above, I discarded 4 as clear after a fortnight.
13/03/09 - Mrs Brown, one of the two broody hens we were given, except she's decided that she isn't broody afterall! These are small hens on accounts of their having been crossed with bantams 13/03/09 - Mrs Black, is content to site tight on all the eggs that we were given with her. Both hens are off spangled Wyandottes but were freeranging with an assortment of cockerals.
See the progress of the Silkie chick, hatched 04/03/09
Of course, we can't forget our Silkie chick, who now has an entire webpage dedicated to it. Just click the photo to go to the page. Completed hen house, ready and waiting for its new residents this summer. Hopefully the grass will have grown back by then. (Broodies in background)
15/03/09 The neighbour's cockeral innocently strolls past, oblivious to requests for him to move on! 15/03/09 I need the garden hen-proofed as quickly as possible if Mr Cockeral's going to be visiting!
15/03/09 Windbreak now in place along the side of the broody bantam houses. We also netted over the top of the little hen run. 16/03/09 Mrs Grey is now with us, along with another pile of eggs. About 6 are hers, but the rest were laid by a big 'Mrs Brown' type hen.
18/03/09 - White Pekin bantam cockeral - Mr White is with us temporarily for recuperation after being attacked by another cockeral 18/03/09 - Mrs Brown is making herself at home in the larger run and it taking a very keen interest in Mr White! Still no signs of a tail here.
19/03/09 The back garden has now been sectioned into smaller, 3m runs of varying widths ranging between 2m and 5m Windbreak has been moved to either end of the runs. These runs will mean we'll have more control over which hens go where.
21/03/09 - The wiring of the second run has been completed, now awaiting gate and coop. This run measures 10' x 9'4". They are all a metre high. 21/03/09 - The smallest run is 7' x 10' and I'm gradually building the housing from reclaimed tongue and groove. Roof and gate still needed.
an egg pipping
22/03/09 The new hen house in construction, it's approx 3' x 30" x 3' It'll be finished soon. 24/03/09 - Day 20 of incubation and, despite a 3 hour power cut yesterday, the first egg has pipped.
25/03/09 - I checked at 5am to see how much progress had been made; quite a bit, I think! 25/03/09 - a brown egg, a blue egg and a white egg have hatched and chicks almost dry.
chicks hatching
25/03/09 - This looks like it could be a black chick once it's fully dried out. 25/03/09 - 7am - The 3 chicks, including one of the lavender Araucanas (chick on left) are dry and fluffy.
day old chick Lavender Araucana chick
25/03/09 - Black chick has tiny flecks of white, a white throat patch and white wing tips. 25/03/09 - Our very first pure bred Lavender Araucana chick, spot the face tufts.
day old chick newly hatched chick
25/03/09 - Striped chick looks mottled from the front but has definite brown stripes along its back. 2.45pm, 25/03/09 - Number 4 just hatched from a cream egg, it looks pure white, probably a cockeral.
lavender araucana chick hatching day old chicks
4.10pm, 25/03/09 - Number 5 hatches, the second of the pure bred lavender Araucanas. 2 more eggs pipped. 26/03/09 The 3 amigos, Captain Beaky is on the right hand side, he weighed in at 50g, at least 25% heavier than all the other chicks.
Captain Beaky and his band mystery newly hatched chick
26/03/09 - Hatching is complete, we got 7 out of 14 eggs, 50% hatch rate despite the power cuts! All the other eggs were checked before being discarded, apart from one belonging to 'Mrs Black'. 26/03/09, 4.30pm - Mrs Black's egg has hatched! I It was a bit weak and wobbly looking but it now appears to be recovering well from the hatching process.

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