General Chat

Hens are very easy to keep Julia...your main outlay will be for a fox proof run and roosting coup.

In terms of upkeep...Hay for their nests, Straw for the ground on soggy muddy days...chicken grit, (minimal cost) bread, boiled up peelings and fruit and a bit of corn daily....and fresh water

That's it. Once you've bought the housing it's far less than the cost of half a dozen eggs per week to keep them x

I have just been reading this and became so angry. I am also fed up at the way we toe the line with the EU but the rest of Europe appear to give a fingered sign to EU and get away with it.

Thanks for that RR. I often have spare wool from my copious knitting, and would be quite happy to knit some little jumpers.
I would do baby clothes for up the prem. unit at the hospital I use, but these I prefer to crochet, and they don't like them, because of the little babies catching the fingers in the holes in crochet.
I will also have a good read about the keeping and rearing of hens.

Julia in Derbyshire

For some pictures that would make the hardest heart melt a little <3 jackets for ex battery hens

http://littlehenrescue.co.uk/jumpers.aspx

Julia, there is info on what you need in the menu on left of the page, I can still remember the smell of the mash my mum used to make for ours with the potato peelings etc :)

Kay???? A woman after me own heart.

Tell me more about chook keeping, please.

Julia in Derbyshire

get mine from hens that run free and fed on scraps and stuffs out in the back garden..well looked after and the yokes are to die for.....and put to sleep by injection only when all else fails.



the farming industry in this country is just limping along......I dont buy imported meat either get from local farming family butcher,who sells patted cornish butter. yum.

I totally agree with Rose, free range eggs all the way, espcially from my local farmers market..... :-D

This has evoked a memory or two. After the war, when fresh eggs and many other commodities were still on ration, they were in short supply in our house. To this day, I treasure a fresh free range egg to 'dip into'
And, when I was about 8, I went into the Nottingham Children's Hospital (finally condemmed and pulled down), to have my appendix out. A kindly neighbour sent in half a dozen eggs for me. Whether I got them, I don't know.

Julia in Derbyshire

I won't eat anything other than free range eggs, I willing pay the extra for the knowledge that the hens are living a decent natural life, and not in cages, If I really couldn't afford free range I wouldn't buy at all.

Besides, per egg they are still not an expensive food, an egg can make a meal, free range are also tastier :-D

This is my third attempt at posting this. What is up with GR today.

No,no,no. We are becoming the dumping ground of Europe, where anything cheap is imported here.
But, I will back anything that enhances the lives and welfare of our chickens, some of which live in appalling conditions. And I will always support our own farmers.
Only this morning on our local radio, they reported that a farmer not far from here has got to kill all his pullet livestock, because he cannot afford to bring his cages up to date.
Me, I get my eggs from the pet shop in our town. These are supplied by alittle man, with abit of ground, where he can rear his chickens.
We are now allowed to have hens on our allotment site. I have been giving this some consideration, but have not decided yet.

Julia in Derbyshire

PS. And, I am sick to the back teeth (if I had ever had any), of the blessed EU, telling us what we can and can't do

Well my poor old ladies haven't laid eggs for ages ..they're past all that now bless them...but I do buy mine from the local farm shop..still warm..not as cheaply as i could buy the cheapest from the supermarket..but seeing the state of some of those poor hens when I rescued mine I'd rather go without than add to their misery

As for the EU...we should just do what the French did with our beef and simply say *non*

I agree Aunty Sue....it IS difficult when they are so cheap and times are so hard.x

We have the same problem with imported milk sold cheap by our major supermarkets. It's very unfair to our dairy farmers but unfortunately people who are struggling to make ends meet are buying it.

We are lucky enough to be able to buy free range eggs from a local farm. We can see the hens when we go and buy the eggs and they look pretty happy to me :-D

couldn't agree more - no way should we be importing eggs from anywhere else - surprised China hasn't got in on the act - most things we buy are from there!!!

I'm not rich but no way will I buy eggs from anywhere other than UK, preferably eggs local to my home, of which there are plenty

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079640/Farmers-fear-influx-eggs-Europe-countries-ignore-new-rules-banning-battery-eggs.html

Whilst farmers from the UK have spent millions of pounds preparing more ethical cages for the hens...other EU countries have ignored the new ruling which is due to come into play on 1st January.

As a result Eggs from this country are likely to be more expensive.

I haven't eaten a non free range egg for years and I know times are really hard...but I really don't think that cheap imports should be sold here putting our farmers livelihoods at risk ...not to mention the welfare of the poor hens themselves.

What do you think?