I hope everyone had a super christmas (and you all got what you asked for!) And i wish you the best for the year ahead!

After 3 years of my old ”bog standard” incubator i decided to go up market and i decided to get a R COM Suro King incubator, with automatic truning and also automatic humidity. So as a test to see if it is working ok (and also a treat for me!) i have ordered some stunning Quail Barbu D’avers, to go along with my lovely Black Barbu D’anvers! I shall keep you all updated with how the incuabator (and most of importantly) the eggs are coming on, and i shall be uploading photos as i  go along!

Since i uploaded my blog we have also had 2 of the biggest shows in the UK, which is of course the Poultry Club of Great Britains National show, where there was a superb entry, and we saw a silver sebright owned by Mr Robin Creighton. And my favourite show of the year, which is of course the National Federation of Poultry Clubs Championship Show, which is held at the Staffordshire Agricultural center. The supreme champion of the show was a lovely Buff Rock, and was owned by Mr. Robin Ramus.

I have a friend who is opening a ex battery hen re-homeing programme, if you are just starting with hens or have an established flock these are brilliant! They are super laying eggs (usually an egg per day) and are super as pets! They are super with young children and i am sure that you will get attached! For more infomation please contact Moll Brassington on either facebook: Moll Brassington Twitter: @mollbrassington and email: M.brassington@live.co.uk  . They are asking for a minimum donation of £3.00 per bird, and they are based in the Derby area, if you can take some in, please do!

Dan

             Like alot of things in time, carrying boxes have changed alot, nowadays you can get wicker boxes (which i have and think that they are great!), and solid wood ones, which are also brilliant, and i which i have. You can get them to fit a certain age or breed of bird, you can get get small ”pigeon” boxes, which will fit true bantam pullets. And then you can get get tall, but thin, boxes, for the large hard feather. Then there is the ordinary cardboard box, which i use when i can not fit all my birds in my wooden/wicker boxes. These are twice as good as the wooden ones, mainly because they are free, easy to source and if it breaks, it doesnt really matter! What you need to remember if it dosent look like your bird isnt going to fit into it, it probaly wont, it is probaly better to be too big than too small! And also if you are wishing to show your birds, get name plates done, there is alot of people who will have the smae boxes as you, and therefore they can go missing. Please see photos below (thanks to Callum Carlisle)

Thanks

Dan

            When you are either showing chickens or just keeping them in the garden, there feet are very important (very much like humans). When showing them there feet and legs make up alot of the scale of points, when they are not right, it will be very painful and uncomfortable for the bird.  There is so many different things you can have wrong with a chickens foot. I have chosen 3 and here they are (thank you very much to Julia Rees, who i borrowed the photos off)

Duck foot (first picture) is where the back toe, is twisted back, and is nearly touching the right toe.

Splayed toes (second picture) is where there is some kind of ”webbing” between each toe. Not like a duck, slightly less.

Twisted toe (third picture) is the most common, and is mainly cause when the egg is hatching out of the incubator, the toe usually gets caught on the mesh, in the incubator, something else why you should use a broody hen. This can also happen is the incubator goes off (like through a power cut), and there is no humidity or correct tempreature for a long time. Or it can be passed in the birds genes.

When having a defromation in the feet, there isnt really alot what you can do, if you are worried, take a visit down to your vet

Going back to facebook, there is a group who are trying to get the sablepoot breed, its own breed club and not to be apart of the Rare Breeds Club, alot of our popular breeds were in this position, such as the Dutch Bantam Club. They are having a meeting at the Poultry Club Of Great Britain National Poultry Show, on the Saturday at 1.00pm and the meeting place is to be comfirmed (it will be on the rare breed poultry club stand). This would be brilliant to be apart off!!

Dan

Hello,

             I had a super day today at the southport and ormskirk poultry show, in Holmeswood. It is mainly unique, with having its own club room, i am guessing the only club with its own club room in Great Britain. With the Poultry Club of Great Britain Championship Show Status, there was plenty of competition! Especially with the Juniors, with the Junior Handeling class, which i took part in, and recieved a 3rd. There was also True Bantam Male and Female classes, Soft and Hard Feather classes, Waterfowl classes and Egg classes, all for the juniors! I also won Best True Bantam Trio. They also had a fantastic raffle, with 1st prize being £150 and 2nd £75, all to raise money for new show pens. I do have to agree that, this is what makes poultry showing in Britain Great! These are the backbone of the Poultry Club Of Great Britain! Well done to the whole committee, and everyone else who made the show possible! Well done to S & G Hodge who won best in show with a stunning Rosecomb Cockeral and P Watkinson who got reserve best in show with a modern game pullet!

While i was at the show, i was approached by Mrs Smith, and she was telling me about this fantastic scheme when they go to schools and Care homes and they go through a hatching programme with the children or the older people, when they have finished with the scheme they have got chicks (isa warrens) and they are giving them away for free! Perfect if you want to start with chickens!

FREE CHICKS

GOOD HOMES WANTED FOR 10 DAYS OLD CHICKS (ISA WARRENS)

A FEW AVAILABLE IN THE AUTUMN BUT MOSTLY AVAILABLE BETWEEN FEBUARY AND MARCH

LIVINGS EGGS IS A 10 DAY CHCIKS HATCHING EXPERIENCE FOR SCHOOLS AND CARE HOMES

AT THE END OF THE EXPERIENCE WE LOOK TO REHOME THE CHICKS IN THE LOCAL AREA

CONTACT INFOMATION:

Neal and Irene Smith

100 Ralph’s Wife Lane, Banks, PR9 8ER

phone/fax 017014 509505

Email: neal999@sky.com

Thanks

Dan

Show Champion – SA & G Hodge Black Rosecomb Cockerel
Reserve Show Champion – PT Watkinson Birchen Modern Game Pullet
Large Hard Feather – PT Watkinson OEG Carlisle Cockerel
Large Soft Feather – Light – Tinson & Hidden White Silkie Male
Large Soft Feather – Heavy – R O’Rourke Buff Orpington Female
Bantam Soft Feather – Heavy – DJ Singleton Buff Plymouth Rock Male
Bantam Soft feather – Light – P Smedley Ancona Male
Bantam Hard Feather – PT Watkinson Birchen Modern Game Pullet
True Banatm – SA & G Hodge Black Rosecomb Cockerel
Trio – JP Heeley Rhode Island Red Bantams
Best Junior – Caitlyn Platt OEG Carlisle Pullet
Best Eggs – A Martin Three White Hen Eggs
Best Waterfowl – SA & G Hodge Wall Call Duck Male
Best Rare Breed – WM Wiggans Vorwek Male
Best Utility – JP Heeley

This time of the year is the busisest on the poultry fanciers calender, there are 2 main shows, which are the Poultry Club of Great Britains National show, and the National Federation Of Poultry Clubs show, which both bring about 6,500 to 7,000 birds each year (which includes, poultry, waterfiwl, turkeys, fantails and canaries). And they have both progressed from years gone by, mainly the National show, which last year was in a new show hall, which was had more room and was a lot warmer! There is also ”smaller” championship shows around the country, which usually get around 950-1,500 entries each year, my favorites are Southport and Ormskirk (which is taking place this saturday) and Egremont (which takes place on the 12th of November). But what you need to remember, you need to have a limit on the amount of shows you have per year, not to wear out your birds, especiapecially if you only have a trio (or another small number) of  show quality birds. But what you also need to remember, you cannot just get your birds from your garden/allotment etc and take them straight to a show. You need to wash them, you do this by using childs shampoo (not to much) and in the bath, or sink in warm water (not too hot) and make sure you clean every where. When you have completed this, you need to dry the bird, you can either do this by a hair dryer, or by a towel. Then you need to see if the beak is the right size, if the top part of the beak is not in line with the bottom part, you will need to snip it, with small clips, please do not do this if you do not know what you are doing! Ask a fellow fancier or vet. Then you will clean the feet, make sure that there is no mud, in the birds toes and the legs are clean. If you have a Poultry Club of Great Britain 6th edition standards book, model your bird of that, or failing that, google the breed and print a picture, make sure it is British, as different countrys have different standards. Before you get to the show, you need to put your bird/s in a box, you can buy ”show boxes”, from around £30.00, or you can just use the cardboard box, make sure it is not too small but not too huge though! When you get to the show, you will collect a penning card and this will have all the classes what you had entered and also the pen numbers (take your schedule, to see which birds go where), do not feed or water your birds before they are judged. Then you will be asked to leave the hall/tent, for the judging to comence,all the judges will do, is handle your bird/s with the greatest care, and choose the best bird in that class, then you will be allowed to go into the show, and see what you have won! Then you can feed and water your birds, and then go home.

I wish you luck!

Dan

So, how do I introduce myself. I started keeping chickens about six years ago when I lost my last guinea pig. We had a chicken house which was quite old and falling apart, my parents said that if I wanted chickens I would have to mend the chicken house myself. So over winter I set about mending the chicken house and on the 13th February I bought my first four chickens (4 Cuckoo Marans Hens)

It carried on from their and gradually I built a collection of large fowl hens, I was then given a new chicken house for my Birthday and was then given some bantams which someone didn’t want any more. These three bantams started my now ever growing passion for breeding and improving particular breeds rather than just laying hen. One of the bantams went broody and I put half a dozen eggs under her. Out of those eggs five hatched resulting in 3 Lavender Pekins and 2 Partridge Pekins.

To cut a long story short I have a passion for Gold Partridge Pekins and I am determined to improve the type and colour, they are not an easy colour and they often don’t have the type of the black or white pekins but I think that they are incredibly pretty both the hens and cockerals.

I also show poultry and last year went to the National Poultry Show in Stoneleigh with a pekin cockeral and a hen and then some eggs. The cockeral came third and the hen came fourth which I was very pleased with the type of people who were there who have been showing for a lot longer than me. I continue to show my pekins mainly for my own enjoyment but also as there are very few Partridge Pekins shown at shows around the south of England.

This year I have had an amazing year showing my birds, I won Best Junior Handler at the Spring South of England and Best Large Fowl Soft Feather with a Croad Langshan hen at the South of England Show. My cockeral has remained unbeaten in his class this year which I am over the moon with!!

I have got one more show this year which is this Saturday at the Surrey Poultry Society Autumn Show. I going more for the fun of it this year because I haven’t been able prepare the birds as much as I would of liked but we shall see!!

Until next time…

Thank you and happy cooking,

For my Bacon and Egg Pie recipe, please see the link below:

http://blog.poultrykeeper.com/true-bantam-blog/the-perfect-bacon-and-egg-pie/

Dan

I hope that this helps

Dan

http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=0f4803c4696b9c97f5a316ce16df41d2

Good Luck with your poultry and waterfowl, i hope that this helped

Dan

Eggs! Finally!

A couple months ago, I would not have believed it. Hoped, maybe, but believe? It seemed almost out of our grasp. And yet, it has happened. Knock on wood, we are now experiencing Chicken Bliss.

To illustrate this more exactly:

Two months ago: 15 roosters living in the garage. Feathers, chicken dust, flies, gear, feed and constant ruckus greeted us each time we stepped foot out the door. Oh yeah, don’t even think about being barefoot!

Now: Car in the garage. Roosters outside in their coop.

Two months ago: 6 hens eating their body weight in feed each week, pooping and killing the grass while producing nothing to offset the cost.

Now: Hens producing 4-5 eggs each day and happily scarfing down garden scraps. Filling feeder once a week.

Now: Chickens let out daily to free range.
Now: Happy chickens.
Now: Happy life.

Somehow it all worked out. 

To follow our chicken adventures and more, join me at www.facebook.com/thepocketfarmer.