Chickens # 9 - New Arrivals!

Jo, Ben, Kate and I drove over to Stewart at www.salspurebreedpoultryinwales.co.uk on Sunday morning to pick up our 10 new Light Sussex hybrids.  He is BRILLIANT, very nice set up, nice and knowledgeable guy who, whilst selling us the chickens, gave us a massively inspirational look at his beautiful house full of home-sawn (by a mobile saw-mill) and self-felled wood beams, staircase and joinery.  We left there just amazed at the kind of things which are possible without resorting to dealing with 'big business' for building materials & full of projects! 

Anyway, I digress, back to the chickens.  We transported the chickens in a big cardboard box in the boot, and when we arrived home, between us managed to manhandle it onto a wheelbarrow, and then set off around the back of the house and into the field where I've got their run and house set up.  I wheeled the barrow into the run, closed the gate, opened one end of the box and stood back.



The Start of the Expanded Tymawr Farm Flock

As usual in that situation, nothing happened, and only with a mix of gentle tipping, grabbing and persuasion did all the chickens emerge.  They seem to have settled in really well - they've now been with us for two and a half days and I've just come in from shutting them up.  All ten still present and correct, all bright eyed, clean and smart!

They're just over 16 weeks old now, and I expect them to start laying at 20 to 24 weeks.  Full production level in time for Christmas!



The rest are hiding around the back!