2 or 3 bantams or small hens wanted

young budgie

hi everyone,im just putting a shout out as im looking to buy 2 or 3 bantam hens, i already have 2 bantam hens and 1 rooster and i have plenty of space for more, id even consider buying 2 small hens instead of bantams, anyone have any for sale, im willing to travel to collect them, im based in the midlands so more or less central to everyone,im also a genuine bbuyer so if anyone can help me please contact me here,and thank you

or even if anyone knows where to buy some or evn have a link for a goood site or 2 to buy some, cheers

Munster Gal

There's a place near Mountrath
http://www.midlandpoultry.com/

young budgie

Munster Gal wrote: »

There's a place near Mountrath
http://www.midlandpoultry.com/

yep thank you for link, i already have some hens ordered from this man, he has a great collection over there,but thanks for the input as well.all appreciated

andyone

do you have them walking around freely or do you have them penned, and if so what kinda space would be required, was thinking about getting them myself, but i have two cats and two dogs that are more or less free to walk around and i wouldn't want the hens to be bothered by them...

young budgie

mine would be penned in as i have 3 dogs and neighbour has 2 dogs and all the dogs roam freely, my hen pen is very large,id say roughly 30ft by 40ft,with plently of grass and plent of scratching ground,

andyone

ther is no way i'd have that space,,,,, i'm only thinking about 2 to 3 hens for eggs for personal consumption... and at a later stage two ducks.... could they be penned together?

young budgie

god yes, and for only 2 or 3 hens and duck you wouldnt need that big a space,just plenty of water and bit of grass and some clay or sand for scratching around in, im sure there is more people here that could tell you much more than me,and have better answers,but mine seem very happy:D

PinkTulips

do you have any trouble with foxes?

would love to have hens and ducks but we're surrounded by fields an the foxes are so brave they come into the garden when my kids and i are out there! i wonder would a good pen keep them out or will i just end up feeding the local fox population? )

young budgie

i know for a fact there is 2 or 3 foxes beside me,and i have been living here for the last 28year and not once have i had trouble with foxes, back in the late 80s i had trouble with dogs alright so when i got more hens i penned them up and i have never had trouble since, i regularly se the foxes at the top of the field and thats it, no scavaging or anything like that, maybe the feel safe in the field as i wouldnt let the hunt into the field at all,but as for penning hens i recommend it if there is dogs or foxes around

bertie1

I have 7 chickens at home free ranging on grass. I have electric net fencing that I can move around so they don't run out of grass. We have a springer & a pointer , the dogs know they will get a shock from the fencing so they keep away . It seems to work for the foxes as well.

young budgie

great idea as well, and fantastic happy looking hens in your picture

young budgie

an update on my situation is, i drove to a young man in wicklow that i seen advertising on another website,i bought 3 lovely young bantams off him,and i was lucky apparently as he tells me that in the last while there has been an unreal demand in poultry,he cant keep up the supply wanted,but i was lucky to get his last 3 bantams,whoo hooo:pac::D;)

PinkTulips

great news budgie... not surprised that guy has huge demand, i guess lots of us are thinking of providing for ourselves with the price of things and the celtic tiger dying of old age

thanks for advice, had lots of people trying to convince me the foxes would dig under the fence to get the chickens and others telling me they don't hunt in their own territory which doesn't even maks sense so was humming and haing. need to motivate my boyfriend into helping with a bit of diy to build a pen now

young budgie

well i have no idea about foxes digging or even hunting in own territory,what i do know is you cant beat a home hen egg freshly laid,and today i had another few from the new bantams i bought yesterday,there fantastic,and id truly advise you to put the pressure on your boyfriend to make up that run and get yourself some eggs, the hens are very easy keep, they eat almost anything, i myself feed them flaked maize and a handfull of hen pellets a day, its about 12 euro fir a big bag of each and it lasts a long time depending on hens and size of course,but get them hans you wont regret it at all