Hens

OBrien

I've just bought a house out of town. The previous owners kept hens, and everything is set up for us to continue. I like the idea of fresh, free range eggs - does anybody know where or how to go about buying a few hens? Browsing the web throws up lots of possibilites in Britain, but not much over here.

Thanks

Sigma Force

Just in case disinfect the whole housing before you put new hens into it.
Are you looking for a specific breed or just hens in general for eggs?
There are a few people that rescue hens from batterys, they are not in great shape but do lay and within a few weeks of proper feed and care they improve and could provide you with eggs for a few years.
Also you could post on the homes offered section on petsireland and www.irishanimals.ie
We transported battery hens before and got a few eggs from them on their way in the car lol, poor things wern't in the best of shape but they do bounce back with a bit of TLC.

Our man in Havana

Bantums (sp) tend to be the best if you want to rear some chicks, you can keep a mix of hens, most battery ones tend to be Rhode Island Reds - there is a HUGE taste difference in your own eggs - free range hens will make a mess of the garden so you may have to supervise time out of their run etc.

OBrien

Thanks for the info - would like to try a couple of interesting breeds, like the Maran which apparently lays a mahogany-brown egg, but the idea of rescuing battery hens appeals too. I'll check out that site.