When I was growing up my parents and hence the rest of the family were great coffee drinkers - using freshly ground coffee. The percolator was always on the go. Now I prefer tea - Earl Grey. I am always on the search for the best flavoured source as it is surprisingly varied. Preferably loose, not b...

I just don't think we have the right to make such a choice over life & death

Is everyone here a vegaterian?

Hello and welcome Istanley24. I have used bark chippings or shavings for a couple of years and not noticed any ill-effects. I have also used from time to time leylandii hedge trimmings. I heard that pine bark is problematic but this is in fact the very stuff I have used. Therefore, based on my own e...

Last summer I bought 6 French Copper Maran eggs because the colour of them is such a rich chocolate brown. I liked the idea of hens laying eggs that colour. I put them under a broody hen and let nature takes it's course. One chick hatched and you can see a photo of it in the Forum Members Pictures s...

Hi Alasdair, Here are my reponses (feel free to ask away as there is a lot of advice available here):- 1. Should the feeder and drinker be inside the coop, or in the run? Best left outside in the run 2. Very occasionally, I'm away on business overnight with no warning - can they be left with the co...

Hi Willow - yes you're right. I just came across this:-

Isa Brown (sometimes, incorrectly, referred to as a Warren)
Favoured in British battery systems, due to the large numbers of big brown eggs

What breeds are battery hens?

I think they are Ross Cobbs. Stand to be corrected though.

I am planning to extend poultry operations this winter too, with a larger coop and bigger run. Since being part of this forum I have been persauded down the path of ex-battery hens as well as an alternative to 'posh birds' as Richard calls them.

Hi Rob - yes this is normally. Egg laying is very sensitive to light levels and during the winter it will tail off. You might find younger birds in their first year laying the odd egg during this time. Mine re-started onm the 2nd january this year.

Then I found out that the real reason my bills were so high was that the previous owner of my house had the electric water heater on a time switch to go on overnight.

Yikes! What are you going to do with all that extra mony? :wink:

I've read recently that if you have over 50 hens you have to be registered (they would like everyone who keeps chickens to register) There is no way I would register my girls as if the 'bird flu' (really scared!! ha ha) came they would be easy kill. This is coorrect. Defra have been encouraging peo...

To add to Dave's list, I also understand that you have to have more than 350 hens to be required to register as an egg producer.

The sunshine today has brought out some butterflies - Red Admirals at last.

We manage our gas and electricity accounts online. Every 90 days I get an e-mail reminder and then I submit the readings myself. The bill gets automatically adjusted. When I thought I had too much in credit I got the monthly direct debit reduced.

Mrs PK gave some eggs to a work colleague who insisted on paying - £1 fror 6. Word got round and others started to order. They all insist that this is good value because of the quality of fresh eggs naturally produced. We can't meet the demand.