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GB · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 317 Location: Ireland

and happy happy happy, but I have 2 questions.......where abouts in the south west corner can one come by them, what is hardy for this climate, what do you all have and why and are POL better than day old chicks, and are easter egg chooks and Barred Rocks come by able in Ireland? Well, OK, a few more than just 2 but I really want to know Cool

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roiphil · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 118 Location: Co. Limerick

i got mine through the buy and sell, marans and rhode island reds, if you get point of lay they should lay practically straight away once settled in,day olds need a form of heat like a red lamp to keep them warm and will start to lay from approx 17 weeks old, i would advise pol if you have no experience of chooks to sart off with.
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wayoutwest · Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 184 Location: west clare

I agree with everything roiphil said, and to add we have RIR as our layers.

Do you want layers, eaters or pretty/rare breeds that might or might not do laying and meat?

I would say try your local mart, and the buy and sell.
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wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

All of the above. I will get hatching eggs and incubate them. This way I will be able to check out many suppliers and buy them mail order. Do you want just eggs or are you looking for a good table bird also?
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chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

GB,
I know two young fellas in the SW (Cork city area) who may have spares to sell. Can PM you if you want with the contact - don't want to post private contact info on an open forum.
Roiphil is right when he says to start off with POL's if you don't have any experience yet with chooks. Mind you, it's only the hybrid layers that start laying around 17-18 weeks. Purebreeds start more like around 26-30 weeks.
Bought-in day olds need a heat lamp, dry, draught-free quarters, protection from rodents, chick crumb, and generally quite a bit of looking after. Easier to start off with mature birds and then raise some more once you get a broody.

chook

GB · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 317 Location: Ireland

It will be eggs to start, followed by meat birds on the sly. hubby not being to happy with the thought of eating something he knows. Will pol be more likely to fly over my fence (1000 ft of electric mesh got for mothers day Very Happy

) or should they be happy enough with that kind of room. I am going to use the 6x8ft shed for housing so it should be roomy enough to keep them happy.

And does any one know where abouts the markets are that sell chooks. I dont mind traveling but Dublin would be about as far as I would like to go. And I hadnt thought of the buy and sell Embarassed

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rool · Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 14 Location: South Limerick

Hi all, my first post on here

GB, I got my ISA browns from Kilmallock mart last August. It was my first time with any kind of livestock.

The guy is there every monday from 12-3pm and they cost me €5 each. THey were POL and took about 2 weeks to produce and since then have given me an egg each virtually every day since.

GB · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 317 Location: Ireland

OK, admitting to being an idiot.........what is an ISA brown Embarassed

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chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

ISA Brown is a commercial layer hybrid produced by one of the poutry industry giants of this world; they are mostly bred for battery cage systems.
The layer hybrids are grand if it's just eggs you are after. Mature early, lay lots (around 300 eggs in intensive systems in the first laying year), eat lots (need high protein feed), don't usually go broody, usually don't live all that long (because they are turbo layers they are 'spent' more quickly than birds that lay less).
There is a good article on these types of birds in organic systems:
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cach...n&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10

There are other layer crosses in GB (first crosses, rather than 3 or 4 way crosses such as the Lohmann birds), such as Black Rock or Hebden Blacks that are said to be more suited to free-range systems but they are hard to get here in Ireland.
Purebreds on the other hand lay less (less than 100 to over 200 depending on breed in their first laying year), live longer, may go broody (some more than others), can be bred (i.e. you can perpetuate your flock), and in the dual-purpose breeds any surplus male offspring can be raised as meatbirds.
So there are quite a few considerations in addition to, for example, egg colour.
There is a handy chart that can help you decide on a suitable breed.
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

HTH
chook

GB · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 317 Location: Ireland

Thanks

We had a barred rock and 8 really big glossy black hens when I was a kid. No idea what they were, mum just told the feed and seed man she wanted brown eggs and that was that, 10 fluffy brown chicks plus the rooster to be he chucked in "to keep the ladies happy Rolling Eyes

" But heavy egg production at the cost of life span sucks so I would prefer either a pure breed or cross that is dual purpose. I like things that will reproduce so going broody is a good thing and eating surplus males Twisted Evil

is just a bonus.

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