Re: Can u help

From: Jill. (news_at_REMOVETHISkintaline.co.uk)
Date: 02/13/05 

Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:06:55 -0000

april wrote:
>
> Hi Jill
>
> thanks for the information, according to the website the one in
> question that I have concerns about looks like the sussex star same
> colours and markings. I am a bit confuzzeled about your comment quote
> "but these birds will be all be hens" does this mean that the medow
> chicken can only be hens? sorry about the questions I thought I had
> done enough research before getting my babies but looks like I have
> not but please dont flame me

Hey -- no flaming here
We all had to learn
I was too quick sorry
With a large commercial organisation like Meadowsweet they will breed lines
that can be sexed at day old or very soon afterwards. Some of the sexing is
due to the genetics of the birds like using the gold and silver crosses
whereby the boys are all easy to identify. Some is done using feather sexing
as they have access to the millions of commercial strains some of which have
this as a feature. Some is done by professional sexers -- these folks are
incredibly skilled and very well paid to identify the males at day old.
An organisation of that size cannot afford to feed cockerels. ----- nor can
the rest of us who breed pure but we get less choice :~)))) Also the
cockerels have no value -- they are not pure bred anything and will not
breed pure - any offspring will be mongrels of indeterminate qualities. They
are only a cost. By removing the cockerels at the earliest stage the
producers can afford to keep the prices of the hens down too which is very
important. Its one of the reasons why pure breeds have to cost so much more
than commercial hybrids. They have to pay for their brothers too. :~))

> I am open to learning about these cute
> animals. Could someone also tell me how high my fench should be so
> that they can not jump into others gardens please.

If you clip one wing that keeps them closer to the ground -- a good book
should show you how. When it stops blowing a hooley here and we get a five
minute breather we hope to be able to start taking a lot more photos here to
illustrate such things. Last year was a complete wash out for many reasons.
Otherwise using pheasant netting - which once folded over comes to around 6
ft high works well we have found
If you put it up securely you can then plant climbers like clematis and
honeysuckle up it so its disguised 

--
regards
Jill Bowis
Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment,  Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk
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