Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow (Warning - may offend)

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amrowe
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Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow (Warning - may offend)

Post by amrowe »

It has been a few years since I have been on this forum, but was wondering if anyone had advise in where to get get hatching eggs in Glasgow. Our silkie is laying at the moment and I am sure to go broody again soon, and I thought this might be a good time to try hatching our own eggs. Our ducks are getting on a bit and a couple of hens are due for dispatch!!!

This is our first venture into raising chicks and hoping to get some duck eggs too.

Look forward to some recommendations

Grannyof4
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by Grannyof4 »

I don't know but make sure you have plans in place for the cockerels, unless you are in the middle of nowhere and can keep them. Not sure I like "2 hens due for despatch" what is wrong with them?
amrowe
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by amrowe »

We have a couple of hens that have stopped laying. This is the first time we have come to this point as either the hens we have had have been taken by a fox or got sick and died before they stopped laying. As our primary reason for hens is to have them laying I don't want to keep feeding hens that don't lay. They have already stopped laying about 6 months ago and I have been hoping that they might get sick and die which seems a bit mean.

As a vegetarian I have struggled with what to do with them. One option was to put them across the road where I know there is a foxes den, but that seemed even crueler and a cop out. As my husband eats meat it makes lot more sense to eat the bird. I am not sure how good the meat will be on a 3 or 4 year old hen but hopefully it will stew okay.

I am just aware that I have probably sparked a whole controversial issue on vegetarianism/veganism and whether it is right to kill your flock when they are deemed 'inefficient'. I don't eat meat for environmental reasons and concerns over animal welfare, but do buy meat from the supermarket for my non vegetarian family and would much rather my children have a good understanding of what meat actually is. I probably am prepared to eat our own chicken, but not kill it personally as I know they have had a good life.

As for cockerels that hatch I am assuming that they may end up on the dinner plate too and might choose a breed that are both good for meat and eggs.
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Mo
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by Mo »

Well, before you start getting flack from those who see hens as their pets I will come in in favour (sort of) of the hens as livestock side.
When you have spent all that money on a secure home for them and are buying expensive pellets it is not unreasonable to want eggs.
And I have gone down the dispatch and eat road (but only once - it rather put me off, and I eat a lot less meat now). I do think it is illogical (but quite natural) to think it's OK to kill and eat other animals, but 'your' animals are somehow different.

Yes, they will be OK in the stew pot. There isn't much meat on a hybrid 'egg-machine' bird. The breast and pickings from the carcass are tender enough but the legs are OK only for stock, I stewed them, minced them, stewed them again, then threw them away - they tasted like string.
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jemberelli
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by jemberelli »

At the end of the day, everyone keeps chickens for their own reasons and none of us have the right to judge anyone for the choice they make. DTL is not a 'pet' site - it is much more than that and we should respect people's ways of life & decisions.

Maybe you could look online for suitable hatching eggs? I think many sell them with reasonable postage costs? Good luck!
No girls at the moment but look forward to getting more in the future. Proud mummy to Hector, a Bedlington Terrier x Jack Russell
amrowe
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by amrowe »

Well thankfully no one seems to have been too upset by my post so I hope I haven't offended anyone. Meat eating is always controversial and especially in my family. I wouldn't dream of letting my Mum know we intend to eat one of our hens!!

Thank you Mo for the advise on leg meat. My in laws are coming at the weekend and meat eaters and was thinking one bird would be enough for my husband and them and possibly a bit for me and my 2 year old. Do you think that will be enough for a stew if the leg meat is only suitable for stock? I am totally clueless about how to eat meat and how much would be normal for a three adults. If there is hardly any meat on a hybrid bird, I might just make a soup with it instead, but i had initially thought that would make a lot of soup that wouldn't all get eaten.
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by Grannyof4 »

Yes, it is each to their own but to me your post was horrendous. However, I don't intend getting into a slanging match.
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kitla
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by kitla »

As I do keep my chickens as pets and have enjoyed caring for ex battery hens, I am not of the same mindset as you. Though I wouldnt do it, I dont think it's wrong to kill and eat your own chickens, as they probably have a better life than the commercially produced ones you would otherwise buy at a shop, so long as they are dispatched in a quick and painless way by someone who knows what they are doing.
However, what did concern me a bit in your post was that you allow your hens to "get sick and die", presumably you dont treat their illnesses? This is unwise as some diseases, if left untreated could wipe out your whole flock. Do you worm them & check regularly for mites & lice? If not its possible this could be the reason your hens have stopped laying.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by ChickenCarol »

I too don't want to get into a slanging match (been here before) but the most offensive thing of all to me was the thought of leaving them to the foxes. I thought that I should stay out of this, this time round but can't help feeling upset by that.
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Mad Chick
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by Mad Chick »

Hi amrowe

I don't know of any egg suppliers in your area but there's a list on here...
http://www.chickens.allotment-garden.or ... egg-UK.php
Most suppliers will post too so being very local isn't a massive issue.
Lucy x


Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut - Ernest Hemingway
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Mo
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by Mo »

I can't remember how much breast meat there is on a hybrid. I suppose it depends how you make your stew. I use a tiny bit of meat to loads of veg. I think I would leave the experimenting for another time with no visitors. Anyway they need to 'hang' for a bit to be tender. Pressure cook, (or simmer for ages), pick the carcass clean of edible bits then decide how much you've got. You could freeze extra stock.

Expert advice here, or by googling table poultry. I think I'll let this drop now - I know it does upset some.

I do agree with Carol about the foxes - though I have put dead hens out for them, well away from the run. You should do the deed first.
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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , Eating chickens ...
My view is that it is admirable that you are prepared to eat something (not you of course ) that you can see and raised than go to a supermarket and buy a bird of questionable up keep.
years ago I had rabbits and birds raised by my father for that purpose. Pets were know to be hand held ,the rest was respectfully looked after.
So I am all in favour of your writing , but of course some may not be to happy about it . Living the good life is surely about feeding and being healthy .
If more people had to kill the food they ate there would be a lot more veggies around for sure.
Love you to keep a diary of your chicken rearing and the points of starting to the final ending .
Should put on the tittle subject-may offend so as those have a warning not to read.
farmers do this regularly and still have their pet chickens as well.
Good topic.
Bob
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lancashire lass
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by lancashire lass »

Re: not laying - my 3 year old hybrids stopped laying last year but as the girls still contributed to their upkeep with their poop and soiled bedding for the allotment, they were enjoying semi-retirement. Come as a bit of a shock when all 3 started laying again - I think a good rest, no moulting, feeding up, spring warmth and sunshine have encouraged them to lay.
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by amrowe »

trying to change title but don't know how to edit the original post so people are pre warned. I really don't want to offend people but thought I might let people know why we are doing this.
amrowe
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Re: Getting hatching eggs in Glasgow

Post by amrowe »

Sorry this is a long one, but in order for people to see where we are coming from I wanted to post it. We have been keeping hens for 8 years now and we have had 11 or 12 hens in this time. Most of these have been taken by a fox and some have got sick or stolen.

Our first which was very upsetting, as it was our first loss, just disappeared and presumed taken by a fox. The second got sick with bum feathers down and we tried to coax it into good health. Hand feeding it, bringing it to the fire to keep warm, trying to see if it was egg bound. This is when I used this forum most for advise and it was very helpful, thank you. A friend came by and thought it was a bit cruel that we were letting it starve to death as it wasn't taking any food, so my husband wrung its neck to put it out of its misery. He didn't like doing it at all, but I think that was the most compassionate response. I think a couple of other ones have got sick and we have just let them take their natural cause and died within a few days. One my husband actually spoke to it and said I think you should just go now and it died just there and then!! The others have been taken by a fox. One left out when we were away on holiday and forgot to go back in the coop. Another couple, the fox has come into the garden during the day and taken them. Again it is very upsetting for the kids but they are learning from this. One of my favourite hens, a silkie got stolen and a big appeal locally through Facebook had it returned to us by a bunch of young men who probably were told by someone else, you don't take the ministers hens in some not so nice way I imagine! Unfortunately a few weeks later it got taken by a fox. I think another has been stolen which I find more distressing as I don't know who steals them for what. Everything is locked with a padlock now so thankfully no problems in the last few years.

As for the situation now, because of the losses we have had we haven't got to a point when a chicken stops laying. One of our chicken is still laying sporadically but one hasn't laid since last summer if not longer. We have been given two hens last week and now the coop is pretty full so one needs to go.

I am sorry I have upset people by this post. It is not my intention at all and yes I couldn't go down the route of leaving them to the foxes. I was merely thinking of the possibilities out there for dealing with a hen we no longer want and I couldn't do that one. The other possibility was to kill the bird and give it to someone who has dogs to eat it, but I still think it feels in someway more respectful to enjoy a meal (and I hope it is palatable) with the meat rather than merely give it to another meat eater. I will eat the meat even though I am a vegetarian, as I feel complicit in the killing. For all I hate the meat industry I feel as a vegetarian I am complicit in it. I eat and drink and enjoy far too much dairy products to go vegan and I think would struggle on a vegan diet. But I do know because of my need for dairy that male calves need to be slaughtered. It is the same for hen keeping. For every hen, there is a cockerel of which end up being slaughtered. Ex batteries are different and I admire people who do this and keep hens till they get old and die but for me personally I also want to make better use of the feed that I buy.

As a vegetarian and keen gardener I really care about the disconnect between food and people. I think more people need to know where there food comes from and how it is reared and killed. I certainly think less meat would be eaten and people might care more about eating it. If anything my intolerance comes when people merrily eat meat, or even worse throw it away, but don't care about where it has come from and let someone else deal with the harsh dark side of the industry

As for letting the hens get sick and die, I try and keep them healthy as possible and don't know why they might have got sick. They have been wormed, but I confess not recently so I should do it again. They are free range in a large part of the garden and have fresh water every day with the coop cleaned weekly. The old hen house did get red mites a few years back and we tried to save it but ended up burning it and building a new one. I now dust it during the summer months with diatom. I really don't know what to do to save a sick chicken. A friend did offer to take me to the pdsa vet and pretend it was her chicken the first time our beloved hen got sick, but getting antibiotics for a hen did feel a bit much at the time. I don't know whether it is poor husbandry on our part or just an inevitable that some hens die. They certainly weren't young hens when it happened and would have been more than year old at the time, if not two.

I also have two ducks, khaki campbells, and they are now in their fourth year. They are still laying but we had the conversation about what to do with them when they stop laying. Do we buy duck hatching eggs, but we have decided not to as killing the ducks which have so much more personality seems beyond us and we will end up keeping them for their slug eating abilities.

Sorry very long ramble and well done for getting to the end. I just wanted to tell my story.
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