Welcome to
the Hens New Homes Page - 2008. |
Below are letters
and pictures of some of the hens we have sold and their new homes, look
out for some really great hen names. See the bottom of the page for my
top ten favourite names.
If you have bought hens from us, we would
love to see some pictures and find out the names you have called them. Email
Us and we will add you onto this page. |
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Dear Karen
I have at last got round to sending you some
news of how the girls have settled in and some pictures. I can't imagine
life without chickens now and am thankful for your great service and
for providing such wonderful hens. The children love to get up
in the morning with me to let them out and we always check for eggs
after school. My son is in charge of corn time and I have attached
a picture of the comical sight of 5 chickens chasing him round the
garden with his tub of corn. They are named as follows after terms
of endearment (as per the children's request!);
Merrydale Ranger - Cutey
Merrydale Sweetie -
Sweetie
Merrydale Sussex - Noodle (an
obvious choice!)
Merrydale Blue -
Angel
Merrydale Crested - Poppet
They are pretty much free range now but we
try and keep them in the enclosure when we are away for any length
of time. Cutey our Ranger is an escape artist though and will
often come to greet us when we arrive back from the school run.
She is extremely tame and docile as you can see from the picture of
her with our daughter. Top of the pecking order is our Sweetie and
at the bottom is our black and white cat Winton!!! Actually it's our
Crested Poppet but she frequently chases and pecks the cats to build
her self esteem.
Lastly I would like to say a big thanks to
Karen for answering my frequent and sometimes ridiculous emails asking
for advice. I am definitely getting a bit more savvy now so thanks
for your patience.
Kind regards Rachael Smith (15/10/08) |
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Karen,
After our telephone conversation Saturday me and my daughter popped over.
We were really impressed by the care of the birds and the time / advice
That Tim gave us. I really am pleased that the original supplier let
us down as it allowed us to find you. Tim set us up with all the bits
we required and a couple of Sweeties (which my daughter chose). You
can be assured that we will be back, and recommend your superb establishment
to anyone thinking of buying chicken's.
it's been a pleasure to do business with you.
Kind Regards
Marc
05.10.08 |
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I just couldn't
resist sending you these pictures of one of our hens who loves to be
buried in their dusting bath. I can't believe that she appears to enjoy
being buried and loves me to rustle her feathers whilst doing so. Afterwards
she will just lay there for 10 mins or more until something attracts
her attention and she gets up. I suppose this demonstrates the confidence
between bird and owner and how tame they can get.
Regards
Gordon Staines (Newbold)
19.09.08 |
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Hi Karen,
Just thought we'd drop you a note to let you
know how "The Girls" are getting on and to thank you for the brilliant
service and advice you gave us.
We purchased a Sweetie (named Sweetie by our
youngest daughter!), a Sussex (Kylie), a Copper Black (Sage) and a
Cuckoo (Daisy)!
They have settled in really well and although
we had a few hair raising moments with Kylie the Sussex pecking at
Sweetie, they have sorted it out and are really entertaining
to watch. We find ourselves sitting in front of "The Manor" watching
them for ages most evenings! Hamish the Westie is just about getting
used to them waltzing around the garden when they are let out.
Thanks again and hope to see you again soon
when we come for supplies.
John, Angie, Sadie and Aimee
Birstall, Leics
15.09.08
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Hi Karen
Many thanks for the
excellent service and advice you provided in our new venture into
hens. We intended on having 6 chicks but couldn’t decide between
2 of them so the 6 became 7. As you can see in the pictures they
have settled into their new environment very well, fully exploring
the garden and making good use of the purpose built climbing frame
that we clearly provided just for them! They are delightful and terrible
time wasters, with the Sussex being
the friendliest at the moment. She really likes being stroked when
perched on the chair and makes those funny chirping hamster noises
all the time. The rest seem to want to be petted but don’t
yet feel it is appropriate for them, keeping just out of arms reach.
The Blue is most adventurous and will come into the kitchen if we
leave the door open, quickly followed by the Rhodie.
We named them the day
they arrived, after family members, and some have really grown into
their characters. It looks as if the pecking order is beginning to
take shape with shared power between the Black (Oma Christa - named
after my matriarchal German mother in law) and the Rhode (Mindy -
named after my American sister in law) both of whom seem to be in
charge some of the time. We are not sure who will triumph but their
power struggle does have an air of reality about it!
We will keep you informed
of progress as we excitedly await the arrival of egg laying time,
with both Christa and Mindy looking like the nearest according to
their combs. They seem to be in competition again – funny that!
Kind regards
David and Ingrid Archer
23.08.08
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Hi Karen
Just to let you know the ten hens are settled
nicely into their new home and sorting out their pecking order.
Thank you and Mr Karen so much for the beautiful
well grown stock. It is so nice to find people who care more about
the stock than the profit and it really shows in the way you run your
place.
To have everything you could possibly need
in one place and to be dealt with in such a personal way is truly uplifting.
Going home down the A511 made me realise how
close you really are and I am sure I will be back.
I have been trying to locate good quality
hybrids and can't believe my good fortune to find you so close to my
home.
What sets you apart is the clarity of the
web-site and consistency of supply.
So thanks again. By the way I have already
found watching the chickens and how they interact with each a wonderful
way to meditate as they are totally absorbing.
Love Linda
16.08.08
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Dear Karen,
We have finally got round to emailing you after we collected our ladies
on 21st June. Omlette (Sussex) was initially 'top hen' but it seems that
Princess Layer (Sweetie) has knocked her off the perch and has taken
over. Yolko Ono (Ranger) has to be the sweetest hen on the block - you
don't enter the garden before she comes over to you and follows you round
the garden.
I really don't know why we didn't keep chickens sooner! They are fabuolous
pets for children and there's nothing like collecting a fresh egg or
3 every day. The only problem we seem to be having is that they like
to alter where they lay the eggs - currently a bush, flower bed, nesting
box or by the side of the barbeque!!!
Thanks so much for all your help and we look forward to extending
our flock - Hen Solo next I think!!
Leanne, Harriet and Isabelle Pearson
12.08.08
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Hi Karen,
Sorry it's taken so long to send you these
photo, although it's only been a week, it feels like we always had
chickens! Who knew they could be so 'henhertaining' and such
time wasters?!
Thank you so much for the 5 lovely girls we
picked up last Friday. It was meant to be 4 but we couldn't choose
as you had such variety so in the end came away with 5! Thanks
also for your time as I know you were short of time as you were waiting
for the BBC to pick you up; I'm glad that went okay by the way!!
The Ranger is 'Top Hen' called 'Harriet',
which is appropriate as her name means 'Estate or Home Ruler'!
The Pied is called 'Alberta'.
The light Sussex is called 'Ethel'.
The Sweetie is 'Margot Laybetter'.
Finally the 'Brucie bonus', the Crested is
called 'Carmen' as it looks like she uses heated rollers for that wonderful
top knot! Carmen is totally bonkers and dashes so quickly around
the garden with her head down, Mark says we should have called her
'Road Runner' or 'Speedy'!!
They're all such characters and cannot wait
for them to start laying, if their wattles and combs are anything to
go by I think it might be Carmen first, fingers crossed for a blue
or green egg!!!
Here they are, and thanks again for giving
such wonderful advice re the run, I think it will be really easy to
keep looking good!
Love
Eleanor & Mark
07.07.08 |
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Hi Karen
I just wanted to email and say thanks again for the lovely crested
chickens I bought from you. Here are some pictures of them and where
they are now living. They have been named by my children so even though
they look glamorous girls they are known as Spotty and Rosy. They are
now well and truly part of the flock lining up to greet us or for treats
as you can see in the picture! Rosy in particular is very chatty and
it is impossible to go into their enclosure without being followed around
with lots of back chat from her! We are still waiting for the elusive
blue egg but Spotty is developing a good crest so fingers crossed it
won't be long.
I have got more chicken accommodation and extended my chicken
collection and now also have a Lawford Blue, a Snowbell and a Fenning
Coucou....I am hooked as I think you predicted! I think 8 will do for
now, and will hopefully give us almost all the egg colours possible!
I have recommended you to all on the omlet forum but it's great to
see you already have a really good reputation on there.
Thanks again and I look forward to coming back for more hens in the
future!
Sophy Winfield
29.06.08 |
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Dear Karen & Co,
Just wanted to thank you for your excellent
service and to give you a quick update. Ginny (our merrydale
crested) has started laying, we found two very pretty green eggs in
the nest box this afternoon! Daisy (the single merrydale sweetie
we bought last weekend) has integrated with our other 4 already, and
they are freeranging around the garden as if they have know one another
for years! will send you some pictures when (or if!) we get a
nice day to take some.
Many thanks once again,
Greg, Penny, Ashley, Phoebe & 'the girls'
xx
26.06.08
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Thank-you for such lovely service you gave us
on Saturday!! My husband and my boys loved coming to pick our 2 new
ladies up and they have settled in very well!! We got a sweetie and
a ranger and named them Lilly and Honey.
Best Wishes
samantha
26.06.08 |
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Hi Karen,
Just a quick thank you for the chickens. They're
beautiful and we've fallen in love with them already (although Poppy
the Westie isn't too chuffed that there's another two to gang up on
her!). As we speak they are fast asleep in a sunny spot in the garden.
I can't believe how different they are from our other two girls. The
other two are always charging about, digging and causing mahem but
the new girls just plod around quietly without making a peep. It'll
probably change when they have been been here a while and they pick
up the other two's bad habbits! We haven't introduced them all together
yet properly as there was a bit of pecking and squabbling so we're
going to keep them separate for a week to get them all used to each
other, so as soon as everyone is aquainted and one big happy family,
fingers crossed, I'll send you some pics. Incidently, we've named
them Tikka (Sussex) and Masala (Sweetie) to carry on the
food theme (the other two are called Sage and Onion). I know, it's
terrible!
Thank you again, you were so very helpful
and we're so glad we came to you for our new girls.
Vicki and Stew (the bloke making a big
fuss over his bad foot...men!)
22.06.08
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Hi Karen
Thought you’d like an update
on the girls’ progress. The Ranger (Matilda Mary-Jane)
is a lovely friendly hen, very placid and gives us a beautiful brown
egg every day. The snowbells (Hettie & Lettie) are very
bossy. The Schwartz (Lily), Copper (Millie) and Black Rock
(Aggie) are now starting to stick up for themselves. No eggs
from the latter five as yet but we live in hope! Our German
Shepherd finds them fascinating as you can see by the photos.
We are enjoying watching them, and
they seem to enjoy watching us.
Many thanks
Steve and Marie
14.06.08
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Hi Karen,
Just to let you know how well my 3 POLs have
settled in. We collected them Saturday 17 May 2 x Rangers and
1 x Sweetie, and once we arrived home and I let them out into their
new home/enclosure, I found an egg in the carrier. How
cool is that!!!! Since then I have had 2 eggs per day - I'm
just waiting for the Merrydale Sweetie to begin laying.
Well, how well they have settled in. Whenever
I am at home I let them run free in the garden - they follow me around
and I have even found them on the doorstep ready to come into the house. I
just love them, well everyone does - they are the main topic of conversation
in the office - they are so amusing and their eggs are a wonderful
bonus.
Many thanks for all your advice - the farm is
great and excellent customer service!
Helena Plowman
13.06.08
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I have attaches some snaps of our hens, Henny,
penny and bluebell and our first ever egg which was a double yolker,real
great as the children could share it!!!
Emily-jane
10.06.08 |
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Hi Karen,
The 4 hens we bought from you on 19th May have settled in beautifully!
We have named them Maureen (ranger), Pauline (snowbell), Mrs McNally
(pied) and Rainbow Dash (black rock - name inspired by a My Little Pony!!).
They seem very cosy in their shed - so much so that it took them more
than 24hrs to discover their run and when they did, they forgot where
bed was and had to be 'assisted' back in! They are still freeloading
and haven't laid yet, but their antics are priceless entertainment! We're
placing our bets on Pauline to lay first - her comb is now very big and
red, closely followed by Maureen. Rainbow Dash doesn't seem to have had
much comb development - I think this may her protest for being given
a daft name!
We absolutely love having them in the garden and Lucy is desperate to give
them their corn 'sweeties' every day (strictly rationed!). Thanks for all
your help and advice - has your enthusiastic daughter taken over the business
yet?!
Jo, Paul & Lucy, Irchester, Northants.
10.06.08 |
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Hi Karen,
Just wanted to update you how the 3
Rangers that we brought from you last weekend are getting on. They
have finally settled in now and are running round like they own the
garden (they seem to have taken a shine to my parsnip and broccoli
plants!!!).
We have called them Kiev, Kentucky
and Caesar and they have their own personalities even after a week
of having them. They are very funny to watch, they have no manners
and will poo just about anywhere. They also have a habit of trampling
on one another to get out of their house as fast as possible every
morning!!.They are not too keen on the football we have brought for
them but
love pecking at the mirror which we have hung up in their run.
We are looking forward to tasting our first
eggs. Hopefully we won't have long to wait.
We have set up a 'chicken cam' which means
that we can watch them on internet if we are not at home. You can also
see them by logging onto http://chrisward.awardspace.co.uk/chicken.html. The screen refereshes every 5 seconds or so.
I wanted to say thank you for the
help that both you and your husband gave us and also the information
regarding looking after them. It was nice to see how you care for your
chickens at your farm. They all seem like very happy chickens.
Many Thanks. We will see you soon to stock
up on more supplies.
Lisa & Chris
08.06.08 |
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| Hi Karen,
Had a great time coming to Merrydale last Saturday and thought you might
like to see how nicely 'the girls ' are settling in,despite the awful rain
we have been having! They are so amazing
to watch and already clearly have very different
personalities! The ranger is called
Sweetie,she is very chilled out! the black rock is called Rocky and is
the bravest so far! The pied we named Piper,she is a bit nervous and the
last to come close to us(she really is a bit of a chicken lol!),the copper
black is Bossy boots at the moment as she really does think she rules
the roost and chases the other girls about! and last but not least is
the schwarz who is called Fergie and is also quite chilled ! We are trying to train them that when we ring a bell they get their
treats in the hope that once we let them totally free range next week they
will come back to the coop when they hear it,not sure how that will go
but thought it might be interesting to give it a try! We are all so excited
with our new pets and they are being spoilt rotten, We are eagerly
awaiting our first eggs in a few weeks time,
Thanks for all the
advice, we are now completely hooked on chooks!
Ally,Gez,Annabelle ,Joe & Adrian :-)
28.05.08
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Hi Karen
Just thought we’d let you know
that the chickens have settled well into their new home.
The
Ranger has been laying virtually an egg a day since they arrived
but seems to take Tuesdays off! We are delighted with them
and are looking forward to the rest of them coming in to lay.We were very impressed with your
farm and the way that the chickens are cared for.
Kind regards
Steve and Marie Sterling.
28.05.08
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Hi Karen,
We came to visit you on Saturday 17th May and collected a ranger and
a sweetie. We were greeted by your husband who helped us select the
birds, showed us how to clip the wings, and spent time discussing chickens
with us - very useful as we were fist time chicken keepers!
All of the birds at your farm were in excellent condition, and we could
have easily taken all of them! The journey from Mansfield to your farm
was worth while! We will certainly recommend you to friends.
Attached are a few photos of 'the girls'. We have named the ranger Martha,
and the sweetie is called Maisie. Martha, the ranger, is the boss, and this
was sorted out on the first evening! Two days later, we were welcomed home
after work by Martha's first egg - what a surprise! Maisie hasn't started laying
yet, but her wottle and comb are getting redder by the day.
As first time chicken keepers, we're just left asking the question "Why didn't
we do this sooner?"!
Many thanks,
Marcella and Gary.
28.05.08
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Hi, just thought we'd let you know how the 5
chickens we bought from you on Saturday are settling in. They all seem
to like our newly extended run but still haven't figured out how to get
into their coop at night..we are working on it! The new ones all get on
fine together particularly the 2 snowbells..they clean and preen each other..bless!!
Our Ranger is very friendly as you will see from the photos and the black
rock is coming on too. Paxo, our chicken who survived the fox attack, is
still being a bit of a bully and all the others are petrified of her..she
definately rules the roost! She hasn't hurt them though, just pulled out
a few feathers, so I'm sure in a couple of weeks they will be friends.
She seems happy to have them there, just wants to show them whos boss.
Thought I'd let you know what names they have been blessed with(!)
Ranger-Fudge
Pied-Thunder
Snowbells -Lightning & Milky
Black Rock-May
Not very chickeny names I know, but what can you do..kids eh!!
Well I've sent some piccies..hope you like them!
Thanks again
Natalie
26.05.08 |
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Hi Karen,
Well, after much squabbling, squawking
and vying for position, Andrew got to put the ladies to bed for
their first night home (I sulked, but someone had to hold back
10 stone of dog)……
We had a Merrydale Ranger, a Merrydale
Sweetie a Copperblack and a Snowbell
from you 2 weeks ago exactly and we have had our first egg. It was better than getting my first swimming
badge when I was 6!!!! When
I have learnt how to upload from our camera I will send some photos
on.
We haven’t named them as this
has been the cause of much bickering so far, and they haven’t
sorted out a pecking order either. They
all sleep together, squashed into one nesting box, which takes
up less than 1/6th of their total sleeping space – funny
girls aren’t even perching much either. The snowbell sprints up and down the
garden all day chasing sparrows (they are truly free range) but
apart from that they just seem to like each other’s company. And
cabbage. Boy,
do they like cabbage. That
first egg yesterday? Golden as the sun. They
are currently scratching for bugs around the compost bin which
has been very frustrating for our Great Dane Custard, who has always
wants to have a good roll in that bit of the garden…
Photos to follow, and really, really
must get back to doing things like housework – I’m
only inside when it rains at the moment – thank god for wireless
internet or I’d get the sack!!!
Kind
Regards,
Miranda
and Andrew x
23.05.08 |
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Thought you'd like to see the new home complete
with the other two chickens.
They seem to be settling in and have learnt to use the food and water dispenser
provided by Omlet.
They're lovely!
Attached are 2 pictures of the new home.
Regards
Andrew and Joy
08.05.08 |
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Hi Karen,
Just a quick note to let you know 'the girls' have settled in well already.
We collected them from you on Sunday and so far we have had an egg a day!
The Sweetie we have called Dolly Daydream as she is so docile, The Ranger
we have called Agnes 'Aggy' and the Cuckoo we have called Lilian.
Aggy likes to hold the chase when we put them away at night but I'm sure
she will get the right idea soon. Dolly is right behind you when weeding
and pulling up worms, and is becoming a bit of a glutton and Lilian is
a real gem.
You have a wonderful set up, where you are and I have recommended you to
all my chicken keeping converts! My boyfriend Ben has come round to the
idea and he loves them as much as I do!
See you soon,
Donna (& Ben)
02.05.08 |
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Karen
Thank you for the POLs. We bought 3 from
you. The 2 Ranger & a Sweetie.
What a pleasant farm you have!
Very clean. It was tidy and all the pens were spotless. You obviously
care much about hygiene for your birds.
Thank you also for showing us
around. Your birds are all fit and healthy; they all look
happy and content. It is a pity we could not have taken more off
your hands.
Your tips on clipping and feeding
were very useful.
The Sweetie (the Wife called her
Clarrissa) has laid her first egg . A pigeon would have been proud
of it, but then it was her first. The Sweetie is certainly a friendly
bird and is always following me about in the garden. The Rangers
are more reticent, preferring to scratch about and eat.
You will be seeing us again when we
need to replace the aged birds in our small flock in our garden.
All the best
Wayne Gilroy
29.04.08 |
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Hi Karen
Well we have just had
our first 3 eggs almost 20 weeks to the day The girls have settled
in a treat but i soon found that my pen was not big enough so the
girls are in a new 20ft x 8ft pen and they love the freedom. The
sweeties are called Henny, Penny and Jenny and the three rangers
are Hetty, Netty and Betty. Our youngest grandchildren think they
are magic, they just squat while they pick them up for a stroke
and are not a bit timid. Sorry no pics yet when i get my camera
to behave I will send some on.
Thanks for all your
help and advice, we will keep in touch
GEOFF AND SHEILA EVANS MANCHESTER.
29.04.08
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Karen,
Just thought we would send you a couple of pictures of the girls,they
have really made themselves at home.
No eggs yet they are just about 20 weeks old, we picked them up on
easter Monday, so they should be about to start laying soon. Louis
the Rottweiller is looking after them so the foxes better watch out!!.
Can't understand why we didn't get some sooner they are a real joy.
Thanks and we may see you again soon as we intend to increase the gang!!
John and Julie. South Wales
27.04.08
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Just to let
you know once again that the chickens we bought from you a few weeks
ago have settled in really well. The names we decided on are
Snowball, Chips and Chickie. Chips has been laying now for a
good couple of weeks. We are still waiting for the other two,
but I am sure it won't be long now. Snowball is very friendly. She
loves feeding out of our hands and is a big fan of cuddles. She
also will sit outside my back door and bang on it with her beak to
come in. I wish I would have done this a long time ago and I
am very grateful to you for supplying me with some very fine chickens. Attached
are some photographs, one of them being of Katie with the first egg. She
was very chuffed!!!!
Thank you very much.
The Ramsays.
25.04.08 |
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Hi Karen. 20.04.08.
Steve and I came and bought 6 chickens
from you three weeks ago. Since then very little housework has
been done as I have become an avid chicken watcher. Can’t
wait for warmer weather so I can watch in comfort. We bought 2
sweeties which we have named Margaret and (Eggy) Peggy. We also
had 2 cuckoo’s which are named Sophia (LE-Hen) and Gloria
(Egg Stefan). A blue and a crested. The blue we have called Ada as she reminds me of an elderly lady I knew called Ada who
always had a nice blue rinse. The crested is aptly named Cressida.
Top chick is very definitely Peggy
and bottom of the pecking order is Cressida. In between all
is very amicable. After the feather plucking of last weekend we
let them out into the garden so the victim (Cressida) had got room
to escape from any would be bottom pecker. We had tried isolating
her but this really distressed her. This weekend we got up early
to let them out and these tactics seem to have worked because she
is now all healed up. (Thanks for your help and advice over this
matter when Steve phoned up). All of them except Cressida now feed
from the hand and come running up to me when I go to see them.
She really is taking the business of keeping her distance from
the rest very seriously. They don’t seem too keen on eating
their pellets, much preferring nettles, worms and bugs and of course
the afternoon treat of corn.
At night they all snuggle up together
on the carefully measured roosting perch so there is room for another
6 maybe!
Today has been very exciting as we
have had our first egg, lovingly laid for us by Ada and eaten for tea by our Cocker Spaniel
Sophie. Photo enclosed of first egg—things can only get bigger.
We have also enclosed some photos of our ladies in their new home.
Thankyou. We are enjoying every minute
of our new hobby.
Viv and Steve. |
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Hi all at Merrydale,
Just a quick email to say thank you sooo much for our girls. They
have settled in really well and have kept us all smiling so much that
we've forgotten that we're waiting for some eggs!
Mable (merrydale sweetie) is really laid back and lets the world go
by while she eats and poos! Shes always the first one out the coup in
the morning. Martha (Copper Black) is bonkers she makes us smile the
most her favourite time of the day is when i dig a hole in the garden
for them, she sits on the spade waiting for her worms! Daisy (sussex)
is the boss and she thinks she's entitled to Marthas worm's when she
gets one. It's really funny seeing them chase each other for there finds.
Thanks for your advice on giving them the corn as a treat however
the chickens tell us when they want it by tapping on our patio doors.
You were also so right about Dave (the other half who didn't want chickens)
He comes home from work and is straight in the garden giving the hens
some fuss before me!
Thank you all so much for your help and advice.
Claire, Dave, Jack ,Katie and Edith.
19.04.08 |
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| Hi,
I would just like to say thank you for your help yesterday.
Me, my wife and my young son all came yesterday and brought 3 hens and
a coop from you
It was really nice to have somebody as friendly as yourself to help us.So
we would just like to say thank you for helping us.
All hens are fine and the coop is really great and much better than my
attempt.I am sure there will be some questions we have at a later date.
Thankyou once again.
Nick, Aimie and Matthew
12.04.08 |
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Hello to everyone at Merrydale Farm,
We are just writing to let you know
that the hens we purchased from you on Saturday 22nd March
have settled in well at their new home. We decided on the following
names; Margaret (Merrydale Schwarz), Edna (Merrydale Snowbell)
and Sweetie (Merrydale Sweetie). The hens seems to get on really
well – Sweetie is the boss (her name isn’t exactly
appropriate as she likes to throw her weight around), Margaret
is very placid and easy to handle and Edna is always first to the
pellets in the morning, and corn treats in the afternoon. Our hens
spend most of the day in the run underneath their coop - afternoons
are spent in the green house – searching for creepy crawlies
and having dust baths. We have enclosed a selection of photographs
for you.
Regards,
Grant & Helen West |
|
| Thought I would drop you a line to let you know
how the hens are that we collected on 8 March. They have both settled in
really well and Cayenne (the schwarz) laid her first egg on 27 March -
we have had one a day since then. Nuggett - the sussex hasn't started laying
yet - but expect our first egg any day now as her comb is getting bigger.
During the day they roam freely around the garden (until I start planting
my veg garden) and have great fun chasing the other birds out of the
garden!! Cayenne is the tamer of the two and happily eats out of our
hands - but both come running down the garden as soon as they see us.
They are very funny and have given us lots of amusement watching them
and getting to know their different personalities!! They both seem
to think they should be allowed in the house and come in at every opportunity.
This is my first experience of keeping chickens and I just wish I hadn't
waited so long before taking the plunge!!
Thanks
Jo and Stuart Duncombe
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Just
to let you know that the 3 chickens we bought from you are doing very
well - we have named the two Rangers Daisy and Gwen (the Hen) and the
Sweetie is called Flurry because she looks like a flake McFlurry!!
They are
settling in well - seemed to enjoy their long van drive back to Manchester
and totally confused our dogs with their funny little noises :)
They are
eating well and already know where their house is to go back to bed!!
I no longer find them frightening and plan to try and clicker train
them to do tricks - but not quite sure what.
Thanks
again so much - we love them and they have had so many visitors already!!
Julie and
Harry
Manchester,
UK
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Hi Karen
A few pictures of our chickens we bought
from you 2/3/08 ,we have got a 6 month old golden retriever and she
loves the chikens,one has started laying they are called princess
layer (Schwarz),scramble (Sweetie),nugget (Sweetie), pie (Pied) ,copper(Schwarz)and
spring(Snowbell).They love the freedom of the garden and
scramble tries to come into the house!
Many Thanks
Annette, Laura and Chloe |
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|
Our three Merrydale
blues (Rosie, Poppy and Bluebell) are now in their permanent run.
They went to bed all by themselves from
the first night, although all three have decided that they want to sleep
together in the nesting box.
Quite a squeeze and I am hoping that
this will stop when they grow up and start laying.
I am attaching photos as promised.
Best wishes
Janet and Chris Jackson |
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Tilly (Black), Penny (white) and stig have
settled in fantastic. Would rather dig for bugs and worms than have their
dried food. Penny is so funny she keeps kicking all the leaves with her
feet in one last attempt to get her last worm lol. What a joy to watch.
Will send you some more photo's soon.
Daren from Redditch |
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Hi Karen
here are the pics of the chicks i brought from you 27/2/08.The yellow
one is called Emu and the black one is called Deli they are both real
characters they live inside in a indoor guineapig cage,but most they
time they roam around the living room and kitchen.I will keep sending
you pics as they grow up hope all is well back at the farm thanks again
Laura Astorgano x
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Hi
Karen
Just
to say thank you very much for the chickens! We had six (2
Ranger, 2 Sweetie & 2 Copper Black) and they are all very
happy! 'I managed to clip all their wings (you're right
it's easy when you get into the swing!) They took a while to
settle in, I don't think the "fowl" weather helped!
Again
very many thanks. Couple of photos included, just so you know
they went to a good home !
Sam
and Chris |
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| An
update. Ruby and Sweetie have started to settle in now. Ruby is
still noisy but very tame and loving and sweetie is ugly (ha ha) but
so nice - she poses for the camera. All seem healthy and happy
and I love them. Each has a different character. Hope you like
the pictures. |
| www.konishiki.co.uk |
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Karen
As
promised here are a few photographs of the “Fox Fortress” built
on an old greenhouse base. While making it I discovered huge
variations in the price of wire mesh, “Scats” did the best
deal at just over £8 for a 10m roll. We get visited by
foxes almost every night so the hens only get to free range when I
am out working in the garden.
The 2 blues are called Henrietta and
Penny and the 2 sweeties are called Victoria and May. Collectively
they are called the “twits” because they act so stupid
at times. Egg production is incredible at 3-4 eggs a day, so
good in fact that we normally hand out at least a dozen eggs
a week to neighbours and family (in the hope that they will look after
the hens when we go on holiday!).
We have been totally converted to keeping
hens – the daily reward is very addictive.
Thank You for your help.
Richard Allen
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Hi Karen, just a quick e-mail to let you know how the two Cresteds
are that my husband and I bought from you this morning. They've had a
very busy day getting to know us and the garden and avoiding my other
girls like the plague!
They're all roosting together now so hopefully tomorrow they should
be a little braver with each other.
We were very impressed with your set up (having visited lots of poultry
farms in the past) and thought your service was excellent depite you
being obviously run off your feet.
I've forwarded you a little snap shot. we've named them Daisy, the
more golden one and Doris the darker one.
Thanks again,
Sarah and John Shelley
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Hi Karen
Just a quickie to let you how my lovely ladies are doing!
Thought you might like a photo or two!
Still haven't named them just cant ALL(five of us that is) agree on the
same names! lol
They are being very spoiled, again by ALL of us !!
Only one still laying eggs and the one laying eats like a horse not a
chicken, she's always the first one there when we have any food.
I will share with you though i have had sleepless nights worrying about
the cold/frost/wind, keep trying to think of ways to keep them warm!
We do live on top of a small hill so it does get rather windy but they
do seem to go in when they are ready.
Am i being a big softie?!?!?
Oh its the pied thats laying is that because she is the oldest?
Hope you are well and will up date you later on.
Kind Regards
Amanda (lincoln) |
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Chickens, dogs and gnomes |
|
First Egg |
Florrie (most tame) |
Charlotte |
Gracie & Florrie |
|
Well Karen, as promised pics of our girls.
They had only been with us a week and Florrie laid an egg. They
dont seem to mind our 6 dogs and have already made head contact and not
flinched. After showing and breeding dogs for over 25 years I never
guessed I would find another exciting passion. The chickens are
great. They give me a reason to get up early in the morning - to let
them out. Florrie the blue is the most tame. She loves a fuss and
she is the one who is laying. Charlotte the other blue who is magnificent
to look at is more timid but she is slowly coming around. Gracie the
Sussex is greedy. She loves corn and also my bracelet and gold
necklace. They all have individual natures and are such fun to watch
and I simply adore their lovely noises. Thanks a bunch for the
girls. We already love them
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| www.konishiki.co.uk |
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Hi Karen!
A photo of my hens investigating their favourite type
of plant. Sweetie and Bossie Britches (aka Crested!) are 'in charge',
with Snowbelle next and Marmite (Schwartz) bottom of the order. Marmite
got her name the first time she saw a crust of bread with a scraping
of Marmite on it - it's the first time we saw her stand her ground!
Watching the hens is fascinating, we really enjoy watching
them and eating their scrummy eggs!
Many thanks
Sharon
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|
attached a photo of our chickens they have settled
in well and the two sweeties laid eggs on the sunday, we have named
all the chickens as follows
the 2 snowbells are called tinker and bell
the sussex with the darker neck is called clairy
after my youngest daughter [she is the bossy one]
the sussex with the lighter neck is called dawny
after my eldest daughter
the sweetie on the block of wood is called scary
mary after my sister
the sweetie we called dotty
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just thought i would drop u a quick line to let u know
that the hens have arrived at there new home and are looking good!!
take a look at the pics i thought it would give u a good idea as to
where the hens will be living and there new freinds (well hopefully)!!
there are no magnets in sight lol. the hens come out into there run
near enough straight away, and my hens came over and all looked
reasonably well. i do hope i can introduce them all soon as the two
hens do look a little cramped to say the least in the pen. for the
rest of the afternoon one cockrell seamed to take control and
kept on going inbetween the pen and other hens and flapping his wings.
must be trying to show his boss status!!!
thanks for u help
liz and the hens!
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|
 
Hi again. Not very good
photos yet - will take some proper portraits when it is warmer and
the light is better. Both hens are still a delight, very friendly
and "silly tame". I have to say we are even more impressed with them
than with our first two F1 hybrids we bought earlier elsewhere, The
Blue, who is named Trooper because her colour reminded my son of
military uniform, started laying on 2nd January and has laid an egg
every day since - though she won't use the nestbox and has laid every
blasted egg on the droppings board. The Crested, who is named Roadrunner
because she looks and moves like one, hasn't started laying yet,
and we are agog to see what colour eggs she will lay! Having now
been hen-owners for six months, we are now definitely addicted, both
to the infinitely-better-than-shop-eggs produce and to the presence
of friendly burbling hens in the garden.
Many thanks,
Amanda
STOP PRESS. Roadrunner the Crested
laid her first egg today and it is a beautiful blue - to my eyes
identical to the ones laid by our friend's purebred Araucanas.
Also, she laid it in the nestbox like a well-behaved hen! Many
thanks for your tips about persuading the Blue to use the nestbox.
We will start with putting her in it (tricky, because she lays
very first thing in the morning, before the others have even got
up - in fact I am sure she lays before it is quite light, but we
will try anyway) and if unsuccessful will try some dummy eggs.
I am going back to the kitchen to
do some more gloating over our blue egg.
If we had more room, I would come
back and buy some more hens - must admit I keep prowling round
the garden trying to spot a space somewhere that could be
used!
Thanks,
Amanda
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|
  
As
promised, here are some photos of the girls that we collected from
you on 7th October.
The Splash Cochin is gorgeous. I'm really excited
about the prospect of getting two more from you next year. The Cochins
are my favourites.
Thanks for the advice tonight.
Jan
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Karen,
Just to let you know that the three
girls we collected on Sunday seem to have settled in well. Jo has
named them Sweetie, Snowbell and Copper (even though she's a Schwartz!!)
No prizes for originality there then. Sweetie is definitely
in charge of the other two and keeps them both 'in check'. They are
causing much amusement to Bubbles - the barn owl - she can't quite
make out what these strange looking 'owls' are doing in her garden.
As for the cats - well one now won't leave the house and the other
ran so fast up the garden he nearly flew. They are all eating well,
drinking ok and were quite happy to have their wings clipped. When
we get a nice day (sometime soon I hope) we'll take some photo's
and let you see them all in their new home.
Thanks for letting us have some great
girls!
Julie, Dave and Joanne x |
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Dear Karen
A few weeks ago I bought 3 hens from you - a Sussex, a Blue and
a Crested. They are all well and have settled in with my old
lady Aretha - a six year old Maran. No eggs as yet but I have
named them after the Spice Girls. The Sussex is Baby, the Blue
is Scary and the Crested is Ginger. This is continuing the tradition
of naming hens after female singers. Crazy I know.
Regards, Ros Randle |
|
Just a note
to say thanks for your time and patience when we came down to choose
two chickens for our garden.We/you was worried that the two new ones
would pick on the silkie but it was the other way round she didnt like
the thought of any one else sharing her home!!The two girls think they
are great ,Im sure they will settle down in a few days.No doubt we
will see you again for any supplies/advice or even more birds!!Thanks
again.
Neil Barnett and family. |
|
Thanks Karen – they are doing
fine although don’t think they have quite grasped the concept
of their coup – they were all just roosting on the floor of
the run yesterday evening so I lifted them up and put them in – hopefully
having managed to come down the ramp ladder this morning they might
realise they have to go up it this evening!!!
We had one egg yesterday
and one this morning so they are obviously not too traumatised
by the journey!
I still can’t believe
how friendly they are already – really lovely and if anyone
asks me where to get hens I will definitely be recommending you!
Hannah
xxx
www.hannahscountrykitchen.blogspot.com
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Hi Karen,
Just wanted to say it was great to meet you this
morning. You have a lovely set up and I will recommend you to others!
The chooks are lovely – very friendly already which is a bonus.
No doubt I will be back for more in the future!
Best wishes,
Cathy from Fleckney (and boys)
PS Chickens are named already:
Roley Mo, Little Bo and Bambi J
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| Favourite names I have heard so far : |
Omelette
Henny Penny
Hen Solo
Princess Layer
Nugget
Chicken Licken
-----------------------------
my
hens names are Mrs M`Clucky and Omletta.
jozsef
age 7
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Hi, I read your web page with interest. I
would love some chickens, but my husband will not allow it. I
have even thought of some names for them. (if I had any)
Yolko Ono
Kiev and Nuggett (a bit cruel)
Gregory Peck (don't suppose they would mind a blokes name)
I will let you know
if I think of any others. You ought to have an adopt a chicken scheme
for people like me!!
Celia
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hi
my brownISA is called Ruby Murray (she'd make a great curry). I
love her, but shes a rubbish layer (especially for an ISA)
helen
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Hello i thought two great names
would be chicken little, cornelious, fuzzy wunkles,lady von
poofyhead, mr wattles and zoolander hope u like the names peeps.
Robert Higgins
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Have you got a better name? Email
me and I will add it to the list |
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