Backyard Chickens / Poultry, in Ireland?
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Processing 280 Chickens – Cornish Cross & Red Bros at Pete and Jen Backyard Bird’s Mobile Poultry Processing Unit
Question by Jo Jo: Backyard Chickens / Poultry, in Ireland?
I’ve been looking into keeping backyard hens, mainly for eggs and there is just so much information I don’t know where to start – I was hoping to get some experienced advice and information relevant to Ireland, which seems hard to come by!!!
So, can anyone tell me:
– Where in Ireland I can buy Chickens? (I was thinking of going for a breed that lays eggs but can be culled after 2/3 years but Im open to suggestions)
– Where I can get a house and run (in Ireland) or find out how to build one propperly?
– Where I can get Chicken feed and what kind or is it just standard?
Any tips on what to look for when buying a chicken would be a huge help too!
Thanks!
Firstly, thank you so much for this information-it is a great help and always greatly appreciated. Unfortunately I’m still struggling to get local information and I hate to say this but Ireland isn’t really online – the amount of companies/businesses/people that don’t have websites is quite high. I have searched Google Ireland but to no avail and I don’t know where there is a livestock / feed store locally – I have driven about looking and asked people but I’m at a dead end! : ( Anyone out there from Ireland at all?
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3 Responses to Backyard Chickens / Poultry, in Ireland?
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Well, I am not from ireland but I do know a great deal about poultry from chickens to ducks geese peacocks guineas I raise them all year long. I know that as far as the best laying hen I have ever had and continue to buy I choose the white leghorn strain as this breed is prolific layer every day or almost everyday. I have found that raising them from hatch the feed I choose or chick starter goes this way on observance the less protein the slower the babies grow and feather. I have found that if I raise my chicks to adult on a 24% protein feed they feather faster and lay eggs sooner then as would normal 18 – 21% protein chick starter. I raise them on this for a good 6 weeks and switch to 20 % protein and then feed them all the way to their first egg on that. Once they lay their first egg I switch to a layer feed or grower 16% or so and oyster shell for their egg production. I hope this was somewhat of a help to you partially anyway. Oh yeah and since you have access to a computer I would look at hatcheries online out of ireland google will find sites for you if you choose that route. I buy almost all my stock online. The Murray McMurray hatchery is where I buy them and most places will send you a free catalog to browse at what you want and you order there. I have a guarentee on birds I get threw the mail and I pick them up at the post office when they arrive. if there are some that didnt make it and that has only happend one time they send me some more …. I really hope this helps you…..Good luck in your search
Tammy R
July 23, 2012 at 1:39 pm
I’m in the U.S.A. I did a quick search for hatcheries in Ireland and posted a link not sure if it is will help you or not. You may have to copy paste the link it doesn’t appear to be linking. If you are wanting eggs and meat then you would be best to get a dual purpose breed. One of the best is a black sex-link, they have a good rate of lay and maintain their weight really good. New hampshires are also a good dual purpose breed.
One of the best places to get info on local breeders would be at your local livestock feed stores. They may also know of any hatcheries in Ireland. Building a coop is fairly simple, first measure out the area you intend on putting it. This will help you determine how many chickens you raise. You will need to build a chicken house with a wire pen attached. I can be more specific with more information. Raising chickens is pretty simple. their feed isn’t complicated. for layers a basic layer ration is fine adding some chopped corn to it helps keep down costs and weight up.Chicks I get for laying purposes I do not prefer to have fast growth rates. It is good for production but not so good for the bird. Chicks need time to grow proper bone structure. High protein feeds will help them grow quickly the trouble is their bones grow at a slower rate then their muscle do. The average starter/grower feeds for chicks is between 20 and 22% protein. Raising chicks for meat production higher proteins are good this does get them to grow larger faster which in the end means less time and cost.
I also listed cackle hatcheries website they have great picks of many breeds and info on what the purpose of the breeds are.
Wish I could be of more help.
ddstantlerstill
July 23, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Your first stop should be UBuilderPlans.com
http://www.ubuilderplans.com
There you can find plans for building a really efficient backyard mini coop called the “City Biddy Hen House”. It is easy to build and even easier to use. I have had mine for around three years and I LOVE it. There is also a lot of information on the site for new chicken owners.
As for places to get poultry in Ireland I would probably subscribe to “Country Smallholding” magazine. http://www.countrysmallholding.com
This is a great British magazine that has lots of ads in it. Many for hatcheries in your area.
Now that the “world is our oyster” due to the internet. There is a huge on line poultry community. I am also part of a poultry forum on Yahoo called Homestead Poultry group
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Homestead_Poultry/
By joining groups like this you can learn a lot … now matter where in the world you live.
Good luck
farmfresh
July 23, 2012 at 3:24 pm