My girls

Meet Olive and Lottie.

We bought these little ladies around this time last year at the Spring Poultry Auction held in our town.  Newton Abbot where we live is a market town, and has a cattle market every Wednesday where all the farmers bring their stock cattle or sheep for auction to the local farms, and they also have several poultry auctions, full of chickens, ducks and geese large and small.

I absolutely love going these auctions.  The atmosphere is great, full of the heady excitement of bidding.  At the poultry auction the chickens are mostly sold in pairs or trios, and are in their cages with the details of their breed and any prizes they might of won.  You wait for the lot to be called and then start to bid. 

A few years ago we just bought fertilised eggs, and took them home for some of our other ladies to hatch.  The thrill of counting down the days and waiting for the eggs to crack open was amazing.  I am trying to persuade my other half that we should do the same this year.  The children are so fascinated by it all.

Our lovely  ladies are bantams, little chickens.  They lay little eggs, about half the size of the supermarket egg, and they are delicious.  Being of the fussy sort, however, Olive and Lottie have not been laying very regularly of late, I think they are waiting for some warmer weather!

Aren't we all ?!!

Comments

[caniche vagabundo]

lovely girls!

[Lucy Locket-Pocket]

Your banties look lovely and I love their house! We had some in our back garden but I had to decide to give them away unfortunately because we were getting a little four legged visitor and a fox had also got in and taken one. The children were horrified when I said I was giving the last two away but I'm the one that actually misses them!!! Lucy x

[Nonnie]

Olive and Lottie, what cute names for such lovely ladies. I don't blame them waiting for a bit of warmer weather though. As you say, aren't we all. Won't be long now.(she says hopefully!)

[Jasmine]

Hi
Aah sweet little chickens...I love the name Olive,so lovely.
x

[Jasmine]

Hi
Aah sweet little chickens...I love the name Olive,so lovely.
x

[Jasmine]

Hi
Aah sweet little chickens...I love the name Olive,so lovely.
x

[ievute]

life with chickens!!! once again I'm amazed by your way of life!

[carolyn]

I used to love the cattle markets but sadly there are none near us anymore. Love your girls, we used to have banties before we got the rescue hens, the eldest lived to be 9! My husband still thinks that bantam eggs are the best.

[Kim]

Hello Olive and Lottie! My friends have recently started to keep chickens and they are totally in love with them , but say they are very naughty!
Kimx

[Jennie]

I would love to keep chickens (I would love to have a garden!) Your girls are lovely. I hope they start laying again soon. (Surely the warmer weather can't be that far off)

[Lori Gardner]

I have 5 fat hens. I have been wanting to update their coup. do you have any more pics of your coup? I would love some ideas...
thanks!

[Lori Gardner]

I have 5 fat hens. I have been wanting to update their coup. do you have any more pics of your coup? I would love some ideas...
thanks!