Hippogriff

The Chicube looks great as well... you're quickly into the same price territory (or more) as the Eglu when you start adding drawers and runs and colours, though... £50 for Apple Red paint? ;-) It seems really customisable... I like the idea of the auto-door (if it's what I think it is - a door that opens in the morning when daylight appears?).

If - fingers-crossed not - the experience just doesn't work out for us, then we know the Eglu can be re-sold for a good price, and we got a deal on it that was OK, made it ever so slightly less eye-watering. Will keep asking questions and providing the odd update, but also expect that I should look into one of the poultry forums. For getting started in the right way, Sheffield forum has definitely been helpful.

1) That's way too infrequent... I want it to be there, waiting for me. 2) I am a control-freak and don't like putting my life in the hands of others. 3) I can walk other places if I decide that I want to, I don't want to be forced to, though. 4) I really don't think I would like the kind of people I see on the 75 bus. I also do not suffer from road rage, I am a very chilled-out driver... never worried about being late or stuck behind something. Anyone I've seen trying to be sociable on a bus is treated like they're a nut. 5) I have a car park space at my office. Car wins! Yay!

It would probably still be a close thing... costs would have to come back to 5p per ride (or was that an urban myth) to get me to choose the bus over car. I have to walk to get the bus - the car is in my drive. I have to wait for the bus as it runs to a timetable. I have to walk to work at the other end - I have a car parking space at my office, so straight in in the car. It costs more - as you rightly point out. It is full of other people that I don't know, or don't like the look, sight, sound, smell of. I can listen to my loud music in the car, without annoying anyone else. I can make and take phone calls in the car, without annoying anyone else. The bus might be full when I get on, it certainly will be at the town end. The bus doesn't have heated seats... which I like very much. The bus is inconvenient when I'm transporting things, other than a bag - even with my rucksack I have to sit there, with it on my lap. Gee, I sound so superior - I'm not meaning to, I'm just listing things that help my decision to get in the car. Taking all these things into consideration, I think the bus is actually a specialised mode of transport only suitable for certain people...

I think many of us would prefer to travel on as few buses as possible for as short a time as possible they being more of a means to an end, as opposed to a way to while away the day.

Buses are OK. The biggest problem with buses is... the other people. I'm not even saying there's anything wrong with them (although there often is)... it's just their presence. But I don't get annoyed by Shobna doing what she is doing, though. After all, if she is worrying about whether her top matches her skirt, she is probably on the lookout for a man and she needs to look her best - especially if she wants a man who has a car... so that she can avoid getting on the bus.

Ah, well - I definitely am an inexperienced keeper, for sure... I didn't ask how old they are in weeks (I may have been told, but I probably forgot). Attractiveness about their readiness to lay was not part of the decision - the hens were chosen on first impressions after being picked up - one poor hen was so nervous she seemed to puke, so she was put back (hard hearted!) - the others all seemed placid - Rocky was obviously faking it. Anyway, the 'tray' of the Eglu Go can be seen here (second image on the right) - http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?cat=Eglu+Go&subcat=The+Eglu+Go - and I am positive it is very well designed and the perches look wide, but there is nothing that is much higher than anything else, strictly speaking, although the nesting area is actually a kind of shallow bucket. I will ensure, if she goes back there tonight, that she is "roosted" at bedtime.

Two are PoL, one is slightly younger. Rocky is the biggest... she was sleeping on the comfortable egg-laying area, leaving the other two in the barred area, earlier this evening when the door was closed. Obviously top-dog. Will monitor this bullying behaviour... bird-brains. Is it true that the dominant hen may elect to not take up the responsibility of laying?

Three hens collected from RGC today... a Lohmann, a Speckledy and a Bluebelle, named Rocky, Sparkle and Lorry (no spelling mistake) respectively. Rocky is currently bullying the other two in the Eglu Go run.

P.S. - I wrote these entries on my Xoom. Upon purchasing an Android tablet, the first thing I recommend you do is shell out £1.50 on something like Thumb Keyboard which replaces the stock keyboard (which ain't terrible) and makes typing on the tablet faster, cleaner and more satisfying.

I have had both the Toshiba Thrive / AT100 and Motorola Xoom. Both are cool. Pluses and minuses for both. Toshiba feels sturdy, which I liked, has great full sized USB, HDMI and SD card ports / slots but no Gorilla glass, speakers could be better and the cameras weren't brilliant. The Xoom is thinner, feels really well made, has Gorilla glass and excellent speakers and camera. The ports on the Xoom are the mini / micro type. The Thrive was able to be updated to Honeycomb 3.1. The Xoom updated to Honeycomb 3.2 on taking it out of the box. If you want Ice Cream Sandwich right now, then you will need to look at another tablet or root the device you buy and install a custom ROM. I would avoid the Samsung, it has only a proprietary connector... being able to access files via USB or SD card is really, really useful and is one of the main differentiators from Apple. The Samsung can, therefore, be more like an iPad. The Sony tablet is quite quirky - try it at John Lewis. Try the others at Carphone Warehouse on Fargate. Oh, when I say I have a Xoom, I mean the original Xoom and not the Xoom 2 - be aware that the Xoom 2 doesn't have the same ports / slots as the Xoom. I'm happy with my Xoom. I got it in the sale at CPW. Other than price and styling each tablet will have much the same capabilities. For £400 you can get any of these I think. For a little more you could even look at a Transformer Prime. Don't agonise over how much storage space they have - especially if you get one with an SD card slot.

We're willing to decide for sure on the breed(s) a bit later, but current thinking is Speckledy and Bluebelle. However, we understand that they will not be available until later on, so impatience might mean a different path actually ends up being taken there. The Eglu stuff does hold its value well, yes, eBay proved that to me. I found it a little bit disconcerting that my direct contact with Omlet, asking for a cheeky discount!, got me nowhere at all - not even a nibble. So maybe their order book is full to bursting.

Just an update for all of the helpful responders. Eglu Go ordered via Jody at RGC and will be delivered, and installed, early February. Hens and starter pack being ordered from RGC as well, we will commence that mid to end of February. It's a green light... go, go, go!

Every time I get an email notification that this thread has been responded to, I get an almost overwhelming urge to get myself into town and have something at Butlers. Hippo

Does it have to be a precious metal? I've always liked the Lalique heart-shaped glass pendants. You can get these new on eBay and other places, of course... here's a sample of the styles and prices... http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=lalique+heart+pendant&_sacat=See-All-Categories Maybe it's not your thing, but hope the input helps - Lalique - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Lalique Hippo

OK, I have finally, just, calmed down. Seriously, I just didn't want other readers to think (by reading the implication in your comment) that I'd deliberately avoided providing my view on your valid question. Hippo

curly_locks - thanks very much for this extremely useful feedback. I have contacted Jody at RGC. Hippo

Cool! Thanks for taking that well. Same to you re. New Year and, yes, I hope this new [ad]venture goes well. Hippo

No, don't worry... your input was spectacular - not opinionated or combative in any way. If I could give you gold stars, then I would. Hippo

Thanks all... a typical Sheffield Forum thread that managed to get off-topic quite quickly but I appreciate the input from the folk who've recommended Storrs Poultry (that's where I'll start I think) and also the folk who've given further encouragement. It really might be worth me checking out Heeley City Farm as well, though, as it's really close to me. Hippo

Good pointer, thanks, I am having a look now. Question - I was thinking of only three hens. Is there anything for me to be wary of when considering numbers? Did you choose six just because you had the room for six, or was it based on some recommendation / knowledge of hens? Hippo

Excellent. It looks like I'm looking in the right kind of places then. A personal recommendation is going to be worth its weight in gold for something like this. Hippo P.S. - I should have obviously written "Eggcellent"...

I am detached and my garden is surrounded by a very high fence and some trees. I'm satisfied that this won't be anything I will need to be concerned about. Admittedly, I would have saved you some time and effort if I'd been explicit about mentioning all this in my opener and your post could then have been more relevant to my query. Apologies. The other comment made about the deeds is interesting, though, I wonder how many people go to the bother of checking that, and what the consequences are if you end up in a position where you have broken the rules, either intentionally or through ignorance? Hippo

AndrewC, I did give you my view on this, way back on the 21st - I said that it sounded like an awful experience, but I could not believe it was typical. Therefore I didn't believe it was worth analysing any further. If you're wondering why I haven't given you a view, then it seems that you're not reading the feedback, or don't pay attention to what you might not want to hear. I think people have suggested that you give it another shot at a different time, just to get a different perspective - but it seems you're not open to that idea. Instead, I think you'd prefer to revel in your one bad experience and I don't think you will venture back; even though you do leave the door slightly ajar. The lack of your custom is a small loss to Butlers, I would suggest. Hippo

Thanks in advance for any useful insights / recommendations. Hippo