# Keeping hens in Spain



## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

Hi,- another question 

For those ex pats that keep hens for eggs- chickens for meat- how did you source chicks/pullets. Here in the UK I can get eggs via Ebay and incubate or go to the local agricultural horsey place an buy pullets- what about in Spain? Where have you source all things chicken?


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## nattyboomboom (Mar 12, 2014)

We went to a local farmer close by as we only wanted 10 chickens for eggs....way too many by the way as they're very good layers and we get around 12 eggs a day and can't eat them all!!! 
The chickens were free range and that is how we've kept them as well although I know people who go to the local battery farms and rescue chickens from there as well then have them as free range on their property. You can also try milanuncios or segundomano as people advertise on there too.
We paid 4 euros per chicken from the farm but I think my friend paid only 2 euros from the battery farm.


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## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

nattyboomboom said:


> We went to a local farmer close by as we only wanted 10 chickens for eggs....way too many by the way as they're very good layers and we get around 12 eggs a day and can't eat them all!!!
> The chickens were free range and that is how we've kept them as well although I know people who go to the local battery farms and rescue chickens from there as well then have them as free range on their property. You can also try milanuncios or segundomano as people advertise on there too.
> We paid 4 euros per chicken from the farm but I think my friend paid only 2 euros from the battery farm.



Thanks, I currently have 7 hens-three of them I had had since they were eggs  and the oldest at 9 is still laying the odd egg when I thought she'd stopped months ago- so we are getting anywhere between 3 and 7 eggs a day which is too much for us but the dogs get them and neighbours!

Can I ask what "milanuncios or segundomano " is?
Thank you


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Midgeymoo said:


> Can I ask what "milanuncios or segundomano " is?
> Thank you


classified ads.

www.segundamano.es
MILANUNCIOS: Tabl?n de anuncios clasificados gratis para comprar y vender.


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## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

Thanks!


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## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

Most villages and towns have an Agricultural merchants which sells hens in everything from day old chicks to POL. Just don't ask them what type they are!! they are "Hens"...what else? Bloody stupid English asking a question like that


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## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

country boy said:


> Most villages and towns have an Agricultural merchants which sells hens in everything from day old chicks to POL. Just don't ask them what type they are!! they are "Hens"...what else? Bloody stupid English asking a question like that


That's fine with me- any POL will do in fact I'm right off Pure-breeds because of their tendency to go broody


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

nattyboomboom said:


> We went to a local farmer close by as we only wanted 10 chickens for eggs....way too many by the way as they're very good layers and we get around 12 eggs a day and can't eat them all!!!
> The chickens were free range and that is how we've kept them as well although I know people who go to the local battery farms and rescue chickens from there as well then have them as free range on their property. You can also try milanuncios or segundomano as people advertise on there too.
> We paid 4 euros per chicken from the farm but I think my friend paid only 2 euros from the battery farm.


Wow that's quite some hens you have there - I never realized that they laid more than one egg per day.

We buy ours from a local "green shop" or "drug shop" as our children call it :lol: Most towns will have such shops selling everything from small plants for the veg garden to animal foods and anything else in between (oh, and cannabis seeds and equipment!). Cost for POL hens = 4.25 euros.


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## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

My POLs last year were £15 each!! They do lay well but quite pricey.


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## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

What price - roughly are you paying for their pellets? mixed corm?
I know this goes up and down depending on weather in Russia/America! 
I'm paying about £11 for 20kg pellets- Argo make which seems good, preferable to Spillers IMO.
H&D is about £14 per 20kg.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Midgeymoo said:


> What price - roughly are you paying for their pellets? mixed corm?
> I know this goes up and down depending on weather in Russia/America!
> I'm paying about £11 for 20kg pellets- Argo make which seems good, preferable to Spillers IMO.
> H&D is about £14 per 20kg.


We pay €17.95 for a large bag of pellets (40kg) and then we supplement with kitchen scraps etc.


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## nattyboomboom (Mar 12, 2014)

I thought we'd only be getting about 7 eggs a day from 10 chickens too!!! 

We go to the local gofio factory (Canary island staple food a bit like porridge) and buy a 25kg sack for 10 euros of cracked corn/grain. We were told by our local farming store that the pellets are basically the same stuff just compressed and more expensive so we've stuck with that. They go through a bag a week though....and we use it for the 5 bantems we have as well.


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## Midgeymoo (Apr 13, 2014)

nattyboomboom said:


> I thought we'd only be getting about 7 eggs a day from 10 chickens too!!!
> 
> We go to the local gofio factory (Canary island staple food a bit like porridge) and buy a 25kg sack for 10 euros of cracked corn/grain. We were told by our local farming store that the pellets are basically the same stuff just compressed and more expensive so we've stuck with that. They go through a bag a week though....and we use it for the 5 bantems we have as well.


The ingredients in my pellets- the big difference is the added calcium for good strong shells- I dry my shells out and crush finely and add them back- the hens eat it sometimes not always- they seem to know when they need more calcium. also protein in the form of Soya- corn on it's own is low protein and if fed solely can lead to fat build up around the ovaries which can stop laying.

However, if the hens are free ranging far and wide and managing to eat insects etc the mixed corn might be enough but I would definitely crush the dried shells and give them back- shell is 95% calcium carbonate.


Wheat, Wheatfeed, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Ext, Soya Bean Ext,
Oats, Vegetable Oils, Di Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate,
Methionine


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