We have have placed an order for young chicks which are ideal for youngsters. They are past the delicate stage but are still small enough to be easy to handle. We have also added some point of lay birds to our order.
If you want to know more about these birds we have a page devoted to the breed. The breed page also a link for the Muirfield hatchery website. Eddie Lovett is the owner and breeder of the famous Black Rock birds which originated in Scotland. He (Eddie) took over the breeding line when Peter Siddons passed away. Before he died, Peter had given all of his knowledge to Eddie. This has enabled Eddie to could carry on Peter Siddons’ work of breeding the birds he loved. Black Rock hens also have a facebook page.
As we are an official Black Rock agent we get a regular delivery of Black Rock hens. Keep watching our site for news throughout the year. Our area is North West of England and North Wales. You could also join our newletter list to be updated.
Get in touch via our contact page if you would like to book any.
Chicks for Easter are very popular with young families. Schools are very keen to uphold the typical imagery of Easter. This excitement passes to parents who keep the traditional events of Easter going. Of course, Easter is an original religious celebration which is very important to those of faith.
In nature, whenever you think of Easter, it is normal to also think of it as a Spring festival. Spring heralds new beginnings when birds begin nesting and gardens wake up after the long Winter’s slumber. Snowdrops, Daffodils and Crocuses poke their heads through the cold soil to give bees and other insects their first feasts of the year.
The animals often thought of as Easter icons are baby rabbits, and baby chicks. Both animals feature heavily on Easter cards because they are so cute and fluffy. Chocolate Easter eggs also appear on cards but come a close second. Adding pictures of chicks on almost every product is common around this time of year
Chicken breeders often begin to incubate chicken eggs in Spring. Easter is the date in the calendar when hatching starts in earnest. Fertility and egg numbers increase as the daylight hours become longer. This is good news for us as we can then start to think about building up our stock of chickens for sale. Raising baby chickens is definitely one of the nicest things about what we do. It is very much a guilty pleasure handling as many as possible.
Our pure breeds are Swedish Flower Hens, Salmon Faverolles, and USA Silkies. We also take delivery of official Black Rock, & Brown Rock at intervals during the year. Hy-line Browns are also available during the year. Hy-lines lay as many eggs as the better known Warrens or Lohmann Browns but they lay a darker egg.
Pitfalls of chicks to be aware of
If you are wanting to buy chicks for Easter then we will have plenty by then. We will want to know that you have done your research, so that they will be well looked after. If you want to check out our blog page on how to care for chicks, this will stand you in good stead. Baby chicks have specific care needs otherwise they can die. We want to avoid that at all costs.
Male or Female chickens – that is the question?
Our pure breed chicks are not sexed at the fluffy stage so there is a potential high risk of boys. Boys will turn into loud cockerels and are difficult to re-home if you cannot keep them.
Need a Guarantee of Hens?
How early can you sex a chicken? It depends on the breed. Some breeds are easy at 3 weeks, whereas some are impossible until some weeks later. We don’t offer a return on chicks that we sell as unsexed. If you want a hen guarantee, then you will need to wait until the chicks are roughly 6-8 weeks old before purchasing. This means they are beyond the fluffy stage but they still look quite cute because they are diddy versions of the older birds. We could sell male chicks like some other breeders do and promise that we have sold hens, but it is not our way. Honesty is important and our customers appreciate that.
Guaranteed Hens at Day Old
Hybrid chicks like our Hy-line Browns, Black Rock and Brown Rock are hatchery sexed. We offer a female guarantee with those at day-old.
We are an official agent for the famous and original Black Rock hens that are supplied all the way from Scotland’s Muirfield Layers hatchery. Our area covers Wirral, Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales. Click here for further breed information. If you don’t get your Black Rocks from us in the area above then it is very unlikely that you have the genuine article.
We have had a delivery of young Black Rock® growers that are now 12 weeks old at 6th December 2023. These are very calm birds, ideal for new keepers.
They are a very special recipe which has been handed down over generations and is only available from selected agents throughout the country, more importantly, be sure you don’t confuse these hens with a Rhode Rock. The Rhode Rock is a commercial style hybrid which comprises of a Rhode Island Red and a Barred Plymouth Rock, therefore, a lot of chicken suppliers will try to capitalise on the Muirfield Layers name and excellent reputation by claiming the same name for their birds. All black and gold birds are consequently not the same. If you are unsure, you can check the agent status through the supplier by following this link to the Muirfield Hatchery. If you get offered a Black Rock cockerel, or hatching eggs, be assured it is NOT the genuine article, as they do not exist.
Black Rock Breed Description
This hardy breed is renowned for having a long laying life and is bred to be happy in the sometimes challenging Scottish weather. It is not unusual for it to be a bit parky up there.
Her stunning blue/black plumage comes alive with a vibrant sheen when the sun shines. She also has a collar of gold coloured feathers which extend down to her abdomen. The gold patterning on the front and neck is often different on each bird, therefore, some have more gold than others.
When looking for a Black Rock chicken please ensure that you are getting the genuine article by coming to us. We get regular deliveries of day-old chicks that we raise to point of lay. They are handled daily to ensure that they are socialised and not prone to panic. Consequently, a hen that is already quite a friendly bird, becomes more so when we get our hands on them.
Temperament
This lovely hen is a friendly inquisitive and confident bird, consequently a Black Rock is not usually at the bottom of the pecking order. They are well suited to a mixed flock of similarly sized or even larger birds.
Breed Size
A Black Rock is classified as large fowl – light
Eggs
The eggs are the normal supermarket biscuit colour or sometimes slightly darker. She is a good steady layer of medium to large eggs. Her famous genetics also mean that she will lay 4-5 eggs a week in her first laying year. As long as she remains in good health it is usual for her to continue to lay well for longer than your average hybrid.
Further information about our chickens
Checkout our chickens for sale page here. Our Courses page may be of interest if you want to learn more about keeping chickens
The Original and Genuine Muirfield Layers Black RockBlack Rock and a.n.otherBlack Rock GrowerA pair of lovely Black Rock hensSome of our Black Rock chickens for you to enjoy
