Back in Lay!!

[kirsty b]

Inordinately excited to go down the run today and find 2 eggs. First ones since around mid-November
This will be one of the ex-bats because the littluns won't be POL for about a month or so yet.
Rather surprised I didn't take a pic...
Just had to share my joy.

[Jardiniere]

hens are weird

[kirsty b]

wouldn't have them any other way

[Akela Ben]

For the past month or so I have been getting one egg a day, sometimes not even that, and that's from 14 hens. It seemed strange as things never got this low in previous winters. But in the past few days I've had 3 a day, and then today 5 eggs!!! Happy New Year everyone, how is it just one egg can bring so much pride.

[Birdie Wife]

My hens started laying a couple of weeks ago, I think it was because we had some nice dry (but cold) weather and they felt much happier. Now I swear one of the silver grey Dorkings is going broody!!
Plus I got my biggest egg EVER about a week ago, it was 100g! I'm saving it for a special scrambled egg day!

[daisychook]

Hello,

Happy New Year everyone.

We now have three laying out of our six - we had a three egg day for the first time today!!!!

Daft how excited we get isnt it!!!

[jeannine]

I'm completely new to this as we only got our two ex-battery hens on Boxing Day, but I'm delighted to report they are both laying well. I thought it would take them a while to get settled. Today was the first time we've had two eggs. Have other people found that the weather makes a difference to laying rates?

Also, what have people found are their hens' favourite foods? (I can't help wanting to spoil our girls after the horrible time they must have had last year).

[Akela Ben]

Have other people found that the weather makes a difference to laying rates?

Also, what have people found are their hens' favourite foods? (I can't help wanting to spoil our girls after the horrible time they must have had last year).

Yes come the summer when we have long hot days, I will get eggs from most of mine everyday. Come the cold winter I get one a day if that. Chickens have to use their energy on keeping warm rather than laying.

My girls really love bread, popcorn and crackers.

[jeannine]

Popcorn sounds like a great idea - thanks for that. I've seen you can grow your own little cobs of popping corn in the Victoriana catalogue so I'll try that this year.

[Tracey]

Hi Jeannine

I've just discovered that my chickens love courgette and advocado. They gobble it up in minutes.

[Birdie Wife]

I threw them a mouse that I caught in a trap I've got in my shed. One of the hens pounced on it and ran off, with the others following! Made me laugh until I wondered about mouse-flavoured eggs

[Paul Wagland]

Birdie Wife, I can't help wondering how you expect to recognise the flavour of mouse...

[jeannine]

Well our girls do love eating slugs and the eggs still taste delicious...

Thanks for the tip Tracey, I've got a whopping yellow courgette (more of a marrow really) from last summer that I still haven't got round to cooking - I'll chop some up for them and see if they like it

[kirsty b]

They should do, I find mine amazingly unfussy when it comes to food, but the not impressed with the cold wet weather we're having at the moment. Found them all hiding in the shed this morning.

[Tracey]

I thought that chickens weren't supposed to like the wet? Our chickens appear to be enjoying splashing about in our flooded garden! As I'm new to chicken keeping I'm not sure if it's being mean letting them out because they make catch a cold, or should I be strict and make them stay undercover in their run? They look so forlorn when they are restricted to their run.