[greenfingers]

We found our first egg today.  We are not sure which hen laid it as Clarissa and Phyllis are now both cockerels, as Phyllis crows very well most of  the day and at least 2 of my baby light Sussex are cockerels, so it may have been either Betty the mummy, Dilys who is about 7 months old now or one of her babies, who are only about 16 weeks old. Any suggestions who it may be.
We have worked it out that this one egg has cost us so far around £300, so we are owed alot of eggs to make ends meet.
We are looking forward to many more and hope they are tasty.
Unfortunately we shall be having Phyllis for New Years day as she is turning out to be a bit of a nuisence in the run with Clarissa and keeps escaping, plus she will not lay eggs and we only want one cockerel, also the light Sussex babies will be in the freezer also.  Our neighbour is getting us some ex battery hens next month so we hopefully will have more eggs from these.  Things are beginning to look up despite of this credit crunch.

[doganjo]

Congratulations!  I suspect it is Betty the Mum that laid.  I love my ex batts.  I've had them since September and I'm now reliably getting 2 eggs a day from 6 hens although it's anybody's guess where they will be laid.  Just as well they are in a net covered run or the magpies would get them first.
Annie

[sandy]

It's great to think the hens are laying after all that expense, I thought that myself  after all the money I paid out but in the long run they are grate to have around, I now keep making cakes and freezing them but in the summer I will not have enough so may eventualy get some more...Well done whoever laid the egg...many more to come, Sandy

[Rosemary]

Congratulations! You will be almost as happy as if you had laid it yourself!

[garden cottage]

maybe the next egg will be gold!, its no yoke when their not laying this is eggsactly what you want (groans)

[greenfingers]

It is Betty that is laying the eggs, yesterday when I let them out, she was in the corner where we have been finding them and there was another under her, so far we have had 4 eggs and they taste really lovely.

[doganjo]

So we're down to £75 an egg now then?   That's almost as good a rate as me - I got four ex batt eggs today , 2 or 3 a day for the past week now - them posh light Sussex ain't even thinking about it yet!

[Hilarysmum]

Even at £75 per egg its still the best you will ever eat.  (Said by one who has never dared count the cost of her eggs  20 layers 3 eggs a day, and one very satisfied cockerel).

[greenfingers]

Egg number 6 this morning, so we are down now to £50.00 per egg, they are getting cheaper now.

[Hilarysmum]

Need an envy smily   really good going this time of year....

[Rosemary]

We had three eggs this morning and two yesterday - four of them were Maran eggs and one a Black Rock pullet by the size of it. I don't count the Sussex and the RIR any more - I regard them as pensioners now. Glad the Marans are hitting their stride.

[Hilarysmum]

Even the dear ducks have gone off lay here.  Message goes out on the hen hotline  "MOVE TO LE BREUIL NEVER LAY ANOTHER EGG"

[juliag]

I also have some light sussex I was going to raise for the table, at what age are you going to 'do' yours? I have 4 and am tempted to keep them and put them in with my other hens for their eggs, however we get a bit overrun with eggs, very good bartering tools though. I barter eggs for both partridge and phesant, and also for wood, its great! I also have 3 Welsummer chicks I was raising for meat but am not sure what age they should go, any advise anyone?
 

[RaggyDoll]

So happily envious of you guys who have eggs.. even at £50 per egg!! I have 6 hens and 2 cockerels (one to be rehomed shortly) and never had a thing. We have a mixture including a light sussex, a black rock, an orpington x, a black rock x, a welsummer and a barred plymouth rock  My OH thinks this is funny... sympathetic fella he is! All our hardwork building them somewhere safe and warm to live, feeding them the best we can get... letting them run free round a chook paradise and still nothing. The day i get my first egg i will be so excited i might actually go bang! A few people have said its common for them to start laying 10 days after the shortest day of the year.... makes it about New Year... is this true? Please tell me it is!!! I so want eggs from my girls to prove to the OH it is all worth it!

[greenfingers]

We now have had about 8 eggs, it seems to be miss a day then one two running, then miss a day etc.
The Sussex chicks were born at the end of July, they were 5 days old when we got them, at least 2 are cocks so they are going in the pot when we think that they are a good size. I didn't know age came would come into it, we thought just size.
We may be getting some ex battery ones this next week, our neighbour has a contact.  Question, could we eat the battery hens, some one said that there is not a lot of meat on them, but not alot is beter than nothing, any answers or suggestions?