[doganjo]

Elaine, I wouldn't eat the battery hens - eat the non-layers instead! (I've had my ex batts two months and they are getting quite sturdy now but they were skin and bone when i got them)
 I am getting 4 eggs a day from 6 ex batts and absolutely zilch from my 3 light sussex and cockerel.  I paid £1 each for the rescues and average £3 each fro the LS - no contest!  I won't eatr mine but I might give them away to see if a change lof surroundings and diet starts them off laying.

[Rosemary]

They will come into lay - once we're past Christmas and the nights lighten, they'll start.

[doganjo]

OK, any advance on £37.50 an egg

[Hilarysmum]

   Just wait until Feb/March you will be inundated.  Start searching for egg recipes now. 

[Wellieboots]

Our black rocks are storming ahead! They are about 30 weeks old now and sem to need to lay practically every day. Only 4 at the mo as a chuffin big buzzard got one a few weeks ago (I know this as I was working from home & staring out of the window laughing at their daftness when she was snatched!!).
They seem to not realise that they should be slowing down for winter, much ado when one is hogging the preferred nest box and others can't/shan't/won't use any of the other boxes - dumb but fun birds as they say!

[juliag]

  Really funny , you have made me laugh so much about the ex battery hens. They have no meat whatsoever , really skin and bone and I can guarentee do not look at all appetising! I have 10 rescued from the battery hen welfare trust and they are very very special ladies indeed. much friendlier than our normal hens, under your feet the whole time! I fully think its a great thing to do and you get eggs thrown into the bargain!!

[greenfingers]

I think we have 2 hens laying now as we are finding them in different places.  I have just had one fried with some local cured bacon, MMMMMMMMMMMMMM lovely.
Phyllis does not yet know her days are numbered. ie 31st December ready for New Years Day, please do not tell her.  (She is a he and crows and does not lay)
At the moment I am saying I can eat her (he), but time will tell when my raise my first forkful up to my mouth.
My Mum won't eat her as she has seen her, so I have also got some pork from my friend who has just had his pigs slaughtered, rare breed black somethings? We had some chops last week.  I have never tasted pork like it, I even sucked on the bone they were that goooood!

[yorksfarmer]

Must be something in the air as our 2 light sussex have just started to lay at last. Maybe it was the fact I mentioned it being xmas next week  anyway went out to them yesterday morning and found 2 eggs in a cardboard box that was waiting to go in the bin.... You give them a nice warm run with loads of space, nice fresh shavings and a loverly warm nest box full of straw and thet prefer a cardboard box  Oh well at least thats 2 laying just have to wait for the other 12 buff orpingtons and where laughing.  Has anyone else had any more yet?

[juliag]

well I hate to say it but my girls havent really stopped, I get 6-7 eggs a day and either swap them or have even taken to pickling them, I guess mine are a bit older than yours though as they are probably 9-10 months old now. having said that with my ex-battery hens I am down to one a day out of 10 hens, bur I am putting that down to the fact they only came out in october and it has been very cold since. roll on the spring... after last weekend we have mud mud and more mud!

[greenfingers]

No eggs today, I still have 5 in the bowl though, I want some more by the weekend as I need to do some baking ready for next week. I must admit though these eggs are very very tasty and the yolks are a wonderful golden orange colour with very little whites.
Am I being greedy now in asking them for some more

[Hilarysmum]

Greedy no!  Its why we keep them after all.

[syde house chooks]

Me too, very excited this morning to find 4 eggs all from new stock who hatched since spring. A very special birthday pressie today, they must have known!!!

[sandy]

It's sp nice to get your little gifts, next year I want more chickens but need a better hutch as mine was both expensive and small, my three Black Rock Hens lay and egg each day but in the summer, we get busy (B&B) and need more eggs so am looking forward to getting some ex battery ones or point of lay birds...

[doganjo]

Sandy, register with the battery hen welfare website and you'll get on the list for rescue hens - believe it or not there is a waiting list!!!  Here's the link www.bhwt.org.uk
Annie

[greenfingers]

We have 6 ex batts coming on Saturday at a pricely cost of 50p each.  We went to B & Q in Elgin today and bought a shed in the sale dept, it has bits missing including the screws etc, but we have it nearly assembled in the garage, but with a lot of modifications, it will be very palacial for the ex batts, I hope much better than what they are used to.
We have 2 laying now, Betty and Dilys so we are getting sometimes 2 a day, it does us just fine , but with the ex batts we should be getting more, but I already have orders at work for free range eggs, so hopefully I should soon be able to reclaim some of my outlay back.
We have the new shed for these to keep them separate from my hens I have already.  They should all fit in the original shed once some of my cockerels are in the freezer, and the new shed will be used for some ducks.

Elaine