Hello Farmer Fly
Glad that you have shared a little more of your story (and that of the hens) - it is all that's needed to bring out the best of the wonderful people who share their stories, questions and advice and encouragement on this forum.
You certainly sound like you are doing a wonderful job with your new girls - they are laying far better than ours are at the moment! And the pictures Henstock posted brought tears to my eyes - how wonderful to see that kind of transformation.
We only started keeping hens last year, and bought in young, healthy, free range POL's. We have been learning the ropes up to now on how to keep our boys and girls happy and healthy. We feel more confident now, having learnt a lot from this site on the art of keeping happy and healthy chickens, and we hope to venture into getting some ex batts next year.
So please share your stories of how your girls progress. Even some of us oldies will learn a lot from you if you share your experiences, and any tips you can share on how to best care for ex batts will be gratefully received.
Good luck!
Dee