[Christine B]

We have six French Marons which are supposed to be 22 weeks old but have not started laying yet.  Am I expecting too much of them?  I say supposed to be 22 weeks old because they don't seem very mature.  Doesn't the comb grow larger on them at that age?

We bought 4 wheaten /red Marons and then 2 black ones the following week - the black ones were much larger so I am now wondering if my bad French was the problem!!  Asking for seize semaines (16 weeks old) and getting six semaines (6 weeks) Then the black ones that we got the following week actually WERE 16 weeks which is why they were bigger

What do you all think?  When should they begin to lay?

Also they are semi free range (we have two dogs) but their enclosure fence is only 1.5 metres high and they are starting to fly over it  Roll Eyes  Answers please ?? Wink  raise the fence or clip the wings?

I'll try and attach a photo taken when they were supposedly 16 weeks old

[Wellieboots]

I doubt that they are more than at the most 12 weeks old. There doesn't appear to be any development of comb/wattle so I reckon you've got at least another 2.5 months before they start. That said, it isn't an exact science so they might start laying earlier....minimum 20 weeks.

Me thinks you were sold much younger chooks.

[Christine B]

Hmmmm me too but I think it was basically my bad french accent when I asked for 16 weeks old - Their comb is developing now and beginning to change to brighter red instead of pink so I'll keep buying my eggs for a bit longer    Thanks for your thoughts on the matter

[lara]

I would clip wings - it will stop them getting high enough if they do try to fly over the fence then they will stop trying.

[doganjo]

Sorry to disagree but clipping their wings won't make any difference and just might stop them getting out of the way of Jaws! Two of mine jumped 5 feet onto their fence then down the other side into Hester's big mouth.  One had been clipped the other not - they bounce up and down like they are gauging the height then take off.

[Christine B]

I can see both sides of that - I tend to go for raising the fence but ideally I should make sure the dogs won't attack them!!

Yesterday when I was out in the garden with the dogs I heard a noise and there were 2 chooks standing right next to one of the dogs!!  Poor Sparky (dog) was rooted to the spot looking at them in horror - I was in panic mode in case the other dog (Monty) came over from the front garden and joined the 'fun'.

What to do?

I used the only word that gets Sparky into the house ............ DINNER!!

Then I realised what I'd said - what an idiot!!  So then here am I saying..... 'No Sparky not the chukkies for dinner - in the house for your dish - no, the Chukkies aren't dinner Sparky.......'  I hope no-one heard me I must have sounded like the mad English woman!!  Although that's pretty near the truth :-)

Anyway I dashed to the front garden, put Monty under my arm (they are Bichon Frises thank goodness, not labradors!) dashed back round to see if there had been a massacre - and there was Sparky sitting on the doorstep waiting for his  dinner!

It's an interesting life here in France !

[doganjo]

He he - can't see me picking up a GWP and 3 Brittanys somehow....................  But I agree - raise the fence, and make the top wobbly so they don't like sitting on it.  So far so good - no more mishaps!  touch wood!

[Christine B]

Make the top wobbly eh?  Well that shouldn't be too difficult for us 

[doganjo]

I put a foot of chicken wire on the top of the solid wooden fence, only pinning it in place at strategic places - so now if they try to jump onto it they can't get their balance and drop back down into the run.

[Christine B]

That's a good idea execpt that we haven't got a solid wooden face to begin with    What do you think about look out posts on the corners with men carrying machine guns just in case?...... (I used to be a huge fan of 'Colditz' ..... now that's giving my age away 

Seriously though - when Dave gets back from the UK we are going to extend the chicken run over another part of the garden - so they can have a much bigger plot and be safe from the dogs - The new fence will be much higher - (and I bet the little blighters will still manage to get over it!!) It will be a wire fence but we will make a rubbish job of it and leave the top wobbly - then tell everyone we did it on purpose