[Vivian]

Hi everyone.  This is my first visit and I have found the site very interesting.  I have just acquired 5 Welsummer pullets.  I've had them about 5 weeks now and they are very healthy looking girls.  I feed them layers pellets in the morning and mixed corned late afternoon.  I was wondering at about what age should I expect to see an egg.  I know Welsummers aren't prolific egg layers but one or two would be nice.  

[muntjac]

it may well be when the days lengthen now vivien , you may get a bird lay just to be awkward  but i expect mine to restart laying fully in about mid feb ,i to keep a lot of wellys one of my favourite birds .i would use what layers pellets up that you have and then get milled chicken bran get a sack put it in  water tight damp proof container , a dustbin is a good idea feed a green giant sweetcorn tin of bran to 2 of corn in the morning , mix water with the bran first you need a small yoghurt pot full then stir in the seed and then in the afternoon feed a couple of scoops of barley or wheat making sure its all gone you may need to adjust it , in my opinion layers pellets are a waste of money as all you are doing is paying for someone to make the pellets , hope that helps regs karl

[Vivian]

I was hoping you would reply Karl as you obviously are very passionate about your poultry and if anyone could give me an answer it would be you.  Thanks.  I will use up this food I have although it may take some time as I bought 20 and 25kg of each. Then I will follow your instructions. In the meantime I won't be too disappointed at not having any eggs until spring.  Cheers  Vivian

[muntjac]

haah thanks for the the thumbs up ,but there are lots of chuck buffs on this site    you may get a suprise in the nest boxes before spring
when you see the first eggs so dark and glowing like deepest mahoganay you will smile ,i do everytime ,incidently the more greens you give chickens the deeper yellow the yolk

[Aunt Sally]

Yes, Karl's a real expert with loads of things, not just chooks (I'm trying out his pheasant recipe tomorrow)

I got my two chooks in Sept 05, they were about 12 weeks old at the time.  I waited until Jan/Feb 06 before I got any eggs but they have laid over 560 eggs between them since.  They eat loads of grass and other greens each day, slugs, snails, worms (and a few frogs), I even take them up to the allotment    :roll:   Their eggs are fantastic  :!:  

[muntjac]

:oops:  :oops: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww shucks :oops:  :oops:

[Vivian]

Hi again.  My chickens are on grass now which they are very rapidly turning into mud in the orchard.  Not a problem to me, but they don't seem to like other greens.  I've tried cabbage, lettuce and carrots but they just picj it up throw it about and leave it.  I hope the area they are on is big enough.  Its about 20' x 20' for five of them.  Regards to you both  Vivian

[muntjac]

wire off half and just let it have a rest for a month or so then allow them into it closing the poorer side , other than that dont worry and just feed what green you can and dont worry , chop the lettuce etc in thin strings so they can eat it like grass i hang them up on a piece of wire pushed through and then tied to string so they can peck at it when they want

[muntjac]

carrots need shredding as well. mine love cucumber pumpkin anything like that and also softer  pears which the * knock down them selves given the chance

[Aunt Sally]

I generally hang greens up for them so that they can pull small pieces off.  If it's loose on the ground they can't hold it still.  You can also hang it in a string bag.