[MartF]

And as a follow up the wife has decided to sample the largest of the three and it's a double yoker!

[ANHBUC]

That is payment for all your hard work. 

You will get double yolkers until they settle down in to laying.  Some eggs are so large you wonder how they managed to lay them.   :blink:

[Sassy]

You asked about chopped rape straw as bedding. This should be fine and will  compost down well - just ensure your chooks don't eat it. I used dust extracted shavings, as they are pine they also are anti-bacterial but are a devil to get to break down!

[MartF]

Just a quick update, in the one week that they have been laying we have 27 eggs from the 5 hens and today was the first time we had a 'full house' of 5 eggs, so now we know all 5 are laying!

Looking forward now to when the eggs get a little larger - never satisfied eh? - lol