[GrannieAnnie]

Our Goldlines are 24 weeks now, and 1 started laying just over a week ago, one started at the beginning of the week, and another started yesterday!

[Aunt Sally]

Lovely grannie  

[mobyjones]

Our Goldlines are 24 weeks now, and 1 started laying just over a week ago, one started at the beginning of the week, and another started yesterday!

Now, if we had have had a really good summer, would they have taken so long?  :?

Global warming, it has a lot to answer for!  :shock:

[Moby1]

I got mine at 16 weeks.  I've always picked up their food hopper and placed it just inside the hen house when I shut them up at night in case they get hungry in the morning before I let them out.  I also have a smaller water container in the house just in case ...seems to work for them.

So does keeping food in their coop at night make them come out eagerley in the morning? You would would think breakfast in bed meant a long ly-in!

[GrannieAnnie]

I've never thought about the weather making a difference, but you could be right!  Apparently, they can start to lay at 18 weeks and like your Brown Nicks, carry on until 80 weeks rather than the normal 72.

Our chooks always have their food hoppers inside, as it stops the wild birds nicking any and pooing on it.  Hubby worries about wild birds maybe contaminating the food, but they don't have water inside, in case they tip it over.  We try to keep their litter as dry as possible, as they run on deep litter and if it gets wet it smells.

[5aday]

Hi Moby1,

I was told my girls were between 22 & 23 weeks old when we bought them and they have laid 5 eggs everyday since!  We don't have any problems with them being reluctant to come out of the coop, in fact the first morning we intended leaving them in until about 11.30 am and had left them food and water in the coop but by 10.30 they were so eager to explore they had lifted the lid off the nesting box and were busily explooring their pen.  We don't leave food or water in the coop now and they all pile out when I open their door at about 7.00 am.  Over the weekend I have allowed them to completely free range which they love.

5aday

PS, I now fasten the lid of the nesting box down with a luggage elastic as I realised that if they could get out that way predators would be able to get in!!!!!!!

[5aday]

GrannieAnnie,

My Brown Nicks were £6.00 each so a bit dearer than yours.  The lady I had them off wouldn't take any money for them as her dog had just bitten me on the leg!  Been back to the Dr. today for another course of antibiotics as the wound is not healing, I suppose you could say that I have paid a high price for them.  Still they are so entertaining I wouldn't be without them now.

5aday

[Aunt Sally]

I now fasten the lid of the nesting box down with a luggage elastic as I realised that if they could get out that way predators would be able to get in!!!!!!!

Use some metal catches 5...  Foxes can chew through elastic no problem  

[mobyjones]

I've never thought about the weather making a difference, but you could be right!  Apparently, they can start to lay at 18 weeks and like your Brown Nicks, carry on until 80 weeks rather than the normal 72.

Our chooks always have their food hoppers inside, as it stops the wild birds nicking any and pooing on it.  Hubby worries about wild birds maybe contaminating the food, but they don't have water inside, in case they tip it over.  We try to keep their litter as dry as possible, as they run on deep litter and if it gets wet it smells.

The weather does make a significant difference to the young chicks development. Actualy it makes a real difference to the development of a whole host of other species also.

Recently I was told that heavy thunderstorms can affect the regularity of birds laying. But with the impact delayed a few days. For example a bird that lays almost every day may experience a storm on a sunday and then be put off laying the following wednesday or thursday. Has anyone experienced this?

It was a reputable dealer who told me so I have no reason to doubt him. I just wondered what other people had seen first hand?

Regards
MJ

[Moby1]

Thanks 5aday, looks like we'll have to wait for a few weeks before our Brown Nicks lay. Do they give any sign that it's about to happen? Someone told me that they make a lot of noise beforehand.