[ryan4birch]

Hello there. I took in 4 orphan warrens when they was about a week old as there mother had been run over. They are about 20 weeks now and i was wondering when they would start to lay? It would be most appreciated i f someone could help me on this matter.

[Vember]

Hi R4B

Welcome to the hen house

Hens normally come to point of lay at around 18+ weeks, their combs will get redder as this approaches and you may find they squat down when you approach them
The thing against them now is the hours of daylight as hens lay in accordance with this.
You may get an odd egg but might not get full production until spring

Are they all hens?? Your very lucky not to get a cockerel


Sarah

[chickenlady]

Hello! I have 2 warrens both are 28 weeks one started laying just over a month ago the other laid her first egg 2 days ago! think normally they would of laid earlier but cause of bad weather/low light etc they have been delayed

[ryan4birch]

Hi R4B

Welcome to the hen house

Hens normally come to point of lay at around 18+ weeks, their combs will get redder as this approaches and you may find they squat down when you approach them
The thing against them now is the hours of daylight as hens lay in accordance with this.
You may get an odd egg but might not get full production until spring

Are they all hens?? Your very lucky not to get a cockerel


 hello sarah. ye they are all hens, there combs are growing well and they have 2 dangily bits on their face too. Are they a good hen to have for layers?  thanx sarah, Ryan

[WhatCameFirst]

Hi Ryan

They are brilliant layers, that is what they are bred for    and they are friendly and funny and great birds to have around.  I have two and they are far friendlier that my other two, which are Light Sussex hybrids.

[Bodger]

Add another four to six weeks on top of Vembers estimate minimum, especially at this time of year.
Another thing, are you sure that what you have are Warrens ? Every brown chicken isn't a Warren. The title 'Warren' is a trade mark of a very specific strain of commercial hybrid hen. As far as I know pure eggs of this strain are never released to the public. These birds of yours, were either bought as sexed day olds or they aren't Warrens.

This has been covered before but to recap, commercial hybrids are produced by their breeders usually crossing two totally different strains of chickens. In other words they keep two flocks of pure chickens and what we purchase is the finished article, which is a straight cross between the two.
The Warren chickens we buy, will produce eggs that if fertilised will produce chickens but the resulting off spring will not be warrens.

Warrens I beleve, are also sex linked. This means that in the commercial hatchery all the males show as white chicks and the females brown. The males are all gassed at birth and even if they weren't, then for the reasons already explained, the males would be of very little use to you in the breeding pen should you try to breed Warrens.

[ryan4birch]

Add another four to six weeks on top of Vembers estimate minimum, especially at this time of year.
Another thing, are you sure that what you have are Warrens ? Every brown chicken isn't a Warren. The title 'Warren' is a trade mark of a very specific strain of commercial hybrid hen. As far as I know pure eggs of this strain are never released to the public. These birds of yours, were either bought as sexed day olds or they aren't Warrens.

This has been covered before but to recap, commercial hybrids are produced by their breeders usually crossing two totally different strains of chickens. In other words they keep two flocks of pure chickens and what we purchase is the finished article, which is a straight cross between the two.
The Warren chickens we buy, will produce eggs that if fertilised will produce chickens but the resulting off spring will not be warrens.

I am pretty sure they are warrens. I got them from a farm were they have hundreds of warrens. I was going to buy layers but the lady said she had some chicks as their mother had been run over. She said she could not gurantee the sex as they were only a week old. but it turns out they were all girls. Lucky ay? They dont usally sell their biards maybe just the odd 1 or 2. Well she said they were  warrens, witch she said is a old fashioned name not used alot anymore. to look at a picture of a warren on the internet mine look excatlly the same. thanks for your time ryan.

Warrens I beleve, are also sex linked. This means that in the commercial hatchery all the males show as white chicks and the females brown. The males are all gassed at birth and even if they weren't, then for the reasons already explained, the males would be of very little use to you in the breeding pen should you try to breed Warrens.

[chickenlady]

Could the chicks of been hatched by a surrogate mummy!? our goldlines/warrens came from a hatching eggs program we did at work. all the boys were yellow, the girls were ginger, the boys all went back to the company that supplied the equipment and I adopted the girlies  What colour were your chicks when you got them??

[ryan4birch]

Could the chicks of been hatched by a surrogate mummy!? our goldlines/warrens came from a hatching eggs program we did at work. all the boys were yellow, the girls were ginger, the boys all went back to the company that supplied the equipment and I adopted the girlies  What colour were your chicks when you got them??

 



they were a golden brown colour. there was fith member and it was bigger than the rest and the crown was quite big. i thought it could be a cock, but it went off the hooks. wings droopy and not eating, and it died a few days later. they were hatched by their own mom i have been told but she died.cheers

[chickenlady]

Sorry couldnt be more help! but like I said 24-28wks this time of year sounds about right! Have any of us seen your lovely chooks??? you do know that you will be harrassed for piccies  

[richyrich7]

I've had warrens a few times nice birds but to be honest I'd think it more or less miraculous if they sat on their own eggs, the longest mine ever went broody for was almost a whole day  :roll: It's been bred out of them over generations of breeding, my 1st ones started to lay at 18 weeks , but like every one else has said don't expect much till the light levels increase, unless you provide artificial light.

I forgot to add whatever they are enjoy, they are very rewarding animals to keep giving lots of entertainment and fun ohh and eggs,

[richyrich7]

Here's a link to Tom Baron ISA who breed them LINK it has performance summary's etc on there, some of the links don't work    but there's some interesting reading for chookheads  

[ryan4birch]

Sorry couldnt be more help! but like I said 24-28wks this time of year sounds about right! Have any of us seen your lovely chooks??? you do know that you will be harrassed for piccies  

You have been helpfull, thanx. ill get some piccs on later today and maybe someone could shed some light on what they really are! has anyone ever heard of  a Buff Ox,?? I have scaled the internet but nothin! I know there are buff orpingtons ect..., but Ox is confusing me!! thank you Ryan.