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Daywalker

Ex batts question.

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Yes, I spoke to the lady we are getting ours from and they're only about 18 months old. I suppose it will be on the decline and maybe for some the transition will be too much and maybe they won't lay at all, but I think in general you get about 50% of the production you would normally expect. I stand to be corrected - speak to me again in about a month and I'll be able to tell you properly! :lol:

 

Mrs Bertie

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Go for it! I wanted 5 but the lady won't home them in 2s and if I took 5 that would leave a pair instead of a group of 3. We're really excited although one is poorly now so fingers crossed she'll be OK tomorrow. Eggs aren't a big thing for us as we've already got 11 hens and although one is a lazy freeloader who never lays we still get between 3 and 8 eggs a day!

 

Mrs Bertie

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She laid about 3 eggs over a four or five month period then stopped. I did wonder before she started if she was in fact a boy, now I just think she was probably a lot older than we were told. She's not tame, she's a bit of a bully and doesn't lay eggs, OH keeps threatening her with the roasting tin! :lol: Quite funny though, her name is Mrs Bertie, OH's nickname has always been Bertie (hence my name on here) so I never tire of telling people that Bertie is a useless lazy freeloader much to OH's disgust! :lol:

 

Mrs Bertie

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We have had our four ex-batts since 28th December. At first they laid between 2 and 4 eggs per day but they haven't laid for three days. However, I have just introduced wet layers mash which they think is the best thing since sliced bread. I thought that a bit of cod liver oil and vitamins would be good for feather growth. Maybe the change in diet has altered their pattern of laying....their feathers are starting to improve though.

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we've been getting btwn 2 and 4 eggs a day since we got them, we keep having to give the eggs away!

 

The BHWT will tell you though, there's no guarantees given with regards to egg production but the chances are your hens will still be laying.

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I got the recipe from perfect pekins and adjusted it a bit.

 

I use 7 ladles of mash

a splash of semi skimmed milk

1 teaspoon malt extract dissolved in a cup of hot water

1 tablespoon poultry spice

1 tablespoon limestone flour for nice hard shelled eggs

2 tablespoons cod liver oil

Some cold water to mix

 

I often add grated carrot or sultanas or whatever I feel like.

I also make sure that they have pellets available at all times so that if I get the amounts wrong, they won't get hungry (not that I'm paranoid!!!).

 

Mix it up so that it is not too watery. It should just take the dryness away.

 

The ex-batts also have the layers mash dry as this is what they are used to. I know other people on the forum feed the layers mash dry...mine love it wet though it does make more work. The bowls have to be washed daily...you can't leave it out as once it is wet, it goes off.

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It's not that bad really. Evry night before I go to bed, I wash their bowls and put the dry mash into the large mixing bowl with the poultry spice and the limestone flour. Thenall I have to do in the morning is boil the kettle, add the yeast extract, milk, cod liver oil and water. You soon get used to it and they love it. It never lasts long. They love a bit of variety in it as well such as berries, dried fruits, grated carrots, etc. These are usually added at weekends as I have more time.

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One of my ex batts laid the first night! Since then I get one large egg most days and some days there are two eggs in the nest box. I started them on dry layers mash (which is what they were being given at the resuce farm) and am now mixing it with pellets. They also get "breakfast" of a slice of bread, a little corn, a few mealworms and/or a handful of sweetcorn, some grit and a sprinkling of baked egg shell (sounds a lot but it is between 3!).

 

I know corn should be given later in the day but I'm at work and they've gone to bed by the time I get home.

 

They also get some greens (not too often as it makes for runny poo!) and from time to time I'll replace the bread with leftover rice or pasta or some porridge.

 

Liz

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