j00lz_12366 Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Hi I'm still at the planning stage but getting lots of great info here and would like to ask for your advice on this.. In April we are (hopefully) getting our first chickens, my o/h REALLY wants us to do the ex batt thing-which I am fine with, but a big part of why we are doing this is for the eggs. How productive is an ex batt lady? ( I know nothing is guaranteed but i thought if i got a few different peoples experiences then it would average out). Would we be better getting 2 ex batts and 2 non batteries at point of lay to kind of ensure the egg production or would 4 ex batts probably produce an ok amount-to be honest if we got 1 or 2 a week from each we'd be happy, or is that being over optimistic? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I'd go for ex-bats as they will supply you with may eggs in return for a better life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-real-tinkerbell Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 i had exbatts that laid everyday for about a week ,they then stopped and grew all thier feathers back and started laying again and again i was getting 2or 3 a day between the 3 of them my dad also had 3 at the same time and his lay really well . and i must say the were my fav girls so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 In my experience rescue hens are egg machines who will exhaust themselves more quickly than pure breeds, however they are very rewarding, especially when they see grass for the first time! Just expect a shorter life span. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 My first 2 ex-batts laid every day when I got them in September, that has tailed off a bit now due to winter I expect and they lay roughly every other day. My newest 2 haven't laid yet, they were very bald but now are feathered up and I expect once the warmer weather starts will lay again They like ex-batts to go in threes so perhaps you could start with them and them add some pure breeds later - you WILL get Morehens disease anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 My batts laid solidly for about 2 weeks after we got them, then had about a month off for refeathering. Then they gradually came back into lay and laid all winter. Considering they were being got rid of because they were at the age of becoming unreliable layers, ours often produced 6 to 7 eggs/day for the 7 of them. Topaz died after nearly a year outside, Ruby died about 16 months outside. The other 5 look good although I'm sure that they are not all still laying. This winter I noticed that the numbers of eggs per day have much reduced, but are now increasing with the lighter days. My remaining girls are feisty madams who didn't appreciate having some new friends, (even thought they did come with a bigger run) and I'm sure the batts still are the top chooks now they are all in together. The thing I love about ex batts is watching them how to become 'real' chickens: these poor scraggly baldy things stumbling around and laying eggs anywhere learn to stretch out their wings, run about, go to bed, sun & dustbathe, and give you filthy looks if you peek in on them 'on the nest'. We didn't have any chicken keeping experience before getting ex batts. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I have two ex batts Lily and Lola, who are about three years old. Lily stopped laying a while ago but Lola still lays every other day. It is lovely watching them start doing chickeny thing. the first dustbath they had was an hour and a half long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roobaloo Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I don't have ex-batts (which I really regret not doing) but have chatted to a lot of people who have had them and they all say they got more eggs than they expected. An ex-batt is just a hybrid that's over her "peak production"...which I think I'm right in saying is often just under a year old!! So you could get 4 hybrid hens and by this time be in the same boat with regards to eggs. Pure breds often don't lay daily either, so you could have 4 of them and possibly get no eggs at all over winter!! We started with two hybrids and had about 10-12 eggs a week...which is more than we could cope with...so I would be confident that 4 ex-batts would provide you with enough!! So why not give some ex-batts a fabulous home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 Thanks for the replies, it's certainly given me a lot to think about!! We were always going to have 2 (if we get chosen-we've put our name down for some that are hopefully being rehomed in April) but I just wanst sure what to do about maybe getting a mixture to 'even it up' To be honest I am now thinking we'll just go with the Batts and see what happens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Thanks for the replies, it's certainly given me a lot to think about!! We were always going to have 2 : Could I suggest getting three, if/when one dies then you won't have a lonely hen, in the case of hens, three is not a crowd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j00lz_12366 Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Sorry, I didnt make it very clear-we were always going to have 4-but it was how we made the numbers up that I was unsure of. The lady at the rescue place had cleared us taking 2 ex batts-because there would be others and not just the 2 of them..so now it looks like-if we get the call from the kind people at bhwt that we will go for 4 all rescue ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
