The Poultry Keeper

mrsg · Joined: 30 Jun 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Herefordshire

I was really pleased to find this thread. I can understand about them not being pure bred, but for someone like me, just starting out with poultry they are ideal. It is just a shame I have been able to find out very little about them elsewhere.
Ours are very tame, come when you call them, easy to handle, and provide hours of entertainment. They live free range on a 70 foot strip of land, but even with wings clipped and a 6 foot fence they still managed to get out. They worked out that if they stood on the roof of the hen house they could launch themselves over the fence to freedom! Needless to say the coop is now moved. Funnily enough they kept heading next door to our neighbour who works for Sun Valley!
They don't want to eat their pellets at the mo (i posted in the clinic section) but apart from that, a nice beginners bird with eggs every day. I would love any more info on them ( egg laying life or length of life in general Laughing

) Cheers

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

I've just seen the photos and they look like our girls - and sound like them! Are these known as Bovans Goldlines too?

JC · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 1099 Location: Sussex

yes they are, there are lots of brown chickens which may be slightly different and have slightly different names but are pretty much just beautiful brown hens!

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

They are beautiful - and so friendly.We love them! Very Happy

debbieduck · Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 51 Location: South Yorkshire

Ah mine must be warrens then. They are very nosey and if the patio door is open they are in; particularly one of them - she really is the leader of the flock; the other two are a bit dim and keep running to keep up with her.

I was told, by a particularly non communicative farmer, that they are "laying fowl, at point of lay, about 18 weeks" - when can I expect eggs and how long will they live for?

JC · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 1099 Location: Sussex

Could live 8 years but most likely 3-5 years, they could start laying anytime time soon, maybe 22-24 weeks Smile

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1178 Location: Cornwall

I had an ex batt, Clara Cluck, and she lived to be 13!! Bless her. She only laid one egg a year the last few years, and none the last year.

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 970 Location: Cambridgeshire

debbieduck · Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 51 Location: South Yorkshire

The legs are yellower than mine and the combs and wattles bigger and redder - but I guess that could be due to age - other than that they are identical to my girls.

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 970 Location: Cambridgeshire

Deb
Are they nice and freindly Confused

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1178 Location: Cornwall

A lot of 'warrens' are nowadays Isa Browns. Hybrid hens for batteries were mainly Golden Comets, a mix of RIR and Leghorn, then they brought in Babcock stock and developed Warrens, they then brought in another breed mixed with the Heinz 57 mix of Warrens and developed Isa Browns.

Most Battery Hens are Isa Browns these days, and most farmers will be selling Isa's as Warrens as most people think that's what they are.

There are also spurs off the Isa Brown now called all sorts of things amongst smaller poultry hybrid breeders, such as Goldines, Gold Stars, Amber Rocks (these have black rock blood in them), Bluebelles etc etc.

But mainly the commercial strain used most widely in big egg producing companies are Isa Browns.

I'd say the two in the pics are Isa Browns, although Isa's vary in colour depth, they are a redder brown than their predecessors the Warrens, who were quite pale in comparison, although you could get the odd dark red Warren now and again.

Bradders · Joined: 13 Aug 2007 Posts: 970 Location: Cambridgeshire

What other colours do you get. Confused

And how many eggs do they lay a year Question

pjred · Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 242

So, I definitely have Warrens after looking at the main picture on here. 6 of the little buggers, who looked like drowned rats after the rain yesterday Very Happy