I think I would try waiting till they are all on the roost and the lifting one and putting it where you want it. Saves all the chasing round the garden, and they can't see each other for the punch up. Then at least they share the same smell in the morning (if that matters to hens - no sure).

I notice you've got them gardening - are you sure they know which are the weeds?
And I couldn't help notice how handsome Richard looks - in your photos!

No idea really, except that your original idea of them all being in a new run together is not going to work if the new ones stay in the new run till they are big. Do you think adding the Black Rocks in one at a time would work? At least with the nights being dark for longer they won't be up and abou...

Are you sure you pickled the right thing out of your fridge? Was it hot dogs or dogs ......?

They also make a noise for other reasons, or no apparent reason.
E.G when they've just jumped over the fence.
Some don't make much noise at all, and according to this forum, some make too much noise for neighbourly harmony.

Is shellgrit another name for oyster shell. Sounds as if it's OK. Maybe you have different names or types down-under.

I thought that brown hens usually laid brown eggs. With mine, the paler the hen the paler the egg.
But if the shells are thin they are paler than that hen usually lays.
But hens don't read the same books as us. Maybe the egg colour is a throwback to her greatgreat grandmother.

Well the books do say that they lay before 10am, but it aint so.
I find that if they've not laid by mid-afternoon they're not going to lay that day, but will start the cycle again early next day (unless they lay and eat soft eggs to confuse me).

Hi Mark,
I had some excellent Black Rock hens, so if the chap at Craven Arms is near you they are good hens to start with.
Give them pellets and plenty of clean water, keep the house clean, and enjoy watching them and collecting the eggs.

I don't suppose they'd care either way. Maybe they prefer something to tug at.

I'm not allergic to it, but I hate the thought of putting bleached paper in something I'm going to drink.

I did it the easy way (very easy for me, cos OH did it!). Two pieces of old fence 3'x3' hinged at the top, with cup-hook half way along ridge. Two triangles 3' each side, and a bit of string on each corner, to fix to cup-hook. Voila, a temporary arc for use while posh arc was being creosoted. They n...

Ah Willow, Acrobatic chooks eh? Mine are athletic chooks, if you throw in a bit of gammon fat. It leads to a cross between a relay race and a tug of war! I don't stick to vegetarian, as they eat worms etc. - if it's been cooked well enough for me to eat, they can have any left-overs. And they are c...

Pat-the-Cat adopted a friend, who spends too much time in Scotland to keep him. He came to us on St. Patricks day. Two maran hybrids MaryJane (Jane) and MaryAnn (Goldie), Bonny, Kate, Maggie and WhiteNancy. (Aka J G B K M & W on my egg records) Our first hens were a White Star and 2 black rocks,...

Hi, welcome.
We were talking about winter egg laying on the Autumn thread down below, and somewhere else I think.
Answer seems to be 'it depends'