Heritage hens laying daily and not molting.

[Tippy Toes]

Hi lovely chicken folk!

18 months ago I bought four heritage, pure breed chickens so the would live normal, healthy lives and not die from reproductive exhaustion.
To date, my chickens rarely miss a day producing an egg and I am worried they are over-stressing their bodies.

They haven't molted either, though our winter is not harsh here in Brisbane which could possibly explain this? (Queensland Australia).

I have two black Australorps, a splash blue Australorp and a Coronation Sussex.
They have free access to top layer mash plus twice daily, I give fermented feed, rolled oates, dried mealworms, fresh lettuce, bananas, paw paw and whatever else is in glut at the market. There is often corn on the cob and the leftover cat food (mostly fish).
The girls free range around my yard and are only in their coop overnight (they put themselves to bed).
They have free access to shell grit.

What can I do? I want my girls to have a happy life and not lay themselves into an early grave as do the hybred battery hens (poor wretches that they are).

Thanks for taking the time to help a novice.

Robin

 

[sourland]

Seems as if your hens are living the good life and rewarding you with maximum production. Let nature take it's course and don't worry.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your chickens are laying naturally, battery hens are confined so all their energy goes into laying, then they are forced into a molt by starvation and darkness, your girls will lay until they are done, then they will spend the rest of their live wandering around and not laying, or occasionally laying, that's what about a third of my chickens do. I am unfamiliar with the molting cycle down under, but rest assured your girls will do it when the season is right.

 

[Tippy Toes]

Thank you for that advice, folks. I guess I'll just let them be. They know what they're doing.
Oh, starving them into a molt? Appalling.
My girls are very contented if not a little demanding. I have one who throws a tantrum when she wants goodies.It's very funny though quite noisy. She escalates until I relent but... that's Priscilla.
Annie is head hen and very business like about everything. She lays the largest eggs of the four and is happy to be picked up for a scratch. If I'm weeding, she'll even jump on my back just in case I'm carrying treats and have forgotten to give them to her.
Pearl just tags along and is quite interested in the 2 cats. She considers the patterning on the tortoise-shell may be food and has a peck now and then. She's a little dim.
Prudence, the Splash', is a sweetheart and very cordial to our visitors.
They have a largish frog pond in which to snavel unwary flying insects and the occasional tiny fish that gets caught up in my net when scooping out duck weed.
All in all, I'd say they have a pretty good life. They even have lavender tossed in with their bedding/nesting material.
Now I come to write all this down, I'm thinking I may like to be one of my girls.