Minnesota!

[Fliese]

I got some icelandic beauties from coldupnoth this past summer, you could see if she has some to offer. I may have some to offer late summer/fall, but will probably be keeping most from this years hatch....

Yes, I saw her mentioned and PMed her last week. I should be getting a few birds from her in a little over a week. Hooray!



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[Vashjir]

I've gotten a grand total of 1 egg since november, and that was about a week after I added a light bulb for an extra hour a day of light. I've been reluctant to turn the light on more since they seem to be using most of their energy just to stay warm. Is there any danger of hurting your birds by 'forcing' eggs in this weather?

Oh, and another lovely 6" of the white stuff here, heavily drifting.

 

[NikonD2xer]

I guess i am lucky.... I have 4 TSC leghorns from last spring that have laid 115 eggs since the 1st.

My 6 HRIR pullets at just at POL have given me 28 small eggs that i know of. I know I have lost a few brown eggs to freezing and then the eggs got eaten.

I am using light about 12 hours a day, heat when it hits -10.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Phil,
The disadvantage of forcing chickens to lay through winter is that they will become 'spent' earlier than others. However, what does that really mean? How long do you plan on keeping your hens? Most hens by the end of their 3rd laying season will drop in production significantly enough that many people cull them/make them stew hens. There are some who will keep their hens for as long as they can survive and see a few eggs out of them and not care about production.
I have lights that come on at 4am and go off at 9pm (they shut off during the daylight hours), and still I am just starting to get eggs, but only a few. I think it is going to be heading to better temps now, not every day, but I think it is time we should see an upward trend and then the girls will start laying again. But if you have a light and you want eggs, I would say turn it up. I would add on in the morning first so that they still know when and where to roost. However, I have a mixed flock 'outside' ( they have a coop but they are in an in and out pen where they have to go out to eat and drink, and I have gotten a few eggs from them with no light added, just Mother Nature's.
This has been such a harsh winter, I know your concern, but even with as cold as we have seen it recently, even those 'outdoor' birds of mine are looking better and happier, especially on the days the sun is shining.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Here is a question for all of you....
What breed is your best layer in the winter?
What breed of yours returns to laying the earliest?


I will go first:
I have a couple of Buckeyes that have given me eggs a couple of times per week all winter since molting ended.
The ones who have returned to laying consistently for me are my Black Minorcas. They are my best layers, the first to return to/start laying and they have the best hatch rate of any of the breeds I have, yet, they are the ones that the fewest people are interested in getting from me.

 

[cochins1088]

Here is a question for all of you....
What breed is your best layer in the winter?
What breed of yours returns to laying the earliest?


I will go first:
I have a couple of Buckeyes that have given me eggs a couple of times per week all winter since molting ended.
The ones who have returned to laying consistently for me are my Black Minorcas. They are my best layers, the first to return to/start laying and they have the best hatch rate of any of the breeds I have, yet, they are the ones that the fewest people are interested in getting from me.

What breed is your best layer in the winter? Cochins
What breed of yours returns to laying the earliest? Cochins

hmm... I guess I should mention that other than a polish, a brahma, and a silkie, my entire flock is cochins.

They can be good layers depending on their line. I have a 7 year old LF white cochin hen currently laying 3 eggs per week.

 

[cochins1088]

Sorry, this was a double post...

 

[coldupnorth]

My best layers are my Icelandics and my mutt hens in the layer coop.
My Icelandics are usually pretty quick to start laying after molt. They do go broody, so that does stop production and they only lay a medium size egg.

My other breeds; Polish, Apenzeller Spitzhauben, Welsummer, Orpington, German New Hampshire and Japanese bantams lay well when they are laying, but like to take breaks for any little reason. I'm actually getting quick a few eggs right now, but many are frozen by the time I get to them in the afternoon.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Egg production picked up several days ago, because of the time of year or that I added heat?? I'm not sure probably both.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I have zippo eggs. But I'm hoping that changes before too long. I've heard that eggs naturally or generally restart at that February point. Just in some of the articles and reading here in varied places. So it must be just that month worth of gaining light again....? But certainly I know that last year I was using a heat lamp for sub zero temps and that probably triggered my hens last year.

Working on the diet thing with my birds...I also think we have issues regarding this.

Too much graining....or IJDK...