Molting, Lose egg production every year for months?

[robbiebobbie]

I thought chickens layed eggs all the time. I never knew they would stop laying eggs for months every year. How does one keep customers if this happens every year? Not sure if I want to sell eggs anymore. What can one do?

 

[Monguire]

I heartily concur with donrae's advice regarding adding a couple pullets every Spring. That seems to be the best approach for me. However, I just want to emphasize that as responsible chicken keepers, we MUST have an exit-plan in place to keep numbers manageable.

Every Spring we hatch some pullets...but with those pullets we also get cockerels. My current Roo is the postcard for excellent roosters everywhere, so I'm not looking to replace him anytime soon. That means the new-hatch cockerels are destined for the freezer, crock-pot or craigslist. I suggest preparing early for that eventuality. Especially if your flock are closer to pets than livestock. It is a sad duty but a necessary one...and even fulfilling in the case of processing. The awe and appreciation I feel when doing the sad task of processing my chooks is moving. This creature, which had as good a life as I could provide with wholesome food, water, lifestyle and care is giving its life to sustain me and my family. That's pretty profound stuff. At least for me.

Anyway, Chicken Math is real and can cause big problems for us Backyarders. Plan early and plan accordingly.

Just my $.02.

 

[trudyg]

If you have enough birds who are not molting at the same time and have sufficient light, you can get a fairly steady supply of eggs. They don't molt, except minor juvenile molts, until they're a year old. So, try to have hens of different ages and plan to provide supplemental lighting. I only have 5 hens and molting + lack of daylight has reduced us to 1-2 eggs/day, where in the height of summer we got 5 a day.

 

[junebuggena]

This is why people tend to sell older birds and they buy and raise a few pullets every spring. This way, they have a steady supply of eggs year round. Younger birds don't molt their first winter, and they usually continue to lay despite the shorter days.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Chickens aren't machines. We have bred them to lay more eggs than nature ever intended, but in the end they still need down time and need to put energy into staying alive and healthy. A molt gives a chicken a rest, and allows her to rebuild her reserves.

If you want to have a continuous supply of eggs you need to raise replacements, and have them start to lay as older hens are quitting, and get rid of hens after their second season just as large producers do.

 

[robbiebobbie]

Once all birds are all a year and older, do they all molt at the same time?

 

[junebuggena]

Once all birds are all a year and older, do they all molt at the same time?

They aren't machines. Most will molt in late summer and early fall. Some won't molt until the middle of winter. Some molt in the spring. Just like they don't all start laying at the exact same time.

 

[robbiebobbie]

I know they aren't machines. Just asking a question about chickens.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most of my birds that are over a year of age will start molting in the end of August and go to about December. Poor layers usually molt first, with better layers waiting longer. Keeping up the protein in their feed or switching to something higher in protein during the molt can hasten it.

 

[robbiebobbie]

ok, thank you