Topic of the Week - Winter Egg Laying

[CarpCharacin]

I have 7 chickens and we are still getting 6-7 eggs a day.

 

[rebrascora]

Quote: @CarpCharacin


Yes but how old are they? If they are under a year, then that is to be expected. Your location and climate may also play into that. Next year when they are another year older you may not be quite so fortunate, so do be prepared for that and not worry that there is something wrong.

 

[CarpCharacin]

We got them in the spring, so yes they are under a year old. I can't wait until winter is over. I hate winter even though the chickens are still laying eggs

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes but how old are they? If they are under a year, then that is to be expected. Your location and climate may also play into that. Next year when they are another year older you may not be quite so fortunate, so do be prepared for that and not worry that there is something wrong.

So true.

We got them in the spring, so yes they are under a year old. I can't wait until winter is over. I hate winter even though the chickens are still laying eggs

The only real impact cold has is if there are huge temperature swings which will stress them. Stress = fewer eggs.
If it stays in a temperature range for proper acclimation, the cold doesn't bother them.
I ran a spreadsheet for a couple months last winter with daily production from each flock and each day's high and low temps and precipitation. There was no correlation between cold and production.
The other day it was in the 50sF, then zero F and now back up above freezing. Those swings will cut back production.

 

[FaerieChicken]

- Do or don't you supplement light to keep your hens in production over winter?
No, I don't. It lets them have a break whilst keeping my electricity bill lowered.

- Are there other ways to ensure your flock stays productive, for example by replenishing the layers with young hens yearly?
I suppose you could replace them yearly, though that seems terribly cost inefficient. The 6 months it takes for them to start laying is spent consuming feed... When compared to a month or so break in laying, it really seems counterproductive. I do replace the layers every three years though....

- What do you do to prevent the eggs from freezing in the nest boxes, especially the folks that can't collect them in a timely manner.
I'm fortunate enough that I can collect often throughout the day, so I don't do anything else.

How do you "replace layers every 3 years" What do you do with them? Id like to know so that I can figure out a way to rotate. What if they are still laying, not 5 times a week but still laying 3 times a week perhaps, and are good and consistent during winter? I like to shuffle eggs around during the day to a fav nest box, if I am home, as 1 hen just love sitting on the eggs throughout the day and she will sit on the eggs over night if we were unable to collect that day.

 

[FlyWheel]

- Do or don't you supplement light to keep your hens in production over winter?

Nope. I just let nature take it's course. I'm no producing commercially.

- Are there other ways to ensure your flock stays productive, for example by replenishing the layers with young hens yearly?

All my current ladies are les than a year old, except for Ol' Red, who is two. When they stop laying I will probably get more, or else breed my favorite layers when the show sign of slowing.

- What do you do to prevent the eggs from freezing in the nest boxes, especially the folks that can't collect them in a timely manner.

Itrely gets cold enough during the day for the eggs to freeze, and I collect them daily

- Tips for keeping winter layers happy and healthy?

Fermented feed, ground oyster and egg shells, clean bedding and nesting boxes.

 

[henny1129]

- Do or don't you supplement light to keep your hens in production over winter? 
I do not supply artificial light to my girls over the winter, I think they deserve a break from laying.
- Are there other ways to ensure your flock stays productive, for example by replenishing the layers with young hens yearly?
We do replace our birds once the production starts to decrease. We see our birds mostly as livestock, with a couple being "pets". People that keep, say, Angus breeding cows don't keep a cow that can't breed any longer. In my family views, why keep a chicken that doesn't lag when you are keeping them to lay?
- What do you do to prevent the eggs from freezing in the nest boxes, especially the folks that can't collect them in a timely manner.
We just make sure there is a lot of bedding in the nest boxes in an attempt to keep them warm. The best way to keep the eggs from freezing is to collect them often, but I understand some people can't do that.
- Tips for keeping winter layers happy and healthy?
The best thing to do is make sure you're girls are warm and dry.

 

[Akrnaf2]

I add light all year long! They get light EVERY day all year long from 17:00 to 24:00. I use LED bulb 15W .
It make them to molt very lightly, they don't get to be naked due havy molt, especially at winter, they are LESS stressed
And they lay wonderfully through winter.
Today I got 6 eggs from 7 hens. The constant photperioda stable them, and ease their stress.

 

[Beekissed]

There have been a few years I was very happy to get whole flocks of spent layers for my winter meat needs and find it's a wonderful thing when people realize that others can utilize the birds they no longer can justify supporting due to lack of laying. This past season my sister gave me her whole flock of 17 hens and earlier in the year had given me her extra cockerels and those birds are now in a jar on the shelf, a flavorful winter meat supply that I am most grateful for this year.

There are many who just let old layers age out and die in their flocks and I find that to be even more of an irresponsible approach than any other....that bird often dies a suffering death and the meat is wasted, all because a person doesn't want to make the hard choices of what to do with a retired layer that is still in possession of an aging and soon to be malfunctioning reproductive system. The most humane and responsible choice, IMO, is to cull those old birds while they are still healthy and thriving so they don't have to sicken/suffer and die and their meat be wasted when others would welcome the food.

 

[bobbi-j]

There have been a few years I was very happy to get whole flocks of spent layers for my winter meat needs and find it's a wonderful thing when people realize that others can utilize the birds they no longer can justify supporting due to lack of laying. This past season my sister gave me her whole flock of 17 hens and earlier in the year had given me her extra cockerels and those birds are now in a jar on the shelf, a flavorful winter meat supply that I am most grateful for this year.

There are many who just let old layers age out and die in their flocks and I find that to be even more of an irresponsible approach than any other....that bird often dies a suffering death and the meat is wasted, all because a person doesn't want to make the hard choices of what to do with a retired layer that is still in possession of an aging and soon to be malfunctioning reproductive system. The most humane and responsible choice, IMO, is to cull those old birds while they are still healthy and thriving so they don't have to sicken/suffer and die and their meat be wasted when others would welcome the food.

Yum! I LOVE canned chicken!