Topic of the Week - Winter Egg Laying

[17 chickens]

My hens are still laying and yes I have come across a few frozen cracked eggs so far this winter, It has been down right cold down to -14 at night and that does not take in to consideration of wind chill. I have been giving them fresh daily greens, some bread, freeze dried meal worms, sun flower seeds, warm oat meal and the regular layer pellets. I have put two red heat lights in the coop nailed to the beams so they can not knock it down and catch fire. I have added deep pine shavings in the nesting boxes and around them for warmth.
At my local grocery store they see me come in every other day buying fresh produce for my chickens and picking up a few extra little things for them like the oat meal. I have been taking fresh home made warm bread out to them and put it in the coop boy how they love that warm bread.
I have 16 hens and I am getting 14-16 eggs a day and lots of calls from customers wanting eggs, I even have a waiting list for them.
I love my chickens and they give me great joy as pets so I pamper them!

 

[JarrodnJojo2016]

my BTW Japanese bantams have just started laying again, is there a chance they will start setting?

 

[dchampagne]

I I live in Northwest Florida the last two days have been very cold but other than that mid 70s.
I havent had a problem last week or week before. But last two days went from 10 a day to 5-7 a day.
I have added light it gets dark here around 4 central. And I have a utility light that is battery operated I leave it out till 7 when I shut the coop.
This is my first egg season ever! I am enjoying it.
I have found out I have a Rooster that was thought to be a hen.

 

[AmieD]

I am wondering the same thing. My red stars and black stars are about 22 weeks old, and still no eggs. Should I not expect them to lay now, since it's shorter days and up and down temps? If so, what can I do to encourage them to lay?

From my research, the chickens need 13-14 hours of light to lay. This is why most people add supplemental light. Other than providing adequate nutrition and proper housing (which you're probably already doing), I don't think there's anything else you can do, but wait until they're ready. I have several girls that didn't lay until around 25 weeks and I was expecting them to lay by 18-20 weeks. The wait felt soooo long. I don't have strong feelings on supplemental lighting, and I am not advocating you do it. Do what feels right to you. I do like this article on supplemental lighting because it is more research based than others that I have read: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html

My supplemental lighting is just Christmas lights on a timer. It doesn't have to be fancy or complicated - just safe for the coop.

Good luck.

 

[kidykat]

Hi everyone. I am not sure if this is the best forum to ask this, but I can't seem to find a precedent anywhere. I have a flock of 17 chickens. One of my oldest girls if a white leg horn that just had her first molt this fall in Oct. After she started laying again, she had been giving me eggs with detached cells and a thinner shell only at the pointed end. Does anyone know what may be causing that? I can only find info on shipped eggs with detached cells.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm not convinced about the use of supplemental light for 13-14hrs other than in late summer to prevent their bodies from realising that the seasons are changing and it is time for moulting.

I don't use supplemental lighting. My chickens started moulting late summer/early autumn as the days started getting shorter, they are now finished and looking beautiful again and laying has started picking up about 2 weeks ago. Up until that time I was lucky to get 1 or 2 eggs a day from nearly 30 hens....I'm now up to between 7 and 10 a day. Today is the shortest day of the year.... it gets light here at about 8am and dark at 4 so only 8hrs of daylight. On top of that we currently have a compulsory lock down here in the UK due to an outbreak of avian flu so my birds are confined to dim buildings instead of their usual free range.... yet they are still laying.

I would rather my animals stayed in tune with their environment and followed their natural cycle with the seasons.
Some breeds like the pekins (bantam cochins) will probably not start back up until spring and that is fine. Most of my flock is barnyard mixes.I no longer have any production breeds as such, unless you consider exchequer leghorns...which don't lay nearly as well as white leghorns, and I wouldn't say that my birds are selectively bred to be good winter layers or anything, so that doesn't account for them laying with only 8hrs of dim daylight.

 

[aart]

I don't use supplemental lighting. My chickens started moulting late summer/early autumn as the days started getting shorter, they are now finished and looking beautiful again and laying has started picking up about 2 weeks ago. Up until that time I was lucky to get 1 or 2 eggs a day from nearly 30 hens....I'm now up to between 7 and 10 a day. Today is the shortest day of the year.... it gets light here at about 8am and dark at 4 so only 8hrs of daylight. On top of that we currently have a compulsory lock down here in the UK due to an outbreak of avian flu so my birds are confined to dim buildings instead of their usual free range.... yet they are still laying.

This is the first year I haven't used supplemental lighting and am surprised that some of my molters came back into lay in the last week or so.
I really expected to be waiting until after solstice.

Some of the pullets, on the other hand, have slacked off WTH?!<shrugs>tho I may have a bit of a crowding issue and now the olders are laying again they may be keeping the pullets away from nests? IDK<again-shrugs> Ya just never know with live animals.

I was thinking about starting to apply light here soon but have decided to wait it out and see what plays out.

 

[lazy gardener]

Hi everyone. I am not sure if this is the best forum to ask this, but I can't seem to find a precedent anywhere. I have a flock of 17 chickens. One of my oldest girls if a white leg horn that just had her first molt this fall in Oct. After she started laying again, she had been giving me eggs with detached cells and a thinner shell only at the pointed end. Does anyone know what may be causing that? I can only find info on shipped eggs with detached cells.

What are you feeding them? I'd increase their protein, perhaps get it up to 20%. If you have access to animal protein, that would be a great option. And give them some Poultry Nutri-Drench. Be sure they have extra calcium on the side in addition to that which is in their Layer ration. Is she getting outside for some sunlight? Even lack of sunlight (vit D) could be an issue. If that doesn't fix it, she's simply not processing her nutrients well. If her eggs start breaking in the nest, you'll need to decide if you want to keep her in your flock, or cull her. I'd not hatch any of her eggs, even if they do improve.

 

[kidykat]

What are you feeding them?   I'd increase their protein,  perhaps get it up to 20%.  If you have access to animal protein, that would be a great option.  And give them some Poultry Nutri-Drench.  Be sure they have extra calcium on the side in addition to that which is in their Layer ration.  Is she getting outside for some sunlight?  Even lack of sunlight (vit D) could be an issue.  If that doesn't fix it, she's simply not processing her nutrients well.  If her eggs start breaking in the nest, you'll need to decide if you want to keep her in your flock, or cull her.  I'd not hatch any of her eggs, even if they do improve.

She is given layer ration always available as well as oyster shells always available. She has open access to a run and spends most of the day out there (even in nasty weather). I occasionally give some scratch and fresh veggies. I am getting 1 to 4 eggs a day right now including 2 new layers and she seems to be the only one affected. I am not going to hatch them right now but should they still be healthy enough to eat?

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: Absolutely. The biggest issue you face is if the shells are weak enough that they start breaking in the nest. That makes a mess to have to clean up. I'd rather cull a bird with such an issue than deal with yucky nest and eggs on a regular basis. Wishing you the best with her. Sounds like she's simply not metabolizing her nutrients well. So, if you give her extra vitamins, it may, or may not help.