Topic of the Week - Winter Egg Laying

[rebrascora]

@aart
Yes, some of my older girls started back up a week or so before the winter solstice and a few of last summers pullets have come into lay too. I got a whopping 14 eggs yesterday, so it is picking up steadily and that is despite being locked down due to bird flu restrictions. I have about 35 females of laying age though, so there is still a long way to go, but not bad for this time of year.

@WilloughbyStead

I think you are confusing things a bit by calling her a Marans....which is a lot different to a Marans cross. I agree that it will most likely just be a seasonal break and she will come back into lay. If she is not laying mid Spring/Summer, then that is the time to give up on her and invite her to dinner in my opinion. That said I have a few free loaders that seem to have some sort of retirement policy, but that may be revoked this summer once I have finished processing cockerels.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yeah, and they started back up before solstice, but.....only 2 of 8.....
...and most of my 9-10mo pullets are not laying and a couple are molting.
20 girls and 2-5 eggs a day for the last couple weeks.

Bummer on the pullets. I have 1 pullet coming close to laying. (one of 2 pullets that the bobcat didn't get) She is digging nests in the shavings and squatting, but so far, no eggs.

I have 19 total (17 hens and 2 pullets) and NO eggs.

 

[Akrnaf2]

 
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Yeah, and they started back up before solstice, but.....only 2 of 8.....
...and most of my 9-10mo pullets are not laying and a couple are molting.
20 girls and 2-5 eggs a day for the last couple weeks.

Bummer on the pullets.  I have 1 pullet coming close to laying. (one of 2 pullets that the bobcat didn't get)  She is digging nests in the shavings and squatting, but so far, no eggs.

I have 19 total (17 hens and 2 pullets) and NO eggs.  

I have 7 pullets 11 month of age and today I have got 6 eggs! GIVE THEM LIGHT!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have 7 pullets 11 month of age and today I have got 6 eggs! GIVE THEM LIGHT!

I've never lighted my coops. For one, I don't have electricity to them. It also would trigger the automatic doors. So they get the break in winter to prepare for spring and summer.

Also, I've had some severe predator issues with a bobcat family. That appears to be taken care of now, but they have only had a couple of weeks since the last attack. Since September, I've lost 23 birds to daytime attacks. 16 in a single day massacre in September, then more attacks again starting in early December. So my birds have been pretty stressed lately.

 

[Akrnaf2]

 
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I have 7 pullets 11 month of age and today I have got 6 eggs! GIVE THEM LIGHT!

I've never lighted my coops.  For one, I don't have electricity to them.  It also would trigger the automatic doors.  So they get the break in winter to prepare for spring and summer. 

Also, I've had some severe predator issues with a bobcat family.  That appears to be taken care of now, but they have only had a couple of weeks since the last attack.  Since September, I've lost 23 birds to daytime attacks.  16 in a single day massacre in September, then more attacks again starting in early December.  So my birds have been pretty stressed lately.

This date wasn't revealed to me! In this situation YOU HAVE to reduce their stress levels! ( MDV is waiting to this opportunity!)
I have found in the years that have chicken that constant photopperioda ( i give them light all year long till 23:30) all year long is reducing the molt intensity in winter and they don't stop laying = less stressed!
IMHO there is no survival logic to loose all your feather in time you need them the most! So I think that molting in winter, at least it's intensity is a reaction to winter "depression "from the part of the chickens. And light fix it! I use 10 watt LED lamp and it cost virtually nothing.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep....I've been greatly blessed by those who won't kill their chickens, as I get the results of that way of thinking and benefit from it greatly. I'd rather they give them to someone who will insure a quick death and good use of the meat than to just turn them loose and let the predators have them or keep them in the flock until they sicken and die of age related ailments.

I would also point out that when Bee takes birds from an other flock to her home with the intent of them eventually gracing a jar on her pantry shelf, those birds often move from a crowded barren mud or dust bowl run to her free range home. They receive the benefit of fermented feed for a few weeks. This fattens them up bringing them into better condition, so when they are processed the meat is of better quality.

 

[tfalls3]

I was worried that with my girls getting ready to start laying in winter (ok Florida winter) that the shorter days would mess them up. But my girl started on the 2nd of January and hasn't taken a day off, is that normal? I'm sure she's the only one because she's a few weeks older than the rest, and the others sat around her watching her each day for a week. She's a red sexlink, and is an egg machine apparently, is this the norm for her breed?

 

[aart]

I was worried that with my girls getting ready to start laying in winter (ok Florida winter) that the shorter days would mess them up. But my girl started on the 2nd of January and hasn't taken a day off, is that normal? I'm sure she's the only one because she's a few weeks older than the rest, and the others sat around her watching her each day for a week. She's a red sexlink, and is an egg machine apparently, is this the norm for her breed?

Yes, sexlinks often start earlier than others and can definitely be egg machines.
How old is she in weeks?

 

[tfalls3]

Yes, sexlinks often start earlier than others and can definitely be egg machines.
How old is she in weeks?

She was about 4-6wks when we got her, she was in rough shape and had been pecked clean by the other pullets (my reason for taking her), she 25-27 weeks now. She's a good 4 weeks older than the others who are all different breeds. The closest in age is my buff who hardly has a comb or wattels, my silver laced is huge but not laying and the bared rock looks like she's got a month to go. They are all on the same level in the pecking order except the buff she's a total brat and I'm not sure how she hasn't been hurt or killed by the others, I'm constantly having to rescue her from being trapped under the flipped over plastic milk crates in the run. I guess it's their way of putting her in time out

. I move the crates around to try and keep some grass growing but they always flip them on the sides or all the way over.

 

[Pip4Chirp]

All of my older hens have stopped laying completely. We do get one egg each day, light brown, so probably one of the Rocks or Wyandottes. That is the 19 older hens. We also have 15 young pullets that have not started laying yet. They are red sex links and EE's so I do expect them to start in another week or so if the weather improves a bit. We do not supplement light but we do adjust feed to higher protein and things like corn and oats added for warmth.

My Wyandottes layed well last winter but have pretty much stopped this winter. Just wondering how old your Wyandottes were when they stopped laying. Hoping it's just that this winter is quite a bit colder than last year.