I have a Red Star, Black Australorp, Barred Rock, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Lavender Orpingtons, and an old English Game Bantam. I don't supplement with light, either. I figure they need the rest over winter (which is only about 8 - 10 weeks, here). My OEGB just came off of a broody spell (about...
-got 6 eggs!! We have five hens that are into their seventh year, and three into their third. -just shocking that we still average half a dozen per day. (100 degree heat forecast for next week, so the egg laying will probably screech to a halt)
0/9........
-and that's been about par for a month or more. Every single chicken has gone through, or is going through, a molt! -first two winters they were excellent egg producers all through the winter (with no supplemental lighting). This year will be their third winter. -upcoming spring will...
No complaints here! It'll do. I expect the break from my molting gals. I'm perplexed at the bantam hen that up and stopped altogether several months back. She quit laying when her little bantam pal went broody. I suppose her broody buddy quit, so she figured she'd follow suit - just because.
4 out of 9 layers. It'll do. 4 of 7 standards are molting and on "break". 1 bantam hasn't begun laying. 1 bantam has taken a laying hiatus for several months.
5 from 5 - woohoo! All 3 Golden Comets, our little Japanese bantam (which has given 7 eggs out of 8 days laying), and our OEGB! Our sweet OEGB produced her first egg today!