3 year old RIR. How much longer will they lay?

[nanceann]

My flock is mixed. 21 total. 5 RIR are 3 years old, all others are 2 years old. I seem to be averaging 8 eggs daily. I have 2 Easter eggers they usually lay daily. So I'm getting about 6 brown eggs from 19 hens. Do you think the RIRS are laid out? I really don't have a good way to separate.

Also, I want to replenish the flock some this year. Thinking more EE, maybe some Marans. Thoughts?

 

[cavemanrich]

8 eggs from 21 hens is a little weak. The 2 year old should be in prime production. The RIR should be doing some laying. 3 year old is not totally spent. Now there may be some factors that you are overlooking.
It is winter and days are short. Unless you are supplementing electric lite, your production will be lower. When days get longer, so will laying increase. Cold temps also a possible factor. Another question is the feed. Layer feed is developed for best egg production. It does matter. Read this thread and you will be pleasantly enlightened . some of the people posting there REALLY KNOW THEIR STUFF.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/947488/mixing-store-bought-feeds
As to what to replenish your flock with. GET PRETTY ONES.

 

[nanceann]

Thanks. Good thread. I feed laying crumbles and a mix of corn and scratch. I'll try reducing corn and scratch and increase crumbles. I also throw some BOSS out for them.

They free range most of the day, very busy girls. I feed twice a day. I. Have a heat lamp on in the shed 24/7 so they always have light.

There is a local hatchery near us, I'm thinking 6 EE, 4 golden comets and 4 black sex links. Id like to not buy chicks, but I can't afford shipping on bigger birds.

 

[nanceann]

I forgot to mention everyone was molting in November and December. We were down to just a few eggs a day, then it jumped uptown a dozen, now has slowed down to about 8 a day for the last week. The weather the last 10 days has been pretty mild.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Layer feed is mostly designed for leghorn types, small, light birds with low protein requirements. Larger birds are going to require more protein, and layer isn't adequate for some of them (most do fine though).

When you start cutting layer feed with scratch, it's adequate for almost no one - I'd entirely cut out the scratch, and feed just layer - and see if the laying gets better. If you want to feed scratch in addition to your normal feed, you need to move up to a feed with higher protein levels - either feed a flock raiser and give them oyster shell, or start cutting the layer with something high protein, like a roasted soy meal.