Aged related fertility, seasonal laying, and raising replacements

[Susan Skylark]

I live in a temperate climate with real winter and summer seasons (-30 to 100F temps possible). I plan on bringing my birds into the garage with supplemental lighting over the winter. Does temperature affect laying as well as light? We can get extreme cold here but it is usually only a couple days, usual winter temps are 15-45F in general (garage is unheated). How does age affect laying and fertility? My hens are 2 months old today, I’d like to raise my own replacements, but when and how should I begin thinking about that? Will they be laying enough fertile eggs next spring that I can do it then? Do they lay consistently and have decent fertility at over a year of age? Would they lay in a 20F garage with enough light? Just trying to plan for the future here, I’ve read plenty but opinions and experience vary widely!

 

[MyParadiseFalls]

F

 

[Nabiki]

I have not heard that temperature affects laying, but in my experience, they do lay less if it is very cold, even if they have enough light.

Fertility for hens and laying starts to decrease at about 18 months. That's why commercial breeders replace their males at a year and their hens at 18 months.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Thanks, was just worried they’d quit laying next summer at a year old and I wouldn’t have much time to raise new ones, we’re gone so much it wouldn’t work to hatch eggs until mid August and if I do it in the spring I wouldn’t have laying birds for half the summer.