Are Your Hens on Vacation???

[Country Guy John]

Hello Everyone,

I would like for everyone to chime in and let me know if your hens are taking a much needed break from laying eggs. I have barred rocks, australorps, and jersey giants and they are all on vacation. Those that were molting have new feathers and look picture book perfect. I have to admit that it has been cold here in South Carolina this year.

Just let me know if your hens are laying or not.

Thanks everyone.

 

[willkatdawson]

Yes, mine are on vacation from eggs laying. I have 8 hen and am lucky to get 1 a day right now. We're in Ga and the temps have been in the 20's for sooo long now I think they are just concentrating on staying warm during the day freeranging. At night they have a toasty heated coop to go home to.

 

[chicknmania]

Nope. Although our Red Stars were laying up til a few days ago, when it hit the single digits. We also have one EE hen, a variety of mixed breeds, one Silver Spangled Hamburg banty, three Delawares, a Silkie cross, right now I can't remember what else. All on a well deserved break.

 

[patman75]

Mine were until I added a light and a timer, 14 hour days, 1 mini molt and added oyster shells to thier feed they are all back to laying again. No heat, no insulation, just a draft free coop. This is even with temps getting into the single digits.

 

[Preservation Acres]

My hens are always on vacation. If I were living on eggs, I'd be dead.

 

[Bandit]

My SL Wyandotte just started laying for the first time in November and still lays an egg almost every day. The GL Wyandotte will lay one about once a week. One of the BOs started laying a couple times a week, and the other BO started laying for the first time two weeks ago so I have quite a few eggs coming! I was surprised because I only have a red heat lamp in the coop and it just goes on for 15 minutes about every 3 hours to keep off the chill when it's below 10 degrees at night. So they lay without artificial light.

 

[WagonBrooder]

Mine are laying but they are 6 1/2 months old. I started them in mid summer.

 

[1birdlady]

Our Barred Rocks are laying regularly, even thru our cold spell (North Houston area)...we expected them to be less, but they're keeping on!

We have 4 hens, and regularly get from 2 to 4 eggs a day.
They are not yet a year old, so have not had any moults yet.
They will be a year old in April.

We do give them warm oatmeal every morning and evening during this cold spell, and always leftover parrot food, which is fresh veg, and a "bird bread" I make for the parrot, rich in flax and wheat germ...but that's a minute amount of the hens food...a "treat".

We are very pleased with their offerings!

 

[gritsar]

Mine took a good long vacation when they went thru their 18 month molt. Everybody's been back to laying since mid-Novemeber; averaging 7 eggs a day (13 hens).

 

[Zed3]

My 6 Golden Comets have been laying 6 eggs per day since Sept. They do a light that comes on around 4 AM and stays on until sunrise.

Z