Continuous eggs

[thedeacon]

My current flock is 8-9 months old. I don'r expect they will molt until next fall. I plan on getting some new chicks this spring. Plan on them laying while the older ones are molting. Has anyone else tried this. Can they be kept in the same coop. My are free range 2 to 6 hrs a day and penned up at night. I do use a light from 5 AM to 8 AM and seem to help with egg production.

 

[debilorrah]

We kind of tried what you are talking about. We have 6 layers right now and 6 more that should be laying the end of February, middle of March when the older girls start to molt. Of course, there is no predicting chicken behavior, so, it's really luck of the draw.

 

[silkiechicken]

I've got a mixed flock of all ages since I get chicks when ever the mood strikes, LOL. That said, if you are going for pure production, don't worry about moult too much and just get a new batch annually and replace the 3rd year birds with more production birds. They don't all moult at the same time, and some will take just a few weeks off, while others will take a month off. More light (14-16 hrs) to increase the day will help with production, but if are pets you are planning to keep more than 2-3 years, may burn them out faster and increase the chance of tumors/reproductive problems.