Do production reds "burn out" faster than RIR??

[CathyB]

I am gald I found this thread. I did a serach to try to find out how older hens lay. I will not want to cull anyone out of my flock once I get it, but I do want eggs. I am getting RIR'S, Barred Rocks, and EEers. If anyone have these chickens that are older could you give me an idea of how many eggs they are still laying a week? As long as I can supply my family I will ove them. If I do not have extras to sell, that is ok by me. Just curious.

When production slows down do you add younger birds to the flock? I have heard you should not since it could disrupt the pecking order. But I would ideally like to add more chickens next spring to my backyard flock. Is that a problem?

 

[opihiman911]

As I mentioned in previous post, I had a pair of production reds that I would get an extra large egg almost every day for 2 years, then they really slowed down to one or two a week. Same for my friend's production reds that have almost completely stopped laying at 2 1/2 years old. I just rehomed a RIR & 3 of my mutts to him to get his eggs production going again.
My older RIR were giving me 5-6 large eggs per week for the last 4 years. They are almost 5 years old now and have started to slow down to laying every other day, 3-4 eggs per week.
My BR, austrolorps and mutts are still young so I don't know long or well they are going to lay. I would assume being old fashion heritage birds and barnyard hybrids they will do the same and lay consistantly for 4-5 years before slowing down.
I keep any hen that gives me an egg every other day, they are earning their keep. Anything less than that and I start to have visions of onions , carrots and noodles dancing around the freeloaders head.

Cory

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We continue to cull out any chickens past 2 years old, we wil have the younger chickens coming up to replace them, there has never been a pecking order problem they usually keep apart early on then mix together.

 

[CathyB]

Thanks!

 

[the simple life]

I had suspected this about the black sex links and the heritage breeds when I began deciding what kind of chickens would suit my needs.
I have a large family to feed and neighbors that I want to keep happy as well so they don't complain about the chickens, so I want an abundancy of eggs.
Even though the sex links can burn out early as was stated they are prolific layers early on.
Hopefully they will give me alot of eggs early on while the heritage breeds will lay over a longer, steadier period.
The sex links will give me eggs sooner while I wait for the other breeds to get going and after the black stars stop laying I can add more in to the mix to keep a steady supply coming.
I think you can just use them to supplement the laying flock and retire them/replace them as needed and keep a steady amount of eggs coming.
This was the plan anyway and I am hoping I got it right.

 

[questions543]

Great thread.. I haven't gotten sex links YET and I'm wondering if leg horns also burn out?

 

[Mrs. K]

Having a mixed flock can cover all your sins!

I have a red star, who was a real good layer for me, but has not laid since before last winter. I know she should go, she has had a good life.

Hoping for a broody hen, I like adding chicks each year, but really like a broody hen to do the work!

If you want a consistant supply of eggs, you need to rotate your birds through your flock, some older ones for bigger eggs, some younger ones for consistent egg production.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

I must mention this, but I had 3 red stars, that were going into their third summer, and all have died natural deaths in the last 4 months. I just went down and found the last one this morning. I knew that they were prone to not keep laying, but they all seem to die of old age, rather young?