Do they quit laying at 2?

[jprice2ndlt]

I bought some hens from a guy because he said he was c going to cull them. He said the reason was because the reached 2 and he didnt think they would or were laying anymore. Has anyone esle heard of this? I thought they could lay for a couple of years befor thay slacked off. Any feed back would really help thanks

 

[paddock36]

No they don't just stop laying. They may not be in their prime but you would still get eggs.

 

[crj]

I have chickens that are at least 4 yrs old and they are still laying eggs.

 

[Matt A NC]

"Flat Butt" turned 6 a couple months ago and is still laying an egg every other day.

Your real heavy layers, like sexlinks and leghorns, will drop drastically at 3 years old. The moderate layers, like heritage breeds, will keep up the steady pace for many more years.

Matt

 

[Fred's Hens]

What kind of hens did you buy? If they were sexlinks, yes, laying will indeed drop off rather dramatically. They are not bred to continue their high lay rate forever. All hens decline after a period of time. Quit? Not likely.

 

[JohnHenry]

I'm wondering how many eggs per week your 4 year old hens lay? I get a 6-7 eggs per week from each one year old right hen now, will I get something like 3 eggs per week from a 4 year old?

 

[jprice2ndlt]

i bought 2 austrlourps and a barred rock.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

My 4 year olds have been laying 3 out of 4 days lately. They're really good layers, though. They were still laying every day as 3 year olds. Not all my purebreds have always laid this well, even when younger. They also only lay a large egg, not a jumbo, like some breeds.

Chickens usually lay without too many interruptions the first year after they start laying. After that, their laying usually starts following the seasonal rhythms of chickens. They may go broody in the spring and stop laying for several weeks, unless you make an effort to break them. They usually do a big molt in the fall and often stop laying while growing in all their new feathers. If they do a hard molt and drop a lot of feathers all at once, they'll be trying to grow them in all at once. When the days grow shorter going into winter, most chickens stop laying until the days start getting longer in spring, unless you supplement winter lighting.

Chickens are individuals. Some go broody, some don't. Some go broody more than once a year. Some are broodier their first year as adults and then not as much. Some continue to lay while molting. Some lay in the winter as adults, even without supplemental light. Some are so-so layers even as pullets. Some are great layers even as they get a little older. Some lay great for a few years and then have a sharp drop off. Some do a gradual decline in laying.

When they stop laying for a temporary seasonal reason, their comb and wattles will usually turn from red to pink. When they start laying again, the color goes back to red. They can also stop laying for other reasons, like extreme stress or illness. It's pretty common for them to stop laying when they get sold and go to a new owner, with all the changes that involves. A poor diet also has a negative impact on laying, especially as the chicken gets older.

 

[Jennamah]

What do people do with their chickens once they stop laying eggs? Please don't say eat them. I asking as a potential owner who can only have 4 at the most.

 

[mtnpull]

Quote:
We plan to eat ours. We have chickens to support our family. If you can't bear the thought of that, you can sell them or give them away. Shouldn't be too hard to find someone to give them to.