does not laying eggs in the colder months

[mrsengeseth]

hurt the chicken? If I understand the mechanics of it all, egg laying is basically a reproductive cycle. does not laying eggs cause the system to "back up" or to sour...so to speak? (I am trying to G-rate my question so it's not too offensive maybe or too graphic.) What I am getting at is essentially when some womens systems aren't working in a regular manner, there can be some ...er...womens issues that need medical care. If the chickens don't lay their eggs, will it cause them problems in a similar manner?

 

[zatsdeb]

chickens slow down in the winter because of the cold, and the light in the hours of the day, you can put a light in the chicken house with a timer, but most people like to let the chickens slow down as nature intended to give them a rest. laying eggs is hard on them if you make it so they lay every day all year round with lighting... etc..
probably like they do in the factories.
we let ours rest. they still lay but not as much.

 

[mrsengeseth]

so it won't hurt them if I don't try to keep them laying in the winter?

 

[zatsdeb]

no, they need to have a rest, laying year round shortens their lives.

 

[gritsar]

If you think about it the human female has built in rest periods from "egg laying" too. They're called pregnancies.

 

[mrsengeseth]

ok, thanks!!

 

[verthandi]

Try it with Polish chickens and live in the North! They stop laying around the beginning of October and don't start again until March. About February I start telling them that I am getting tired of lugging feed and thawing out water for them and someone better start laying an egg or two. They don't listen and it wouldn't matter anyway, cause the eggs sometimes are frozen when they start again in March.

Good thing the showgirls seem to lay, unless they are broody or I would have no eggs for 5 months out of the year.