Hi, I Have 5 Hens That Have Been My Friends For 2.5 Years Now. At First They Layed So Many Eggs I Had To Give Them To Friends And Family. This Spring The Slowed Down Laying, And In Recent Days Have Stopped Laying All Together. I Was Wondering If This Is Normal? How Many Years Do Chickens Lay Eggs? Can Anyone Help Me? My Girls Are Suesexlinks (spelling?)
All chickens slow down with age - the first couple of years are their most productive. The heritage breeds usually don't lay quite as many eggs per week but lay them for longer. However sex links are specifically bred for egg-laying and tend to lay up a storm for the first year or two and then they're about done. The way to think of it is to understand that a female chicken is born with all of the eggs she will ever lay, (similar to human women). Once they're gone, they're gone. A hen that lays an egg a day at first will simply burn out sooner than a hen who only lays 3-4 eggs a week in the first couple of years. Given that yours are sex links, I'm inclined to think they're about done. They might still lay the occasional egg but you probably won't be supplying friends and family too much any more.
Agree for the most part. The term sex link describes the ability to sex at hatch by color, but doesn't tell us much other than that. Most hatcheries play fast and loose with the true nature of the parent stock. Many of the sex links sold from hatcheries are actually bred for commercial use by the millions, even though they are also sold to small scale customers and to feed stores for retail sales. Thus, many sex links are indeed bred to lay up a storm for only a year or two, which is beneficial to the commercial enterprises. It is quite likely that this is the case with your birds. Most BYCers who buy sex links are hopefully aware of this reality when purchasing them as chicks.
Thanks to everyone for the replies on my question, I purchased my hens at a Tractor supply. I realized at the time I would have been better off getting them from a local farmer, but even tho I read several books on chickens before I jumped in to it, it was all a new thing for me. After these hens have expired I have learned a lot from them for the next batch. But for now they are the neatest pets I have ever owned. I am their Mumma and they follow me around and eat bugs, they also have helped my garden a great deal. Thanks again for the responses.
