February is "Egg month"

[Keel]

The owner of the feed store where I buy my layer feed is in the habit of saying "February is egg month in Georgia.". I'm just over the line in Tennessee, but his point is, I'm guessing, that the longer daylight hours lead to more girls laying. Do you find this true?

I bought 6 Buff Orpingtons at 10 weeks old last July. I got my first egg in early October. I've lost one bird, so by my reckoning, it's likely one of the girls isn't earning her keep. I've not gotten more than 2 dozen eggs any week, and lately production has dwindled. During the cold snap last week, I only gathered 8 eggs. Things warmed up today and I found 3 eggs awaiting my daily visit.

I realize there are lots of variables, but generally speaking, should February bring a dramatic increase in eggs in a small flock such as mine?

TIA

 

[cavemanrich]

Maybe the happy store owner means February is when people develop more appetite for them good eggs. LOL. But on a more serious side, look at it this way. The days are getting longer. You probably know that the usual cycle time for egg is 25 hours. This will vary with different chickens. But not likely to be less. . Chickens will not lay after it is dark, so they will lay next morning. The days get longer, so you do the math. I never had any of your particular breed of chicks, but if you are looking to get the most eggs, then you may want to switch to white leghorns, or the sex link varieties. These are egg machines. I think as days get longer, your egg harvests will improve. BEST TO YOU.

 

[aart]

The owner of the feed store where I buy my layer feed is in the habit of saying "February is egg month in Georgia.". I'm just over the line in Tennessee, but his point is, I'm guessing, that the longer daylight hours lead to more girls laying. Do you find this true?

I bought 6 Buff Orpingtons at 10 weeks old last July. I got my first egg in early October. I've lost one bird, so by my reckoning, it's likely one of the girls isn't earning her keep. I've not gotten more than 2 dozen eggs any week, and lately production has dwindled. During the cold snap last week, I only gathered 8 eggs. Things warmed up today and I found 3 eggs awaiting my daily visit.

I realize there are lots of variables, but generally speaking, should February bring a dramatic increase in eggs in a small flock such as mine?

TIA

I would say, very possible....because February brings a dramatic increase in day length.

The days begin to lengthen at Winter Solstice around December 21st, but only by seconds a day, they gain incrementally more time thru January by February it's really noticeable.