Happy Holidays Everyone! Question on Molting

[RobinM50]

I'm still very new to raising chickens, and this is the first molt that the girls have gone through. I only have 3 adults, and we're getting ready to add two new little ones soon. I am wondering how long they take off from laying eggs during the molting season. We live near Phoenix, Arizona, where the days are still fairly warm, but the sun is definitely not out for as long, and I know their laying is related to how much sun they get. One of my friends, who also has chickens, said his hens continued to lay occasionally, but we haven't had an egg in over a month. Can anyone weigh in on how long is normal for them to stop laying? Thank you so much, and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season

 

[TooCheep]

You are correct about light and molting being primary causes of not laying. I'm in Indiana and my girls won't start laying until March or so, well after their feathers grow back in. Yours might start a little earlier since you are closer to the equator and warmer.

Since we don't treat our hens like factory farms (virtually no access to the outdoors and light/temperature controlled), getting far fewer eggs in winter is part of the deal. It is possible to preserve eggs for the winter, which I've been doing for 5-6 years. If you are interested, you should check out this thread.

 

[K0k0shka]

Whether they lay in the winter also depends on their breed, not just on the length of the day. The production breeds tend to power through winters, because that's what they've been bred to do, while heritage breeds are more likely to take a break (partially or fully).

 

[RobinM50]

Thank you for the info! I have 2 Black Austrolorps and a Cream Legbar. Do you know how I would find out about those particular breeds by chance?

 

[RobinM50]

You are correct about light and molting being primary causes of not laying. I'm in Indiana and my girls won't start laying until March or so, well after their feathers grow back in. Yours might start a little earlier since you are closer to the equator and warmer.

Since we don't treat our hens like factory farms (virtually no access to the outdoors and light/temperature controlled), getting far fewer eggs in winter is part of the deal. It is possible to preserve eggs for the winter, which I've been doing for 5-6 years. If you are interested, you should check out this thread.

Thank you so much for the information! I will take a look at that thread for sure. I do have a freeze dryer and have been thinking about freeze-drying my eggs, but we only have 3 hens for now, so we mostly eat them lol

 

[TooCheep]

Thank you for the info! I have 2 Black Austrolorps and a Cream Legbar. Do you know how I would find out about those particular breeds by chance?

Neither of those are likely to lay in winter. There are some specialized egg laying breeds that are more likely to lay in winter, but also tend to die young from reproductive tract issues.

Assuming standard backyard chicken techniques, you will not encounter winter laying frequently. I have no hard numbers, but here is my experience with dual-purpose breeds:

10 pullets (<1 year): 4 layed in winter
16 years of hens (>1 year): 1 layed in winter

 

[RobinM50]

Ok! Thank you so much! I'm happy they are getting a rest and I don't need to rush them, I just wanted to make sure they were still healthy

 

[TooCheep]

Sounds good. Your hens will start laying again naturally in early spring. As for your new ones, be sure to read up on how to introduce new chickens to an existing flock. Things can go badly wrong if you don't know what you are doing.