How long a baby chick can survive in incubator?

[TheGoldMAN]

My large fowl chickens all laid around the 5 month mark -pretty much around the same time, and in the middle of winter when were were getting about 9 hours of daylight. It's fairly normal for pullet to lay throughout their first winter. Although I've been told that one of the breeds I have will lay throughout winter (russian orloff), I don't know whether I'll get any this coming winter. It honestly doesn't matter, I value my hens' health over their eggs, and actually wish they would take a break now and then!

If you ask around, you'll find that plenty of hens of all ages will lay eggs throughout winter

Here's photo evidence of mine (note snow in background)!


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I had to shovel a path for all the animals because none of them would walk on snow!
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The regional differences affects the light receiving from the sun. The threshold of light exposure in industry is 14 hours to get eggs.
I like to make a situation to get the maximum benefits.

 

[TheGoldMAN]

My hens lay in the winter, just not every day. My better layers are just usually 2 or 3 a week as opposed to 6-7 a week

That is because of what I said in last replies.

 

[NatJ]

You know making eggs is a sexual activity and needs hormonal changes. In some animals like the birds, the hormons levels take effect from the light.

Yes, I know egg laying is a sexual activity.

I also know that hens lay more eggs in the spring and summer (longer days), and less eggs in the winter (shorter days.)

I also know that SOME hens quit laying for the winter, and SOME hens lay all winter anyway (usually at a slightly reduced rate.)

And I also know that providing supplemental light can make hens lay at the spring/summer rate, even through the winter.

The regional differences affects the light receiving from the sun. The threshold of light exposure in industry is 14 hours to get eggs.

Yes, that works for commercial layers.

But for a backyard flock, it seems that some hens just need more hours of daylight than others to lay eggs. That would be the easiest explanation for why some breeds will lay all winter while other breeds kept in the same conditions will not. For example, I once had Chanteclers and Easter Egger Bantams, bought together as chicks, raised together, always living together in the same pen. Every winter, the Easter Egger Bantams would quit laying while the Chanteclers kept laying. There was no way to mistake the little green eggs and the big brown ones, so I was 100% sure of who was laying when. (I've had similar situations with other breeds, too.)

 

[TheGoldMAN]

This is bananas, all my chickens have always laid in the wintertime. My layers are almost 4 and they lay about every other day in the dead of winter. I should add, I live in Minneapolis and my coop is not insulated or lit, and this year's polar vortex was gnarly. Homie, do you keep chickens? 'Cause I think maybe you think you know chickens by reading a "chickens for dummies" book or a cliff notes.

Good for you.

 

[K0k0shka]

Every winter, the Easter Egger Bantams would quit laying while the Chanteclers kept laying.

This is why practical experience should not be discounted in favor of something somebody read on some website. What discredits OP most is talking in extremes. "No chicken lays in winter". Really. If he'd said something like "some chickens don't lay in winter", or "chickens are more likely to slow down or stop laying in winter", or something more realistic like that, it would have been a much better argument - and would have reflected much better on him. It would've been a true statement that reflects the wide variability in chickens. Likewise about the other statements as well. But insisting on exact numbers and precise conditions and throwing around extremes with dead certainty, especially when lacking actual practical knowledge and experience, just isn't convincing at all. It's abrasive and achieves nothing.

 

[yakitori]

The regional differences affects the light receiving from the sun. The threshold of light exposure in industry is 14 hours to get eggs.
I like to make a situation to get the maximum benefits.

yep, so outdoor chickens do lay in winter. I don’t know who is giving you information on chickens... but you probably shouldn’t trust them anymore

 

[SarahLadd]

Good for you.

You are a real peach aren't ya. You know, only a Sith speaks in absolutes. You might wanna check your language before hitting "post reply".

No chicken lays in winter... lol. Honestly, I almost would prefer they didn't sometimes because it's not fun to stomp out in 2 feet of snow to collect frozen solid eggs in -15°f...

I've added an orloff to my flock this year and I'll be interested to see how often she leaves gifts in winter compared to the other hens.

 

[yakitori]

You are a real peach aren't ya. You know, only a Sith speaks in absolutes. You might wanna check your language before hitting "post reply".

No chicken lays in winter... lol. Honestly, I almost would prefer they didn't sometimes because it's not fun to stomp out in 2 feet of snow to collect frozen solid eggs in -15°f...

I've added an orloff to my flock this year and I'll be interested to see how often she leaves gifts in winter compared to the other hens.

oooh please update when she lays eggs. My RO lays fairly small eggs...almost as small as my bantam. She was apparently from townline hatchery, so Im wondering whether its that particular stock...

 

[K0k0shka]

You are a real peach aren't ya.

I’m starting to think that this might just be a troll.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

oooh please update when she lays eggs. My RO lays fairly small eggs...almost as small as my bantam. She was apparently from townline hatchery, so Im wondering whether its that particular stock...

So based on OP's theory, was your RO taken out of the incubator too early or left in to wait for hatch mates I don't understand where OP is getting their fake news but now I'm totally confused on the possible reasoning behind this.