how long do you keep your flock before you replace them

[BirchHatchery]

so when yall say 18 months is that 18 months of 16 hour days to keep eggs going or do yall do natural night and let them rest in winter?

 

[Fred's Hens]

The real, souped up egg layers, (genetically selected to be first generation 300+ per annum layers) are also typically bred to lay right through winter. Now, increasing the light to 15 hours a day, during the dark weeks before and after the solstice of winter, will cause them to continue to produce at near normal and normal for these breeds (hybrids) is 6-7 eggs a week.

Even if you provide no extra light at all, these hens will still lay 5 eggs a week, in most cases.

Some of the "these birds burn out quickly" beliefs are more legend than fact. I wouldn't expect them to continue this level of production and they do not. They go into decline in year two and continue to fall farther in year three.

If a small poultry farm operation, such as my own, has a rather fixed number of egg customers, the need for XX dozen eggs per week needs to be maintained. The simplest way for an egg producer to meet his demand is to rotate in chicks/pullets every six months, let's say, and also rotate out at similar time spans. Hope that makes sense.

 

[BirchHatchery]

alright how about a flock of 30 white rock chickens from welp hatchery how long will they lay productlivly for on natural light? mine were hatched october 20 so their almost 3 months old i have them on 12 hours of light a day

 

[Fred's Hens]

I haven't kept white Rocks for a few years, though I genuinely love the breed.

Great meat birds and better than average layers. I don't know if the current White Rocks strains have been "pumped up" as to egg laying. I kinda doubt it. I'm thinking WR are 260-280 eggs a year type birds. This is respectable and acceptable for a quality meat bird.

Your birds should lay at 5-6 month on onset. Watch for the deepening red of the comb and squatting behavior. These are clues to future events. A healthy WR could lay well, ie 160-180 eggs deep into their 5th year. Again, generalities which may or may not apply to your specific hatchery strain. 180 eggs is every other day. I know, it's simple math, but easier to remember.

 

[BirchHatchery]

sounds good i normally run white leghorns and supply people with eggs year around this year im trien brown eggs so i decided to try white rocks as it says it will lay good in cold months i normally ran my leghorns on 16 hours a day light for their entire laying cylce so this year i decided to try natural light instead i should be getting eggs off of them this spring will they lay good this winter for me or should i plan on chicks in june to take their place in october when their a year old?

 

[BirchHatchery]

?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
If you have run white leghorns, you'll love the personality of the WR, but you'll be surprised by two things. One, a WR will require double the feed and only produce 60% of the eggs. That's just the way it is. Thus, making the math simple, a leghorn will make a dozen eggs on 50 cents worth of feed, while a White Rock will eat $1.50 of feed to make that same dozen.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Lofty Dreams]

2-3 years they are at their prime

 

[Fred's Hens]

BirchHatchery,

If you decide on White Rocks, no, I would NOT replace them at 18 months. I'd keep a Rock hen as long as she laid 4 eggs a week. That might happen, with the right strain and good health, right through year 4 and 5. The breed is not geared to do 6-7 eggs a week. Just isn't. They have an appetite. They aren't a little bitty bird. I love them. Love them for a whole host of reasons. Great meat. Long, gentle life. Oft times broody and good mothers. Great attitude in the coop. Not emotionally needy. Ha Ha. I mean, not under foot.

If the goal, however, is eggs for sale, I'd question if you have other goals than merely eggs. Eggs alone is not enough to select the White Rock.
For eggs alone, you'll never make a dime off White Rocks, won't even break even. Unless you have free food.

 

[BirchHatchery]

i get layer feed for 75 pounds for 10 bucks i was never really happy with the leghorns besides they turnd me over a profit i like the white rocks they come to me and dont fly around and scratch like the rabid leghorns did really the only use i have for them is eggs pest control fertilzer and few roos for the freezer. my other question is how long should i leave the light on for them to get addiquit light to eat drink and roost in the winter without promoting them to start laying/breeding. i open the door in the mourning and close it before i go to work at night so they get natural light but the barns dark when i close it so they need light untile i get up and after i leave right now their timer is on from 7 am to 7 pm