How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[ChickyChickens]

I dont know...i havent collected the past few days so that i can get some more broodies!!

 

[COChix]

8/15.
My rate is around 50% with 9 month old hens and supplemental lighting (on at 2:30AM, off at 8AM).
...BUT...
They are all heritage breeds, (Black Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, and Cuckoo Marans) not production layers like Comets, Red Stars, Black Stars..... 
I think that makes a big difference.

That is a good point on breeds, we ordered all cold hardy breeds for our Colorado winters. We have seven different breeds and those breeds are the following; Rhode Island Reds, Dark Cornish, Delaware, Barred Rock, Buff Orph, Welsummer's and Easter Eggers.

11 eggs today. We have 14 pullet's that lay really well. We have sun most days and the chickens roam wherever they choose. We have lighting in the Run of the coop but they are not locked in under the supplied light. Our average is 11 eggs and we have 12 & 13 egg days also, even when it is cold outside.

Here's the deal. Temperature, light and food as we all know has an effect on egg production. I can't tell you how many times I have heard how not to keep your coop warm in the winter because chickens are tough. Thats right, chickens are tough and can generate heat and fluff their feathers to trap insulating air. But don't expect many eggs. It takes a lot of energy for a chicken to stay warm and that will cut in to egg production.

We have a non-insulated coop but built tight enough to keep warmth in. We use two 150 watt ceramic heat emitters that screw into a normal light fixture. When it's 14 degrees outside it's 48 degrees in the coop with 14 chickens. When it gets overcast with clouds, the chickens will kinda rotate in under the light for a spell and then go back out to do their foraging and what not. We will see a decrease in egg size before a decrease in quantity if temperature is a factor.

Food is important. Our chickens, all together eat one bunch of mustard, kale or collard greens, all the food scraps from the kitchen, a thin spread of milo and cracked corn and chicken feed. In the warmer months add a melon with that. This is everyday diet for our birds along with oyster shell and granite always available where they scratch and in feeders inside the coop. I will till one strip about every other day with my tiller. 25' long and as wide as the tiller. They scratch for grubs and worms, it's kinda a social event for them. 

I don't claim to no everything about chickens but I do know if you want fresh eggs as we do, you got to participate a little. 

Thanks for sharing your daily routine, I think sharing is helpful, allows others to see different ways of doing the same thing. I definitely like your idea of the tilling some new areas for them each week or so.

Here is our routine from day to day, the gang is let out for free range time everyday, during the summer months the gang feasted on scraps from our organic veggie and herb gardens. Since it's wintertime greens are harder to come by. However, I make it a point to ensure the gang gets some greens everyday. They especially love kale and cabbage. I am working on getting a fodder system in place and will be doing barley fodder in the next couple weeks. We feed organic, non-GMO/soy feed, during the summer months their feed is fermented, which extends the feed, helps keep the birds healthy and they prefer the fermented food. They also get sprouted seeds and nuts, they are partial to BOSS, we make and feed farmers cheese to them every couple weeks. They love hunting for mice and it is mayhem when one is found. Nothing funnier than watching a bunch of chickens chase each other for a mouse. Also I have added a daily probiotic supplement, since we are not fermenting feed this winter, which helps keep their digestive track healthy.

We have no supplemental lighting, we do have an Infared heat lamp in the coop and it will be used for temps below 0, if needed. The coop stays pretty mild and I have a remote sensor for monitoring temp and humidity level in the coop. We raise the birds naturally and use the deep litter method and DE for pest control in the coop as well. Our coop is not air tight and there is no feed or water in the coop by design. I decided early that with 25 birds it would be important to get them out of the coop in the winter. So they have water and food just outside In the enclosed run and then a water through in the free range area.

Our gang gets all of our table scraps as well and they help with our composting. I do spend some tie everyday with them, but know not everyone has the time to hang out. I tend to just observe their flock behavior, health, appearances and of course I spend time looking at their poop. I think that is it as far as a daily routine.

Yesterday's total was 14/23, we get low numbers like that one day every 7-10 days. It uusually follows a day of almost everyone laying. The day before we got 20/23 so I just assume that for whatever reason they needed a break of a day. I don't mind as long as they are happy and healthy birds.

 

[matt44644]

14/15
New layers born 6-11-14
Light on at 5:30 am off at 8:30 pm
3 lbs Nutrena layer wise and 1 lb of home mixed feed per day

 

[minnehaha]

Daily routine:

8x16 insulated coop, no light or supplemental heat, but I have a red heat lamp set up for when we get super cold below zero temps. The auto door opens at first light (730 am) and they go through a covered run and out to a 1/2 acre uncovered fenced free range area. They had 2 acres, but we cross fenced this week and reduced their area.

We have feeding and watering stations in several spots to ensure everyone gets food, plus they have several hanging feeders with oyster shell.

Their diet:

free ranging
Home mixed scratch
mash blend (served wet)
chick starter (extra protein for snacking)
table scraps
meat scraps
oyster shell

They go into their coop before dark (3 pm) and get on their roosts and go night night

I really rocked their world the last few days and expect a temp reduction in eggs. I reduced their area and clipped wings, today several of them got their wings clipped because they do not wish to be confined to a 1/2 an acre! One stubborn Cream Legbar pullet flew over the fence 3 times yesterday (I put her back twice, and let her go the third time) to lay her egg in an old box in the shed, she flew back over the fence and back to the flock when she was done. I clipped her wings this morning, and moved her preferred box into the coop. I Hope she is OK with it...

 

[tntchix]

Holy eggs, Batman! I got 8/9/28 today all before noon.

That means every single one of my laying hens except the on/off bantam blessed us with their egg today!

Proud chicken mama here.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Last winter approximately 10foot snow drifts, i was going to go back there to get a better pic,but didn't want to take a chance on getting stuck

Here are a couple of pictures from my last winter. Loving the milder one we're having this year for sure.

My front door after shoveling the roof off.

This is after I got it dug out 8 hours later, grr. My granddaughter is loving it as you can see in the picture ♡

 

[matt44644]

Yes last winter was rough,then there was that freezing rain

12-22-13

 

[ChookRanger]

2/3 so far today. Lucy usually only lays when there are other eggs in the nest so that's probably it.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Yes last winter was rough,then there was that freezing rain 12-22-13

A couple of times last winter we got hit with a bunch of snow, then a ice to follow. Lots of power outages. Just hoping for a normal to mild winter here in the pinky area.

 

[Howlet]

1 egg from 5 hens... i hate winter ;-; funny part is im pretty sure its the molting hen...