How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[pippo]

4/8
Stoked considering it was 39 Celsius today!

 

[gander007]

Wednesday

4 eggs

3 eggs from the control group

1 egg from the free range chickens

Temp 43F degrees day time and 28F degrees at night ya it is getting cold

 

[Jujubara]

...

So ...all of you that are doing so well, extoll the virtues of your methods! We're all ears! For the rest of us, we can only offer ideas on why our girls are not in it to win it.... I think my problems started when I changed up their feed, andbarged in and added lights right at bed time ....... coulda thought that through a bit better.......


First year pullets usually don't go through a molt. (Even though two of my early layers sorta did.) If you add lighting, it's better to add it in the morning. That way they don't have a sudden darkness while or before roosting. Also, certain breeds lay throughout the winter. How old are your girls and what age?

 

[Jujubara]

So, Karen ..... how old are the birds, what are you feeding them, etc...... (I'm seeing a benefit, production-wise toward young birds)....

Forgot to add: you can do a search for "not laying" and you'll get a great thread with over 800 posts. You'll surely find an answer there.

 

[karenerwin]

So, Karen ..... how old are the birds, what are you feeding them, etc...... (I'm seeing a benefit, production-wise toward young birds)....

Well, the 3 white leghorns are between 5 & 9 months old. The black astrolorp is less than a year old. Most of the rhode island reds are about 3 years old, 2 of them are less than a year old. I have 2 Asian Blues & 1 more black astrolorp that are close to laying, but I don't think they have started yet. The black sex links are probably around 2 years old. The EE's; 2 of them are about 3 years old the other 3 are about 1 1/2 years old as are the 2 rhode island reds in that coop. The black Penedesenca just started laying this month.
I have definitely noticed a significant drop in egg laying when they hit 3 years of age. I recently culled 1 hen that hadn't laid an egg in 3 months, she was 3 years old.
As far as what I feed them, they get 16% protein layer pellets or crumbles (our local feed store brand). I toss out veggie scraps, bread scraps (not a lot) & meat scraps. They also get leftovers like mac & cheese, spaghetti & things like that. All the scraps don't add up to much, maybe a soup bowl full every day or 2. On nights when the temps are below 30 degrees I toss out a handful or 2 of cracked corn. It helps generate body heat over night, but I don't want to give them too much as it also contributes to fat build up.
I hope that helps. Another thing that I have noticed is that the younger birds do a better job of laying through their 1st winter than their older counterparts.

 

[jimbob86]

jujubara- I think it would be more helpful to take tips from those who are having success than to search around blindly among 800+ posts by folks who may have never seen my chickens, coop or climate .....and read their suppositions about what I'm doing wrong ......

Thanks, karen. Just what I was looking for.

 

[creps]

5/16. Temps still cool (32 degrees ) Cloudy again today.

 

[S5apiotrowski]

7/20, 7/20, 6/20.... the Americaunas/Eastereggers are outlaying the Brown Leghorns!

 

[Daethen]

I got my first dozen!!! 12/14 today.

 

[Jujubara]

Only 3/10 . One silkie is trying to lay on them all. She may have an egg or two under her. Lol