how many years will a buff orpington lay eggs for

[blueseal]

i have one thats around three years old.i dont believe shes laying anymore.she is a big fat girl shes also broody in the summer

 

[bluie]

I would be curious to learn the answer to this question. I have one big buff girl that started laying 3 days ago. How long do I have?

 

[#1California Chick]

I also am interested in this answer. I would also like to know if there is a difference in length of laying between breeds. Which ones lay the longest??

 

[Gazinga]

i am interested in teh BO ay schedule as wel, i have BO's which just started laying, how long will they do so?

 

[#1California Chick]

maybe we could get some answers if we just asked " How long do most hens lay??"

 

[dancingbear]

There are a lot of variables that make this a very hard question to answer. Confined or free-range? If confined, what kind of confinement? Climate? What does she eat? Kept with extra light through each winter or not?

I have an older BO hen, she's at least 5, may be as old as 7, I'm not sure when I got her. Last year I was sure she wasn't laying, but now I think I was mistaken. I'm 99% sure she's laying now, and I've seen her being mated lately. Her comb looks a bit washed out, like they get when laying, and her legs are pale. Plus, one of the younger hens from last summer looks almost exactly like her, only a touch of black in her tail and neck, and none of the others hens could be the mom, colors are all wrong. None of my roos from the last season would account for it, either. The eggs I collected to hatch, except for a few I segregated to collect, are from random hens, no idea who laid what.

I once had an old red hen, probably a NH, but I'm not sure, who laid right up until she died, (I found her on the nest where she'd been laying her eggs) about 7 years.

If they get more protein than the usual 16% layer feed, (which, IMO, is a minimum, not an optimum, amount of protein for a layer) they lay better, and possibly longer. I know they quit when they run out of eggs. But they can quit before they run out, if they aren't getting what they need to keep laying. Black oil sunflower seeds help, too. Not too many, don't clog their systems with too many shells, but a little sprinkle with the feed every day helps.

 

[Gazinga]

Quote:
Black oil sunflower seeds? is this teh oil of the seeds or the seeds themselves? where would i get such a thing?

 

[dancingbear]

It's sunflower seeds, the type is oil seeds, the variety name is black oil. (Like if you grew Kandycane sweet corn, it's corn, the type is sweet corn, the variety is Kandycane) That's because the color of the shell is black, and they're also pressed for oil, as well as feeding poultry and wild birds. The shells are thinner and closer fitting to the seed than the big striped ones you're used to seeing. The seed kernels are about the same size, though. Tasty, too, I tried them. A little hard to peel the shell off. Birds eat them shell and all, the gizzard grinds them up.

Any feed store should have them, and smaller amounts can be purchased in the wild-bird feed section of any department store, pet store, or feed store. They're cheaper as feed, in 50 lb. bags. A bag will last a long time, unless you have hundreds of chickens. I have 36 chickens and 13 guineas right now, I feed layer ration mixed with a little soybean meal to boost protein a bit, and every day I feed them a large coffee can about 3/4 full of whole shelled corn, mixed with about 2 cups of black oil sunflower seeds. I toss that out by the handful and sprinkle it all around, as a treat, and spread it around so everybody gets some. They finish it off in just a few minutes. When I head for the feed alcove they all come running, hoping it's time for corn and BOSS.

 

[Topjared]

A hen will lay intell she dies some will lay longer depends on how much there feed sunlight in the winter etc... Hope i helped

 

[Impress]

I watched my five year old rescue BO pop out an egg today, I was told she didn't lay anymore when I adopted her last year. Apparently she is not a freeloader!