How much is your production down?

[Cat's Coop]

We are down from 18/day to 2/day! They don't seem to be molting. I'm wondering if its due to the weather change.

 

[BitsyB]

We're down to about 1/2 or less. I don't mind it though, I figure if their bodies need a break they deserve one. Just means I won't have any extras to share with family and friends.

I like that sentiment as well. Yesterday I informed my sisters, to whom my 6 hens are supplying delicious pastured eggs, that we're only getting 1 to 3 eggs a day now, so I can't really continue giving them away. Esp. since I actually sat down and figured out the true cost of a dozen of their eggs- if you factor in the time spent taking care of the chickens, it's alot more than I want to admit!

Question: Is the main reason people put lights in the coop to increase egg laying, or is it for the chickens well-being too? (Like so they can stay up late playing card games and gossiping?)​

 

[Ridgerunner]

1 to 2 a day (10 a week) from 5 adults. One is from a BA that has finished her molt. One is from a Delaware that has not started her molt.

2 to 3 (usually 3) from three 6 month old pullets.

The light in the coop is so they keep laying. For their well-being, they need several hours of dark downtime each night. Continuous 24-hour light can cause some egg defects.

 

[Judy]

13 hens, 11-12 eggs last summer, 3 or 4 now. One or two broodies at present; usually have at least one. Haven't used light but we get by on this # of eggs.

 

[peewee6765]

4 from 4

 

[Cheep]

Robin'sBrood :

We're down to about 1/2 or less. I don't mind it though, I figure if their bodies need a break they deserve one. Just means I won't have any extras to share with family and friends.

x2​

 

[bburn]

I have new layers. They just started around the first of Oct. At first, after the one one day and two the next, it got up to about six a day. The last two weeks out of 13 hens, with two being older hens that I bought, I am getting 9 or 10 every day. I expect it to back down soon because of the lack of light but I do not plan to put light in their coop this year at all. I want them to have time to grow and hopefully in the spring they will be laying at least back to what I am getting now.

It is so much fun to collect eggs. Mine all lay in the morning and early afternoon. So, I make several trips out to get eggs. I get pretty excited when there are two or three in a nest....looks so chickeny.

 

[5grandchicks]

Out of 3 chicks we started with in June, 1 (copper black maran) started laying on Sept 28th and the other 2 (rhode island red and banty cochen) have not started laying yet. Should I add a light or wait until spring before I get concerned? Also have 2 younger chicks that probably won't lay until spring (1 an americanus and 1 a black silkie/cochen cross). Love these girls! Our grandkids named all but one.

 

[bigoakhunter]

Mine were doing fine through most of last month, but the last week or so production is dropping. I will soon be hooking up the lights on a timer for each coop. We go from 15 1/2 hours of light or so to about 11 1/2 currently and will get down to about 9 1/2 hours here in Michigan.

Dave

 

[4luvofchickens]

Down by 1/2 too