I am amazed that some of you don't get eggs.

[silkiechicken]

It's normal. You have a young flock. Wait till next year.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Well lets see, most days 5 Those are your amberlinks, production birds. Hybrids lay better than purebreds. That's a given. Now the other three not so much. Also your in a warmer climate than some here so that's a given too. Where it's colder birds need a break.

Also lots of folks here don't have hybrids, we're a bit more upscale than that.

You just ain't been bitten by the bug yet. Soon your gonna want some of those beautiful Blues and Lavenders and Speckled and really nice Barred Rocks. Then you'll see what I mean. Then you'll buy and incubator and be buying hatching eggs and then you'll just slide down the slippery slope of chicken mania and need therapy for your addiction.

Also the first year is the best then things decline. Now I suspect my four older Dels will kick the pants off your hybrids when they reach the same age of three. One thing about hybrids according to Practical Poultry magazine is that hybrids lay alot over a short period of time, where as purebreds lay OVER a longer period of time. So while your hybrids will be winding down the purebreds will still be going.

No offense meant of course. Enjoy them. If you need some Dels drop me a line

Happy chicken keeping, remember we're here for you.

Rancher

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Well lets see, most days 5 Those are your amberlinks, production birds. Hybrids lay better than purebreds. That's a given. Now the other three not so much. Also your in a warmer climate than some here so that's a given too. Where it's colder birds need a break.

Also lots of folks here don't have hybrids, we're a bit more upscale than that.

You just ain't been bitten by the bug yet. Soon your gonna want some of those beautiful Blues and Lavenders and Speckled and really nice Barred Rocks. Then you'll see what I mean. Then you'll buy and incubator and be buying hatching eggs and then you'll just slide down the slippery slope of chicken mania and need therapy for your addiction.

Also the first year is the best then things decline. Now I suspect my four older Dels will kick the pants off your hybrids when they reach the same age of three. One thing about hybrids according to Practical Poultry magazine is that hybrids lay alot over a short period of time, where as purebreds lay OVER a longer period of time. So while your hybrids will be winding down the purebreds will still be going.

No offense meant of course. Enjoy them. If you need some Dels drop me a line

Happy chicken keeping, remember we're here for you.

Rancher

Yep, it gets you that way!

 

[speckledhen]

rancher jokingly touched on a truth, that hybrid layers lay like gangbusters the first couple of years, then tend to burn out fast. Heritage types will lay over a much longer period, generally. I have five year old hens who still lay, but only about 3-4 eggs per week at their age, which is fine with me.

 

[bigoakhunter]

Quote:
YEP! Amish in our area let chickens lay for a year , then they time it to have new birds start laying about then. Once new birds start laying they butcher the old flock and keep this cycle going. So they get best laying time from birds and they put birds in the freezer before they are 2 years old.

 

[LarrySC]

rancher hicks;;; what is "DELS" ??
Thanks everyone for the replies..

 

[LarrySC]

btw;;; we did not buy chickens to get eggs; we just wanted to try something new, and we have loved it.. We do not sell any eggs, we give them away.. These chickens are like pets to us.. We just bought whatever Tractor Supply had. We did not buy them because they lay a lot of eggs; Would be fine with us, if we only got 1 or 2 a day..

 

[Mrs. K]

ahhh but you are missing the point ---> chicken math

What one needs to do, is have all ages, the young ones so you get eggs all winter, the older ones so you get nice big eggs, a broody or two, and a few for the pot. Cause then...well you have to get more chicks,,,,, and so on

Last year, I saw no decrease in eggs. This year my pullets did not hatch till the end of July (that is when the hen went broody) so the pullets just now started laying. If I had had them hatched in May, (when I mentioned it to my BO's) they would have been laying great this winter. but I am thinking (hoping) cause of their late summer birthday, they should not molt until after winter next year? My laying hens, went into molt mid November, add many stormy cloudy short days of December, and the eggs were slim pickings.

anyway, get a few, lose a few, get a few more... that is the mantra of the true chicken addict.

MrsK

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I have young hens. I got them last march. Four 6wk orps from a breeder and a week later 6 TSC chicks. The ones that the bob cat didn't get stoped laying mid Dec. and have just started again the past couple of days. The EE and Black Stars went through a major molt but the Orps not so much. Except for the Leghorns. They never quit lol.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Dels? you don't know Dels? Delawares only the most wonderful breed of chicken on the planet.

I should have called him Disco Duck they way he likes to dance for the ladies.