I'm a genius

[deepbluesea]

After careful deliberation, I have arrived at the point where I have nine chickens of various ages, and NONE of them are laying me any eggs.

My three older girls (3+ yrs) are all molting, so no huevos.
My two teenagers are 21 weeks and not doing a thing. One isbar and one bielfelder.
My newbies are between 6 and 10 weeks (still separated from the bigs), so nuttin' for months.

Ergh. Mayhaps I need a few more that are actually laying....

 

[Smuvers Farm]

After careful deliberation, I have arrived at the point where I have nine chickens of various ages, and NONE of them are laying me any eggs.

My three older girls (3+ yrs) are all molting, so no huevos.
My two teenagers are 21 weeks and not doing a thing. One isbar and one bielfelder.
My newbies are between 6 and 10 weeks (still separated from the bigs), so nuttin' for months.

Ergh. Mayhaps I need a few more that are actually laying....

Send me your address. Mine won't seem to STOP laying!

Now, I've probably cursed myself.......

 

[deepbluesea]

Send me your address. Mine won't seem to STOP laying!

Now, I've probably cursed myself.......

Aw man--I'm envious!

 

[RonP]

I planned my coop and run to comfortably house around 20-30 birds. I have never had more than 15.

I do not cull non-layers. They are still productively producing the highly desired compost in their run.

Every spring, just around Mother’s Day, I introduce new pullets. A minimum of 2, a maximum of 4, replacing the birds that have passed since the previous spring, and maintaining my flock numbers at around a dozen. Previous 2 years, I replaced 3 each year. To date 2 have passed since Spring. My flock now mainly consists of the brown hybrids, readily available in my area as 16-17 week olds.

Doing so, I average 3-4 dozen eggs per week, every week, as I have a controlled lighting system. This is substantially more than my immediate household can consume. I gift to family and friends the remaining.

 

[Mrs. K]

I feel your pain, mine have dropped back tremendously. Getting a couple a day. So far NOT buying eggs, but it is getting close...will have the family home for the weekend.

 

[aart]

After careful deliberation, I have arrived at the point where I have nine chickens of various ages, and NONE of them are laying me any eggs.

My three older girls (3+ yrs) are all molting, so no huevos.
My two teenagers are 21 weeks and not doing a thing. One isbar and one bielfelder.
My newbies are between 6 and 10 weeks (still separated from the bigs), so nuttin' for months.

Ergh. Mayhaps I need a few more that are actually laying....

Yah, You're Brilliant! haha!
Hard to balance the population with production.
Hard to get eggs at all without supplemental lighting this time of year.
No, don't add more.....you're gonna have to wait.
Chickens can teach you patience....or not.
I'm waiting too.....hatched late this year and the pullets are just coming online.
But I'm using light.

 

[deepbluesea]

The struggle is real.
My thought was to have several ages coming in and out of laying. Idea? Awesome. Execution in reality? Not so much.

 

[deepbluesea]

I planned my coop and run to comfortably house around 20-30 birds. I have never had more than 15.

I do not cull non-layers. They are still productively producing the highly desired compost in their run.

Every spring, just around Mother’s Day, I introduce new pullets. A minimum of 2, a maximum of 4, replacing the birds that have passed since the previous spring, and maintaining my flock numbers at around a dozen. Previous 2 years, I replaced 3 each year. To date 2 have passed since Spring. My flock now mainly consists of the brown hybrids, readily available in my area as 16-17 week olds.

Doing so, I average 3-4 dozen eggs per week, every week, as I have a controlled lighting system. This is substantially more than my immediate household can consume. I gift to family and friends the remaining.

That sounds perfect! Back in the day, my five original girls would give me two dozen a week and I was a neighbor's egg lady and would bring to friends. I miss that and want to get back to it.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Lol - welcome to the club!

My senior flock stopped laying last week. Argh! Based on the feather feast, a few might be going through a molt. The others had already completed the molt.

Temps in the 70-90's. Yeah, wrong time of the year, but it is what it is.

My coop flock should be laying but is not. My leghorns are now...25 weeks old. My other pullets are 26+ weeks. Still they have not started to lay eggs.

And my babies are just too young to lay eggs. Yet.

I went from 2 dozen plus eggs a week to nada.

I hope the egg laying starts up again. I miss the magic of collecting fresh chicken eggs.

 

[aart]

It can work.....gotta hatch/get chicks in March.
But eggs are a seasonal food unless you use lights.

Or buy POL birds as Ron does...and lighting is essential

Doing so, I average 3-4 dozen eggs per week, every week, as I have a controlled lighting system.