Is this the norm?

[Jasper7952]

This is my first year with chickens. I have 6 red sex-link hens, 1 Rhode Island Red hen, 1 black Cochin hen (I think), and a Rhode Island Red rooster. I live in NW Arkansas where our winters are generally mild, but this year we have experienced unusually cold weather in the single digits and even minus 2 degrees. We currently are in the midst of our SECOND snow storm! Each morning I give them a cup and a half of a warm soybean/oatmeal/assorted seed mash of which I make about 5 days worth at a time. I am practicing open-air coop care, but have installed two thermostatically controlled heat lamps over one of their two roosts. And I have the coop light timed to come on each morning at 0415 to simulate 14 hrs. of sunlight. I practice the deep-litter method and have not cleaned the coop or run since I got my chickens back in May. I simply rake everything around now and then, throw their corn on the litter so they help rake it with their scratching and their is absolutely NO bad odors. Now, with all of this said I am pleased to say my chickens are still laying eggs like crazy. I get anywhere from 5 to 7 every morning, usually 6. With this weather, only 8 hens, and everyone else around here complaining because their hens aren't laying, I'm wondering if it is because of the things I am doing for them or is it because this is their first season to lay eggs.

Anyone out there have any input? It will help me to know what I can expect in the future.

 

[henney penny]

The sexlinks are laying machines I have 13 of them and they never slow down.

 

[rancher hicks]

Whatever your doing your doing right. I talked to a friend and her's aren't laying nearly as good as mine. I don't believe she's feeding them as well either. From what I can gather, she's just keeping them alive. What a pity.
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, chickens gotta lay til the day that they die, can't help spoiling those chicks of mine.
Seems to me you get out what you put in. You don't put nothing in, you get nothing out.
Same as computers, GIGO, garbage in , garbage out.
I have five CM's (and others) and they lay 4-5 eggs a day and it went down into the teens last nigh. Water froze but they laid anyhow. Good girls.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

The first season of laying is helping, but if they're not healthy & happy, they will hold the eggs back. Sounds like you're doing right by them. Welcome to the "World of Chickens!" It has been a bad winter for this area, but the flock can handle it.

 

[NancyinAlaska]

Hi and

,
I live in Alaska where it gets alot colder than where you're at. I have my lights on 6am to 9pm, we only have about 7 hrs of daylight this time of year, 5 in Dec. I have one heat light in each coop and only use it when temps get below -20, and then I close the chicken door at night. I have about 40 hens, give or take and I get anywhere from 18 on a bad day, to 34 eggs a day. It's only my 2nd winter, last winter I only had 16 hens.
Sounds like you are doing all the right things.................good luck and best wishes to you and your

's

 

[gsim]

Red sex links are layers supreme. I have a flock of 23 pullets of 4 breeds, and 7 are golden comets (same thing as you have). I get from 19-21 eggs a day with no artificial light whatsoever. kBest day 22 worst 17. Temps here bottomed at 8 above zero at the worst. I have no insulation in my coop, but do have 6 sq ft full-time ventilation above the walls. So I can close it up completely and it will still breathe. No frost/sweating ever in the coop. I think breed has a lot to do with it and also not overcrowding and proper diet. I don't do the lights because I don't seem to need them and because the chooks need the rest in winter. It is natural for them to slow down with shorter days.

 

[HBuehler]

I'm suffering the second snow storm with you...and to think this is the South

I can't see the grass through the snow but my chickens always lay like crazy in this 0 degree and junk falling S!#* you fill in as you wish! We have a big variety of layers but we do have lights and heat in most of the pens on days like today..round one we ended up with several Minorca's and leghorns getting severe frostbite...hoping for better results with this go round.
Don't change what's not broke

 

[Jasper7952]

Thank you so much to everyone who posted replies to my question! Your experiences help me to understand what lies ahead and what is needed now. Although, they are not technically pets as only one actually lets me hold her, I still think of them as my "girls" and I want what's best for them. Also, I have not been giving them grit and during the snowy weather we are experiencing right now, I have been keeping them inside. We have a foot of snow today, (unusual for this area). We are expecting single digit temps tonight and I generally close their windows when it gets into the +20's. There are open vents at the top of the front south side wall so there is always fresh air getting in. The door on the floor leading out to the run on the east side is open also. The coop is not insulated and as previously mentioned I have two heat lamps over one of their roosts. Do you think I am protecting them too much from the cold? And should I be supplying grit for them?