Maintaining egg production in cold weather

[coffeenutdesign]

Another thing you can do to help out is to stock up on your own fresh eggs before they slow down their laying. You are getting them fresh, so they will keep a lot longer. If you have been selling or sharing, just start hoarding them instead, lol. I am letting mine stock up to get me through the few winter months we have, even though we have pretty mild winters that tend to be very sunshiny a lot of times.

 

[theemon]

Another thing you can do to help out is to stock up on your own fresh eggs before they slow down their laying.  You are getting them fresh, so they will keep a lot longer.  If you have been selling or sharing, just start hoarding them instead, lol.  I am letting mine stock up to get me through the few winter months we have, even though we have pretty mild winters that tend to be very sunshiny a lot of times. 

. How long can u stockpile fresh eggs? Realisticly.... I saw on doomsday prepares wear some lady rubbed eggs in something and kept them for years.... I'm not doing that

 

[dkosh]

I also saw the "Doomsday Preppers" when the lady saved the eggs unrefridgerated over a year. I believe she rubbed mineral oil on them. I've wondered about that....How did people keep them from spoiling before there was refridgeration??? I'd be nervous eating a year old egg that wasn't refridgerated.....I keep them for a few months but in my family I don't usually have a build up.

 

[coffeenutdesign]

Okay, I was really just thinking a couple of months worth to get through the harsh winter months. The hens may continue to lay some eggs through the winter, so if you have 2 months worth (just don't wash them and they should keep fine for that long) by the time you go through that 2 months stockpile you might have another month's worth of eggs so by the time you go through that month, maybe you have 2 wks worth, etc. etc. By the time you get through those, if you live in a 4 season area, production should start to go back up.

I am not eating year old eggs no matter how well I think I have kept them.

Come doomsday, I'll rely on other food if something were to happen to my chickens, lol.

 

[sport21]

If you are feeding laying mash you can mix a little warm water in the mash chicken love it and will help warm them up I do this when it get real cold under 20 and my egg production stays good i have about 80 chickens.

 

[mithious]

I have been testing lighting, just during normal daylight hours, with a 40 watt bulb, inside a marine light fixture but just during normal daylight as I said. I have pullets just starting to lay, so they will lay anyways. I have had it off the past few days or so and noticed they let up a bit and thought it might be the frigid cold or could be the light. Going to test my theory and turn the light back on again the next few days. We aren't getting a whole lot of natural sun light this winter.

Thanks to the OP that posted that link to the GE light bulbs!!!! I had not heard about them nor seen them in stores. What a horrible horrible thing to happen!!!! Shame on GE!!!!!!

I too add some really warm water to the pellets in the am and also add a few of their own eggs...I know, the issue is not having eggs, but some kind of protein source might help...seems to with mine....I put shell and all, crushed up and stirred up, than hidden under more pellets, with water. So far, no issues with egg eaters from that, as they don't see the eggs and they really appreciate the warm breakfast

Mine get warm water, 3 times a day also.

 

[humphrey farms]

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