Mid life egg laying

[Johnnyfly41]

I have a mixed flock that just had their third birthday.... It's been a pleasure all along..... I have four breeds, Buff Orpington, Plymouth Barred Rock, Australorp and Easter Eggers.

Egg production for their first year was great and then began to taper off... Thats ok, they are my pets, but, the eggs are a nice benefit. In that first year, I kind of thought of the Easter Eggers as being slackers... Their blue eggs are easy to notice... The other breeds all lay brown eggs, so, harder to tell what breed is producing what among the brown egg layers... I just had a feeling that the Easter Eggers laid fewer eggs and their eggs were smaller.... We love the blue eggs and our customers do to, so, well worth it,,, it makes such an interesting carton of eggs to have the blue and brown mixed together.

Well, now at 3 years old, those Eggers have started to shine.... I don't think they are laying more eggs than they used to, but, I think their egg laying has sustained better than the other breeds... Basically, I have three times the number of brown egg layers as I do blue egg layers, yet, look at our last gathering of eggs !

When I repopulate, Easter Eggers will definitely still be in the flock !

Anyway, probably not that interesting to anyone, just sharing what I have learned and observed in my first go around with having chickens.

John

 

[nchls school]

Anyway, probably not that interesting to anyone, just sharing what I have learned and observed in my first go around with having chickens.

Actually, I think it is quite interesting and something I've noted too. Many breeds lay fewer eggs per year but have a longer producing life. I've had cross breeds and bantams laying a few eggs after their tenth year; especially those that are prone to broodiness and are allowed to hatch and raise chicks.