No eggs in Winter...

[MARSHMALLOWPEEP]

I don't light our coop and we haven't gotten any eggs from our 3 RIR's for a while now, which I kind of expected. But it sounds like some folks still get an occassional egg even in the winter. These girls are on hold. I'm fine with that as long as they come back in the spring. We live in the Boston area. Does this sound normal? Thanks!

 

[momof247371]

I dont have lights on mine either. SO my chickens, ducks, or any of my other birds havnt given me any eggs in about 2 months now... I would say its normal...I am in IN.

 

[GraceAK]

I have a light on a timer in mine, so even though the sun is up for only 7.5 hours they lay eggs almost every day. My rock lays almost every day, and my Wellie every other day.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Yes it sounds about right. I do not have lights on my chickens this year and they were not cranking out the eggs for me. My Partridge Cochins however laid every other day. My others didn't give me anything. The light is getting a little better now and they are starting up again..YAYYYYYY. I hate going to the grocery store and ppl. that know I have chickens will see me buying eggs in the winter months and ask my why....LOL

 

[BWchicken]

It's normal for them to slow way down or even stop laying altogether in the winter months as the days shorten. It's nature's way of giving their bodies a much needed break before gearing up to lay again in the spring. Yes some people do still get occasional eggs, but it's not abnormal not to. Good news though, the days are now getting longer so it shouldn't be long before they start laying again as we head toward spring!

 

[newchicksnducks]

I'm down to 13 hens (lost one to a fox, another to a hawk...the girls are on lockdown in the coop till thaw allows for securing the run better!). But out of my 13 girls, I'll get anywhere from 3 to 8 eggs a day. This is with no extra light or heat source. I was using a timer to add light to maintain 12 hours of light and was getting between 9-12 eggs a day, but took the light away about a month ago. I'm not sure if the slow down is due only to the lack of light, or the forced time inside, but since the turning off of the timer and the loss of my 2 birds occurred about the same time (right around Christmas), I'm not sure which has had the most effect on the egg laying. I do know we're looking forward to spring...longer days, warmer weather, and hopefully a more secure run!

 

[chickenchaser99]

Quote:
we have rsl and theve been laying all winter never stops and we dont light ours but they may be a winter breed

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

I don't do anything either and have 14 hens. I get 9 or 10 eggs per day. Honestly, I have no idea why, but I am not going to complain.

 

[Land of Lost Toys]

I've got 4 BR's and there was only one day so far this winter where I only had one egg. The rest of the days are mostly 3 egg days with the occassional 4 egg day. I think there were 3 days of only 2 eggs. They get all kinds of stuff besides their layer feed and since the snow melted enough for the worms to come to the top, they've been eating like it was spring...of course it's snowing now so that's not going to happen tomorrow.

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Me too I was using it to heat up coop alittle and give some light when it got extremely cold and had to lock them up. They've been able to run around and tear up yard for the past week and half and nearly all are laying now got 28 out of 36 girls yesterday.