Old age or stress from moving?

[DanieR]

I recently got 6 production reds at around 2.5 years of age. I'm only getting one egg a day. How long after relocation do they get acclimated enough to lay again, or are they just to old.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Whether they have stopped for good you won't know probably until next year, all chickens over a year old will stop producing eggs at this time of year to molt and recover. So you may not get much more eggs than that and that will stop as well, most of my older hens have stopped and about 1/3 of my younger ones have too, a few are still laying but they should quit within the next month or two.

 

[DanieR]

I have heard mixed answers on the age that chickens stop producing eggs. I've heard everything from 2.5 up to 5 years. What would be average for production reds in Wisconsin climate.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

At 2 1/2 it is likely move+expected layoff for molt.....they may not start back up until spring, but should be good for at least one more decent laying cycle then

 

[DanieR]

Ok, good to hear. Thank you.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm in Wisconsin too, I've not had production reds before, I don't think they are sex link birds, I think they fall more in regular old laying chicken basket, so they should lay until 4-7 years old, laying less and less as they age, most of mine quit laying after about 5-6 years old with an occasional egg.

 

[DanieR]

That's good to hear.

 

[aart]

Production reds might not be sexlinks, but they are high production birds...so you might get another year of decent production, only time will tell.