Productivity drop upon aging?

[Cindy in PA]

I am not sure RIR do the 2 years and then nothing thing. It's sexlnks (RIR crosses which many call RIR) that are bred to lay like gangbusters for the first 2 years and then quit. Never had any longer than 2 years, so I don't know if they actually shut off.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
This is your primary problem. Neither of the first two breeds listed are known for high productivity or longevity of lay. You might try RIRs, Black Aussies, White Rocks, Barred Rocks, New Hampshires or similar breeds that are both dual purpose and known for the traits you desire.

The BOs and EEs I had were among the first culled from my existing working flock....the rest of the breeds I mentioned are in their 5th year of laying and are laying every day or every other day in peak laying seasons.

I have heard that RIR's are good for productivity but not longevity of lay - is that the case or am I misinformed? I did get some RIR's this year, but they are only 2 months old and not laying yet. You think I can expect better LONG TERM results from them?

I'm not shooting for 1 egg a day from everyone or they're going to get whacked. But if they quit laying eggs TOTALLY after 2 years, I don't want to keep them, can't afford to! I'm OK with even a 3-4 month slowdown, as long as I can expect them to come back on line at some point. And again, I don't expect a 3-year-old hen to lay an egg a day. But I would like to know more about what I might expect.

I am OK with being patient for another month, I love my little fluffy-butts, and I DON'T want to get rid of them. But if I can't expect to get ANY more eggs from them, I can't afford to keep them. If I have to wait another month (it's been 2-1/2 to 3 months since production dropped off!!) and then I can only expect 1 egg every 2 days, I can live with that. I'm just worried.

THANKS everyone for the feedback!!!

Good old-fashioned RIRs are not considered production breeds...they are just darn good layers. They've been around as long as just about any of the common breeds in America, I imagine. If you don't insist on adding light and making them lay throughout the winter, they should last you a good long time. Provided they are in optimal health and living conditions, that is.

You might want to increase calcium and protein levels in their diet for the winter, for feather regrowth and keeping warm can sure add stress to the body and may cause more requirement than you usually provide. Sometimes I add oyster shell right in the feed during winter months if I notice abnormal shell production.

You might consider that you are getting less eggs because they may be breaking~ and consequently consumed~ after laying(this does not mean you have an "egg-eater", it merely means you have normal chickens who will eat an egg given the opportunity).

This is also the time that rats can play havoc with your egg returns....make sure you are not being rodent-raided.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Well, it's easy to check if anyone is productive at all. Just look at the chickens' vents. Any hens that aren't laying have small, dry vents.

 

[Beekissed]

Ummm...not necessarily...

I've killed a few good layers based on that "sign" and won't make that mistake again.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Fred's Hens :

Perhaps not.

We've had older hens not lay again until March. Again, lighting is a choice. Hens raised near the equator never experience the dramatic shifts of long days to short days that experience in the northern hemisphere. If you choose to add supplemental lighting, I'd suggest you use a timer, adding a half hour a day until you have it come on at 5 am. Within two weeks, you should see some result. Or, you could just wait until spring and let nature take its course.

Fred, what do you do with your hens when they stop laying? I know that you have your egg operation, so I was just curious. I am facing the same problem with my older hens slowing down with the egg laying and I need to get a new batch of girls in.​