Surely someone can do the math!

[joebryant]

I've been feeding thirteen chickens, four roosters and nine hens, this winter, but I'm only getting between zero to four eggs maimum per day. This has been going on for several months, and frankly I keep asking myself why I am doing this. There could surely be some schedule of raising baby chicks from, say, September to March, after having put the large parents in the freezer to be eaten during the winter. That way, we'd have hens just about ready to lay for the first time in March; we could incubate their eggs in August (or when?), kill the eight-month-old hens in (say) October (especially if they were broody hens that hatched chicks in September), put them in the freezer for our eating. It'd be MUCH cheaper raising the babies until March when they'd start laying.
Anything wrong with this plan. Got a better one?

BTW, I also have two silkies, but since they aren't really chickens, they don't figure in this or any similar plan.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Maybe you have too many roos stressing and overmating the hens, causing them to not lay? With 9 hens I would only have 1 roo ??

 

[jeaucamom]

You might have egg eaters too. We had a horrible problem with that. You could also put a light out there to increase their daylight hours so they will lay farther into the winter.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Maybe you have too many roos stressing and overmating the hens, causing them to not lay? With 9 hens I would only have 1 roo ??

You're right; however, I have a breeding program that I'm doing this winter, and I'm usin 2-3 hens per rooster. Normally I only have one rooster for a maximum on eight hens; that's what I'll have this summer.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I have them on 14 hours of light. I have not seen any signs of egg eating; could I be missing something?

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Maybe you have too many roos stressing and overmating the hens, causing them to not lay? With 9 hens I would only have 1 roo ??

You're right; however, I have a breeding program that I'm doing this winter, and I'm usin 2-3 hens per rooster. Normally I only have one rooster for a maximum on eight hens; that's what I'll have this summer.

Well that a little different isnt it? LOL... I have a pen with 1 roo and 2 hens and 1 hen has been holding out on me until yesterday! 6 weeks with no eggs from her!

 

[Cara]

I had similar thoughts until the bobcat did the job for me. Not so much having a massacre as selling any birds in my 'eating egg flock' over two years old (other than particularly good birds) and starting with new pullets early in the spring. I didn't get any eggs from August until December, and had 60+ birds. I have a sneaking suspicion there were a few egg eaters around. Today I got 5 eggs, which is the most i've had in a long long time. I can't even imagine how much the feed cost for no return.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Mine were doing the same thing then I added a heat lamp in their coop and a week later they are laying 8 eggs a day. I have (12) 2 yr old hens

It sure is frustrating though just wondering if they are eating them, hiding them, or just not laying for other reasons. Good luck!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Oh another thing that helped was frying up some scrambled eggs for them

I swear they lay like crazy eating those fried eggs LOL

 

[TipsyDog]

What EXACTLY do you feed them? I find it has alot to do with how well they lay. I have 7 hens that are 9 months old and I generally get 5 or 6 eggs a day even now with a very cold winter and snow since November! Also, could be the breeds or even just the genetics? I do agree that you have too many roosters!