The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

For once I think I have one laying already after her molt, I actually bought some egg laying breeds, some Ancona, usually I have to wait until February or March for eggs, my hens are so lazy, so we'll see if I keep getting an egg or two a day.

 

[slordaz]

we are starting to get really cold, yesterday didn't even make it up to 32 for high. no added heart or light just put the nesting box between hay bales, snows been flying.Leghorns are still keeping up with the heavier breeds, barred rocks and buff orpington 9 hens laying age and we get 7-9 eggs a day

 

[Leahs Mom]

How old are everyone's oldest chickens? What kind of laying are you experiencing with the older ones?

Edited to fix error.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My oldest is almost eight, a few are seven, most of them no longer lay except for an occasional few in Spring from the seven year olds, a couple of buff Orpingtons, a barred rock, and an EE RIR mix.

 

[JanetMarie]

My oldest is 8 years old, and she doesn't lay anymore. She sits in the nest box sometimes, which is a large flower pot. We have nest boxes too, but it's something they came up with. As a chick she was the runt, and the only one left of the original birds.

 

[EastNashChick]

Th

How old are everyone's oldest chickens?  What kine of laying are you experiencing with the older ones?

That's a great question! My oldest are 2, how long did the 8 year olds lay until? Did they start to taper off at 3, or longer?

 

[mlowen]

How old are everyone's oldest chickens? What kine of laying are you experiencing with the older ones?

My oldest are a couple of months over 2 years old. They are slowing down. The leghorn laid almost every single day until last winter. Now, she's laying one every 3-5 days. (She's just running out!) Unless there is an acute problem, I'm not planning on culling them & we'll see how long they live/lay.

My daughter had some who lived to be 7 or 8 and they laid (very) sporadically until the last year or so.

 

[JanetMarie]

My 8 year old laid well for the first 4 years, then tapered off and still at age 7 laid occasionally. She's a black Australorp.

 

[Birdrain92]

How old are everyone's oldest chickens? What kine of laying are you experiencing with the older ones?

My oldest hen is a Golden Cochin that is 12 years old and not laying but she's a good brooder. My oldest laying hens are my 24 Black Australorp pullets that will be 6 months tomorrow. 8 of them have been laying constant since last month.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks for the feedback!

@Birdrain92
When your old girl broods, does she still take care of the chicks well? You must take care of them well to have one so old!