There’s an egg-laying season?! And do I need to medicate my birds?

[ValerieJ]

I love Julian too. It would be close to my grandson, who lives in East San Diego, and well it's a beautiful town. And I imagine chickens would love it there!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I’ll put heat bulbs in there if I need to as well!

Unnecessary in your climate. Chickens can deal with cold quite well. A heat lamp is more of a fire risk than anything.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have had chickens for 12 years. While my egg productions falls, I generally get a couple of eggs a day or every other day. A little late for you now, but I generally freeze 3-4 dozen eggs in the summer during the height of production. These I use to bake with, or if my family comes home for scrambled eggs or an egg bake during the winter.

I seldom need to buy eggs.

Generally, mine lay around 4-5 months, if my pullets lay before November, then they will lay all through the winter, if they don't, they won't until the end of January. By February my production will be rising. This is why, adding a couple of pullets each spring is a very handy thing to do. But generally than means you need to cull a few too, as the years go by.

I don't add lights - no electricity to the coop. It works for me.

 

[Ketta_czarina]

@Mrs. K Have you had the same chickens for 12 years?? Or do you mean you started raising chickens 12 years ago?

I tried to tell myself I would get a few chickens every year, but every time I go to the ranch, I fall in love again. I was hoping the March chicks would’ve started by now, but I guess if they don’t start until January, I’ll just have to be patient. Now that I sit and do the math, I brought them home March 27, and they were at least a week or two old by then, so I guess they are only 5ish months old, a bit early for eggs?

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh no, I have never had a hen live more than 4 years. No where close. I keep a flock, and the birds in the flock come and go. Butter, a BO was my 4 year old girl, a great broody, a Grandmother, and that coon should have been ashamed.

Are the March 27 babies starting to redden up, I would think they should begin laying soon.

Mrs K

 

[Ketta_czarina]

@Mrs. K I have some eggs from before she went broody, so they are almost a month old. They have been in the fridge, is it too late to freeze those? Is it too late to eat them?

 

[Mrs. K]

No, eggs keep an amazingly long time. I just stir them up, breaking the yolks and mixing well. One can add a little salt or sugar (for baking) if you want. I freeze my baking eggs in muffin pans - a dozen = a dozen 'muffins' Then you can just take out two "muffin/eggs".
Freeze and then bag and keep in freezer.