- May 1, 2008
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There are many comments on this forum about how hens only have X number of eggs to lay in their lives; how some evil production facilities (and some farmers) only keep birds for a year or so; and how hens live and lay **some** eggs for years and years.
What can a backyard flockster really, really expect? Do hens lay 50% or 60% of their eggs in the first year? First 18 months??? My birds are a couple years old and between their molt & these age related declines, I have seen productivity dive. I know that we are all supposed to value these girls as pets first, right? Okay, I am down with that. But I want to know if anyone has tracked age related declines in productivity. Whether anyone has the objectivity to state that X number of hens laid this # of eggs in year one and year two, yet in year 4 or 5 or whatever, the hens were basically freeloaders.
C'mon experts, chime in!!!!
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What can a backyard flockster really, really expect? Do hens lay 50% or 60% of their eggs in the first year? First 18 months??? My birds are a couple years old and between their molt & these age related declines, I have seen productivity dive. I know that we are all supposed to value these girls as pets first, right? Okay, I am down with that. But I want to know if anyone has tracked age related declines in productivity. Whether anyone has the objectivity to state that X number of hens laid this # of eggs in year one and year two, yet in year 4 or 5 or whatever, the hens were basically freeloaders.
C'mon experts, chime in!!!!

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