What is your experience with Wyandotte chicken egg laying longevity?

[South Dakota Guy]

My wife and I have a small 6 bird flock of SL Wyandotte and GL Wyandotte pullets. I have read in various places that they only lay for 2 to 3 years and I have read that they are strong layers for 4 years then they begin to taper off and finally stop at 8 years. I would love to hear from the chicken tenders here what your experience is. There's nothing like getting real world perspectives from multiple sources.

 

[Yardmom]

I would say my hatchery quality SLW were pretty strong layers for 4 years or so. After that their egg quality and frequency went down. I have not seen the quality decrease as much in my other breeds,

 

[South Dakota Guy]

I would say my hatchery quality SLW were pretty strong layers for 4 years or so. After that their egg quality and frequency went down. I have not seen the quality decrease as much in my other breeds,

Thank you! Our chickens are our pets so there is no cookpot in their future. But since we live in the city and are limited to just 6 chickens it is nice to know that we might continue to get eggs from them for a long time.

 

[Mrs. K]

The thing is, there is laying, and then there is ...laying. Technically speaking if a bird is laying 1 egg a week, she is laying. I would much rather have a few more eggs than that.

A lot depends on what you want - and the actual bird you got. We all know people who died at 65, and others that died at 98.

If you want long term pets, well keep them, laying or laying 1-2 eggs a week. If you want a fairly dependable egg source, well then rotate birds out, and young birds in. A multi-generational flock tends to get you at least some fresh eggs for more days of the year.

One can also freeze eggs now, during high production to use for baking durning the dark days of winter. That frees up your fresh eggs for breakfast. Some people put eggs into lime.

The general rule of thumb is, 1st year - several eggs a week 5-6, average size for breed, 2nd year, 3-5 per week, but larger eggs, third year, a little egg quality slips - the whites get thinner, might get 2-4 eggs per week and so on.

But that is just generally speaking, a lot does depend on the breed, but even in the breed there are a wide variance.

Personally, I like adding birds each spring, and selling some older ones mid summer, so who buys them gets a few eggs before molt.

Mrs K

 

[DirdieBirdie]

My glw is going on four years now and still laying regularly, other than when she's broody or it's too hot out. Otherwise it's every day.

 

[South Dakota Guy]

The thing is, there is laying, and then there is ...laying. Technically speaking if a bird is laying 1 egg a week, she is laying. I would much rather have a few more eggs than that.

A lot depends on what you want - and the actual bird you got. We all know people who died at 65, and others that died at 98.

If you want long term pets, well keep them, laying or laying 1-2 eggs a week. If you want a fairly dependable egg source, well then rotate birds out, and young birds in. A multi-generational flock tends to get you at least some fresh eggs for more days of the year.

One can also freeze eggs now, during high production to use for baking durning the dark days of winter. That frees up your fresh eggs for breakfast. Some people put eggs into lime.

The general rule of thumb is, 1st year - several eggs a week 5-6, average size for breed, 2nd year, 3-5 per week, but larger eggs, third year, a little egg quality slips - the whites get thinner, might get 2-4 eggs per week and so on.

But that is just generally speaking, a lot does depend on the breed, but even in the breed there are a wide variance.

Personally, I like adding birds each spring, and selling some older ones mid summer, so who buys them gets a few eggs before molt.

Mrs K

What you say makes a lot of sense. However, my wife is a softy and she Loves our chickens. We can only have six and she isn't getting rid of any of them.

 

[Mrs. K]

That's ok, there are a lot of ways to do this hobby.