ERnoleGuy
Songster
digitS' :
During the first few weeks, your pullets are going to be anything but consistent. After awhile, they settle down to a more "normal" routine.
The poultry scientists say that there's an "open period" of about 8 hours when hens are laying each day. The peak of this time comes about 16 hours after dark on the previous day. Of course, all this works better in the controlled environment of a closed commercial laying house.
So, let's say that someone "flips the switch" to off at 8pm every evening. The peak of their laying should come about 10am the next morning. The flock will begin laying about 6am and finish about 2pm.
The same-time-each-day isn't possible not only with sunlit housing but by the fact that chickens aren't usually "24 hour layers". Most hens require more than that to cycle an egg through, an "average" hen might be about 26 hours. Ovulation starts within about 30 minutes of the laying of the previous egg in a clutch.
So, out comes an egg at 8am. Ovulation starts and our "26 hour layer" is off to the races
. At the 26 hour mark of 10am the next day, she lays her 2nd egg. The 3rd egg shows up at 12, the 4th arrives at the 2pm mark. If she has more that 4 eggs in her "clutch" (and she should), she has probably arrived at the time of day, 2pm, when the necessary hormones for ovulation aren't available. She has to "pause" and will skip the next day, build up those hormones and lay again sometime early on the day following.
You are going to have to follow your layers around with a stop watch to time them precisely unless they are those remarkable "24 hour layers." Most will not be. And, even I'm not weird enuf
to have figured out what even 1 of my layers is up to . . .
Steve
Very good post.
I have a young laying Blue Rock pullet who has been laying for a few weeks now. When she first started laying she would lay anywhere between SunUp and SunDown. I mean 6:15am to 8:30pm! She was originally about a "27 hour" layer, but I am starting to notice that she is getting to be more like a "25 hour" layer now. She still will lay pretty much sun up to sun down though. Gotta love the FL sun!
During the first few weeks, your pullets are going to be anything but consistent. After awhile, they settle down to a more "normal" routine.
The poultry scientists say that there's an "open period" of about 8 hours when hens are laying each day. The peak of this time comes about 16 hours after dark on the previous day. Of course, all this works better in the controlled environment of a closed commercial laying house.
So, let's say that someone "flips the switch" to off at 8pm every evening. The peak of their laying should come about 10am the next morning. The flock will begin laying about 6am and finish about 2pm.
The same-time-each-day isn't possible not only with sunlit housing but by the fact that chickens aren't usually "24 hour layers". Most hens require more than that to cycle an egg through, an "average" hen might be about 26 hours. Ovulation starts within about 30 minutes of the laying of the previous egg in a clutch.
So, out comes an egg at 8am. Ovulation starts and our "26 hour layer" is off to the races
You are going to have to follow your layers around with a stop watch to time them precisely unless they are those remarkable "24 hour layers." Most will not be. And, even I'm not weird enuf
Steve
Very good post.
I have a young laying Blue Rock pullet who has been laying for a few weeks now. When she first started laying she would lay anywhere between SunUp and SunDown. I mean 6:15am to 8:30pm! She was originally about a "27 hour" layer, but I am starting to notice that she is getting to be more like a "25 hour" layer now. She still will lay pretty much sun up to sun down though. Gotta love the FL sun!
