When do chickens lay?

[tatertot]

I see chickengeorgeto is correcting Other members again...No one knows everything ...when they lay varies and there AINT NO right or wrong answer

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

Anybody else noticing a decrease in egg production in the last 2 weeks or so. I'm in NW GA, and it has started to get cold recently, and I'm not getting many eggs now.

Anybody got tips on how to help the chickens lay more as it gets colder? (other than heat lamps & artificial light, as these are not an option)

 

[ginnychick]

I have seen a slight decrease in eggs but not much. Could you use a solar light that would give them additional light into their area but you do not have to have electric to? I have one, that cost me $1 at Walmart that works really well. Just gives a bit of extra light right by the coop. Just a thought.
Ginny

 

[ginnychick]

Hi Mr. Pilo,

I have 3 "girls". My favorite is Cookie, the Barred Rock. Her eggs are very similar to yours and different from the other two hens I have, which are ( Rhode Island Red and Black Australorp). Cookie's eggs are always the smallest of the bunch, and very pointed or oval; almost to where I cannot tell the rounded side from the pointed side. Interesting is that Cookie is the largest hen (biggest fluffy butt) but lays the smallest eggs. She also is the sweetest, most inquisitive one of the bunch. Even though the eggs are smaller (would consider them to be a medium egg) they are perfect, with a huge orange yolk and just not as much egg white..... The Barred Rock also takes the longest time to lay her egg - 1/2 to 1 hour in the box. She coo's while the other two, especially the BA are very vocal.

On a couple of occasions, the Barred Rock's eggs have been larger as you mentioned. The BA is the one that laid some real Jumbos a couple of times. The RIR lays very consistently and they are very nice sized Large eggs. The RIR is the least friendly, even pecking at me on a couple of occasions, but have to say, she is the most consistent of the bunch both in laying and size.....

So exciting for you to be getting your first eggs. You might even get a couple of double yolkers in the beginning. I also had a "rubber" egg one of the times in the beginning - YUK! Just a couple of days ago I had an egg that seemed perfect, except that it was missing the shell. All the other eggs have been fine and I give them Oyster Shell; this iegg was under where they roost, almost as if had been inadvertently laid. The inner membrane covered the yolk and white but no shell. I was curious. I ended up hard boiling it, so I could handle it and when I cut into it, it was perfect except for having the shell. These would make perfect hard boiled eggs, except for the YUK factor of being without a shell. I ended up chopping it up and feeding it to the "girls" who loved it.

Thought I'd share info on the Barred Rock with you so you compare. Good luck with your girls ( and boys?).

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

I have seen a slight decrease in eggs but not much. Could you use a solar light that would give them additional light into their area but you do not have to have electric to? I have one, that cost me $1 at Walmart that works really well. Just gives a bit of extra light right by the coop. Just a thought.
Ginny

Good idea! Thanks

 

[Annasg]

I am in Tn and I am down to one egg a day. I'm not sure where to go from here either.

 

[TERRY4]

How many chickens, ages, and what do you feed?

 

[TERRY4]

Personally I am going to let nature take it's course. I don't want my chickens using their selves up. Here in Ohio it's been dang chilly some days and all nights. I am still getting at least 5 days a day, sometimes 6, from 6 chickens.

 

[fisherlady]

The decrease in egg production may be linked to moulting... it often happens late in the fall. I had a real drop in eggs also, first thing we did was check all of the birds for lice/mites. We did a late evening raid in the coop, just took them off the roosts one at a time and checked through their feathers. We didn't find any parasites (yippee!! ) but what we did find were a ton of pin feathers and just started feathers! Our flock has been moulting now for about a month, only one hen and one roo really showed signs of it, though there have been a lot of loose feathers around in the coop and run.

Decreasing daylight certainly will have an effect on a lot of the birds also, it is a personal choice if you want to add light or not. We don't, but most of our birds are decent layers through the winter anyway, so don't know if it would make a huge difference for us. For folks who need year around egg production they need to research breed tendencies and go with birds who are known to be good winter layers or add additional light.

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

The decrease in egg production may be linked to moulting... it often happens late in the fall. I had a real drop in eggs also, first thing we did was check all of the birds for lice/mites. We did a late evening raid in the coop, just took them off the roosts one at a time and checked through their feathers. We didn't find any parasites (yippee!!

) but what we did find were a ton of pin feathers and just started feathers! Our flock has been moulting now for about a month, only one hen and one roo really showed signs of it, though there have been a lot of loose feathers around in the coop and run.

Decreasing daylight certainly will have an effect on a lot of the birds also, it is a personal choice if you want to add light or not. We don't, but most of our birds are decent layers through the winter anyway, so don't know if it would make a huge difference for us. For folks who need year around egg production they need to research breed tendencies and go with birds who are known to be good winter layers or add additional light.

Yes, I have a few molters, but all of my girls are under a year old. Most of my birds are not old enough to lay yet.

Personally, I'd rather not mess with nature. I did close up the open side of the barn, though, to keep wind out of there. There's still plenty of ventilation. Other than that, I don't want to add any artificial light or heat.

Another question: Who has had experience with first-time layers in the fall? Just curious if I should expect anything different with these birds than first-time layers in the spring??