Winter egg laying

[FortCluck]

Long story short--if you want winter eggs get good, winter hardy breeds as chicks in the spring and you'll have eggs during the winter--repeat next the spring.

That's what I did, but I didn't do it on purpose. The breeds that I chose are all winter hardy, but I liked their looks more than anything.

 

[sciencegrrrrl]

Everyone here went through a full molto this year and we're just coming out of it. I had 0 eggs for 3 weeks or so (Thanksgiving baking was crippled!) But now things are picking up. I have 11 hens and usually get 7-10 eggs per day in the summer. I only use a heat lamp in the winter when temps get into the teens, no other lighting.

 

[Pete Yo]

All of my older girls (hens) have taken the winter off. My three pullets give me about a dozen eggs a week total. I can't wait until that day in the spring when I see eggs in the other coop!

 

[RedLionChooks]

We started with 10 pullets hatched in April. They were all laying well before 20 weeks. 3 RIR, 3 red sex link, 3 black sex link, 1 blk australorp (she snuck in!). We have collected 10 eggs per day (1 each), from July until this week. Anywhere from 8-10 per day now. We do have one rooster. In southeast PA, the weather has been steadily unsteady (20s - 50s), light at 7:30, dark at 4:30, no supplemental light. Like AART said, eggs are seasonal, so we look forward to seeing how this changes, and respect those little chickens for all they do, on their own schedule. I should also mention our chickens are fed whole grains from Scratch and Peck, free range a little daily (most all day in summer, a few hours a day now that the leaves are gone), get tons of kale, apples, shelled sunflower seeds, winter squash, scrambled eggs, dried grubs and Honest Worm meal worms -- or some variation of those things each day. They also have ample enclosed space, with access to dust baths. Overall, they are the shiniest, healthiest looking chickens!

 

[Debby R]

I want to know how many see a significant decrease in eggs in the winter.

I have 8 layers and I'm still getting 5 eggs a day and I don't consider this a significant decrease. If I went down to less than 3 then I'd consider it significant.

Also comment if you use supplemental lighting... I don't

I have 5 chickens who stopped laying completely for about a month with the time change and molting. I never wanted to use supplemental lighting but 3 days after I set it up, one hen began to lay again. Still waiting on the other freeloaders! I had to BUY eggs for Thanksgiving. That's just wrong.

 

[akddr]

I want to know how many see a significant decrease in eggs in the winter.

I have 8 layers and I'm still getting 5 eggs a day and I don't consider this a significant decrease. If I went down to less than 3 then I'd consider it significant.

Also comment if you use supplemental lighting... I don't

I want to know how many see a significant decrease in eggs in the winter.

I have 8 layers and I'm still getting 5 eggs a day and I don't consider this a significant decrease. If I went down to less than 3 then I'd consider it significant.

Also comment if you use supplemental lighting... I don't

Even with supplemental lighting in their coop our chickens have really dropped off laying this winter. Light is on a timer and on at 4 and off at 10 pm. Our daylight is only about 7 hours in winter. So that’s not the recommended 14 hours. What we think is odd is that many nights the chickens prefer to roost outside on their posts! The coop is clean with bedding changed regularly. If I pick them up and put them in the coop they will stay in for the night. They get layer feed as well as treats and are allowed to forage around the yard. (One hen is 5 so we have seen reduced production from her in general.)

 

[akddr]

Even with supplemental lighting in their coop our chickens have really dropped off laying this winter. Light is on a timer and on at 4 and off at 10 pm. Our daylight is only about 7 hours in winter. So that’s not the recommended 14 hours. What we think is odd is that many nights the chickens prefer to roost outside on their posts! The coop is clean with bedding changed regularly. If I pick them up and put them in the coop they will stay in for the night. They get layer feed as well as treats and are allowed to forage around the yard. (One hen is 5 so we have seen reduced production from her in general.)

We are in Juneau Alaska.

 

[Raenh]

I'm in the no egg club! My girls haven't laid since Sept/October... and all three finished molting, have their wings back <need to clip>, but my 1yo, sugarbaby, is losing feathers on her head, neck, and crop area as if she is molting again already... they're just falling out, it's not one of the others picking on her or anything like that. She's the only one too...

 

[gimmie birdies]

Most of my chickens are 7 months old, but I did have some old bitties that started shooting out eggs once the young ones started to lay, here is last couple of days eggs.
I have 2 EE, one Spitzhauben, 2 LO, 2 Blue andelusian, one welsummer, one SFH, one BCM, a BCM/ayam cemani mix, and an ayam cemani That are laying, and maybe a few others not mentioned.

 

[gimmie birdies]

good little selection.

My project for spring will be Olive eggers, welsummers and more LO, I may have to pick up more BCM too.

They have a light on them. But it is not a heat lamp.