Winter Solstice

[Schrebergaertner]

OK, girls, the days are finally starting to get longer. No more excuses! Get with it, or I'll get the stew pot ready!

 

[donrae]

Yea for solstice!

I had a hen start laying the day before solstice--second shortest day of the year and she lays her first egg. What's up with that? Not complaining, you understand........

 

[Whoops]

Nuthin' here. Freeloaders! I need to start rattling the stewpot.

 

[centrarchid]

I have two hens in lay and one attempted to set a clutch in pasture. Several eggs cracked from freezing. The egg collection does not work for me when I leave for work before dawn on really cold days. A solar powered egg heater is needed to keep eggs good until I get back after dark.

 

[operationindigo]

I know! It's killing me - I'm still waiting for my first egg from my 20 week old hens.

 

[Whoops]

Tell me about it! 22 weeks old, first chickens I ever had, and nada, zip, complete juevolessness.

 

[whittychick]

I woke up to 2 beautiful eggs this am! My girls haven't been laying since beginning of November!! I hope all of them will start laying again!!!

 

[emmaie892000]

That's what mine are doing! One out of four laying! Can't wait till longer days!

 

[Theda's Mom]

Winter is the pits! Two of my best layers went into molt in November, the babies are just getting of an age to think about laying, and after much reluctance, I had to give in and buy eggs from the store. Of course, sensitive to my hens' sensibilities, this meant that I had no choice but to buy the primo (and supposedly) organic/free-range eggs. Even then, what a poor second to the real McCoy. The yokes are so pale my omelet looked like it was made of paper and I didn't have to rap the egg against the granite counter top to make it break. Boo hiss. It's like drinking reconstituted powdered milk when accustomed to straight-from-the-cow milk.

 

[Schrebergaertner]

It's like they heard me! We'd been lucky to get 2-3 per day from 25 hens. The day after solstice, we got 6 and it's been 5-7 daily since then and we actually got 12 yesterday! Yay!