Re: eggs and hens
From: Ray Drouillard (cosmicpam2_at_comcast.net)
Date: 11/12/04
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Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 14:05:48 -0500
Do you provide light in the winter? Does providing light keep them from
slowing down in the winter, or does it just keep them from slowing down
as much?
We have 34 laying hens (one black sex link, nine araucanas, seven barred
rocks, ten white rocks, five rhode island reds, and two isa browns.),
and have just gotten up to 22 or 23 eggs a day. Can I expect to get
more in the spring, or have they pretty much peaked out?
We bought most of them as chicks in mid May. They haven't molted yet.
One silly white rock went broody on me. A couple others are showing
signs of broodiness, which surprises me because it's the wrong time of
the year and those hens are pretty young.
Ray Drouillard
"Deb" <dmschwinn@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1100240132.255297.306270@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Sorry for the delay in a reply Jack. Seems that everyone is all
> wrapped up in the bear in the coop thread. I have only been doing the
> chicken thing for 4 years now, but hopefully Jill will hop on in to
> this conversation, she is your best asset when it comes to poultry
> raising.
>
> I have found that it depends upon the breed, health and time of year
> for chicks to start laying. My little leghorns are egg factories and
> are the first to start laying. But leghorns are a high strung breed.
> They are very active and flighty. They tend not to make very good
> mums. Although I do have one that is just a little sweetheart. They
> tend to lay an egg a day for the most part, for the first year or so.
> My barred rocks and white rocks are next in line to start laying.
> These are very calm, docile, friendly chickens. They will lay an egg
> (on average) every other day. The rest of my breeds seem to follow
soon
> after, black sex links, rhode island reds, new hampshire reds, buff
> orphingtons, araucanas and finally the two exotics that I inherited
> (Marcy and Harriette). All of these breeds are good layers, giving an
> egg every other day, sometimes every third day.
>
> I can not tell you an exact time frame for the start of laying. I
> believe it to be approximately 3-5 months for all of them to get on
> board. It depends upon how many eggs a day you are trying to achieve.
> I have 55 hens and gather about 2 dozen a day right now (late fall
> here). In the summer time I average about 3 dozen a day. My girls
are
> all graduated in ages. I try to add 15 or so chicks each year to
cover
> the die off of the older ones and make up for those who have retired
> from laying. (We raise special chickens for butchering, I figure my
> girls gave me their best so I will give them my best until they pass
> on, so they get to live out their lives here).
>
> I understand that this is not exactly what you asked for in your post,
> but it will give you an idea of what breed you are going to start
with.
> Once you narrow that down, it will be easier to help you with the
> rest.
>
> Good Luck,
> Deb
>
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