Re: eggs and hens

From: Deb (dmschwinn_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 11/12/04 

Date: 12 Nov 2004 11:56:59 -0800

Ray Drouillard wrote:
> 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?

Keeps them from slowing down as much.

We have 4 smaller windows and one 4'x8' in the coop. We also use heat
lamps above the waterers to keep them from freezing, so they get the
benifits of that light also.

> 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?

I would have to say that you have pretty much peaked out. Araucanas
will lay every other to every third as they age. Rocks are an every
other dayer, except in spring. The Rhodes will lay every other. Right
now, if they are all younger, they are in their prime and laying at
full capacity. As they age though, it slows down.
>
> 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

I would let them try and sit, if it where me, but Jill has already
scolded me about that one. Wrong time of year, etc.

Deb

Quantcast