Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: LittleRedHen on September 27, 2009, 17:46

Title: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: LittleRedHen on September 27, 2009, 17:46
Our Black Rock has decided that she isn't going to lay anymore.   :dry:  She's never missed a day since spring.  She's healthy enough, just done laying.  Any one else have hens that have packed it in for the year?
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: joyfull on September 27, 2009, 18:01
Mine have started to ease off a bit for winter as well - so glad I froze loads of beaten eggs earlier this month in preparation for this  :D
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: janet12000 on September 27, 2009, 18:04
Mine had slowed down, but have started again with the recent spell of stupidly warm September weather.  :wacko:
I was a very bad mummy yesterday. Gave the coop and run a good old clean and shut the pop hole to their house while it all dried out. Scrubbed the perches and replaced all the bedding etc so it was nice and cosy for them.
Went out this morning and they were all looking at me angrily.  :ohmy:
I only forgot to open the pop hole back up so they had spent the night out in the run.  :(
Naughty Mummy.
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: Brambles on September 27, 2009, 18:04
My rescue hen has missed alternate days for about two weeks.   My youngest is a black rock, she is giving a daily egg... last winter she hardly missed a day :)
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: nzdunn on September 27, 2009, 18:23
mine are still laying like the troopers they are, my black rock cassie stopped for 3 days but is back to normal now.   Am wondering if my barnie is gonna start not sure.   nickyx
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on September 27, 2009, 18:38
Last years ducks have stopped for winter and I don't expect to see anything off them till the end of Feb if the last 2 years are anything to go by. I am still getting almost an egg a day from each of this spring's ducklings and hoping they will keep me going through the winter.

Can't go back to shop eggs so might have to do without!
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: bee on September 27, 2009, 19:52
From two eggs a day most days this last week my two have produced three eggs between them. They're right as rain but they just don't want to lay.
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: Ice on September 27, 2009, 19:55
I've had an egg a day for three weeks from one, my other one started laying three days ago and so far lays an egg a day.  Even my hen whose comb is still black laid one yesterday. :ohmy: :)
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: Rubellite on September 27, 2009, 19:59
Mine dropped off whilst moulting but are back on form now - getting between 5 and 7 a day out of 10 hens, three of which are ex-batts   :)
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: LittleRedHen on September 27, 2009, 22:20
Wow!  Everyone seems to be getting lots of eggs still.  I've been selling my excess eggs, but I really like the idea of freezing them.  As for the pop hole karfuffle - we did the same thing, but we got the pop hole opened again once it was dark.  We had one H*** of a time getting those sleepy hens into the hen house though.  They were sleep walking!  No wonder your hens were giving you daggers!  Oooops!  I bet you won't do THAT again!
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on September 27, 2009, 23:09
My 14 eased of a bit for a couple of weeks, down to about 7 a day, but these past few days I've been getting 10-12 again.

People keep buying them, so not had a chance to freeze any gluts!!!   :(
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: chickenlady on September 27, 2009, 23:18
my run is full of feathers as this is my girlies 1st moult but they are still laying like troopers just a little later in the morning now!. my dorking girls and aruacanas are POL and I also have a welsummer, buff orpy and a pheasant fowl who are 18 wks old so really hoping i will get plenty of eggies through winter , people keep buying all my extras too so no chance of freezing! In fact my regulars keep asking when i will have duck eggs?  ??? the muscovies are 14 wks old now so doubt they will lay this year now!
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: Caralou on September 27, 2009, 23:46
I thought mine had stopped as had gone from 6 a day to 2 a day in the boxes. Only yesterday did I realise that they have been laying behind one of the trees and found a stash of 24 eggs around the base ::) Turns out no slowdown at all, and even the silkie-cross has restarted after a recent broody spell. I'm going to icecube tray freeze as many as possible before they do slow down though.
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: bockhamptoners on September 28, 2009, 00:58
Ours are still producing 4 a day from 4 birds even though infested with mites (other post). Last winter we averaged at least 3 a day from the 4 of them. They are all hybrids and the lady we got them from said to expect 300-320/tear from them..... she's not let us down :)
Oh, and we did the pop-hole thing but they spent the night in the garden not a run....fortunately we have a terrier & labrador so we've not had fox issues in the garden..... but we do have one that likes to sit in the field next door at night and wind up our dogs..... we feel sorry for the neighbours when he's there because the dogs bark constantly at the threat but it keeps the burglers away!
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: beulah59 on September 28, 2009, 08:03
our four ex-batts have gone from 3-4 eggs a day to 2-3 eggs a day ... I know they're not supposed to stop laying altogether over winter.
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: darcyhen on September 28, 2009, 22:25
I had loads last week but nothing since Saturday. I've three at POL and I am wondering how that works. Can they be delayed? Or do they start but only lay occasionally? Two are Lavender Aracunas so at least i shall know when i see blue eggs that they are laying.
Title: Re: Any One Else's Hens Done Laying for Winter?
Post by: RichardA on September 28, 2009, 22:29
Kate, same with our ducks - the campbell is still laying about every day but aylesburys have not laid in about 3 weeks - we thought is was the big moult they were in but now fully feathered and looking good but still no eggs.
R