Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Green man on October 03, 2007, 09:00

Title: when will my chickens stop the lay?
Post by: Green man on October 03, 2007, 09:00

hi all we are new to keeping Chickens and would like to know how long will they lay for? I mean I know that they go off the lay dsometimes in winter Don't they?? or do they carry on laying all year with good food.?
 Could we try and get them to lay over winter or not?
As We have got 10 at this time and they have all laid and some have been double yokes? Thanks for your time. :mrgreen:
Green man.

Title: when will my chickens stop the lay?
Post by: Shazzer on October 03, 2007, 09:27

what hens do you have, Im thinking of getting some more but mine aren't the best  layers

Title: when will my chickens stop the lay?
Post by: Aunt Sally on October 03, 2007, 10:04

Yes it does depend on the breed.

My hybrids lay all through the winter.  A few less maybe but I still don't need to buy any  :D

Title: when will my chickens stop the lay?
Post by: muntjac on October 03, 2007, 12:32

the answer is a simple one really . when they want to .different breeds lay for 360 days or more some for a lot less .check the laying rates for your birds on the breed pages on the net matey :wink: ..im sure anty may have a post to do on the breeds etc  :wink:

Title: when will my chickens stop the lay?
Post by: Aunt Sally on October 03, 2007, 13:50

This is a good one (http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php?breed_type=Chickens) ...

... but there are others if you do a google search

Title: Laying Chickens
Post by: polly cherry on October 04, 2007, 17:04

Depending on the breed, point of lay chickens should lay pretty much throughout the year for the first two, possibly even three years, after that the amount of eggs they lay tends to depreciate quite dramatically as they get older to the point that it will probably cost you about £10 an egg by the time you have accounted for food etc. They can go off lay during moulting in the summer.

Much as the rare breed chickens are lovely, for egg production you are better off with one of the Hybrid breeds, Black Rock and Speckledys are both pretty, calm and good egg layers.

My girls, who are now quite ancient ,came from a Free Range Egg Producer who keeps 14,000 birds and changes them over every 12 months. This is a cheap way of getting some birds which will still be good egg layers and you can give them a decent life!

Title: when will my chickens stop the lay?
Post by: Aunt Sally on October 04, 2007, 17:33

Hi polly cherry.  Nice to see another new face.  Pop up to the welcome forum and tell us a bit about yourself  :D