[cammi]

I've been getting a bit confused about this.  I realise that they are all born with a certain about of eggs, so if you speed up production ie increase light they will run out of eggs faster, that all makes sense.

Do i understand that they lay the best in the first 2 years?  Do they then just slow down like 6 a week 5 a week 4, 3, 2 1 or do they just stop.

I believe they live about 10 years, i don't think i would like to kill my girls when they stop laying, so would just keep them.  What do people normally do give them the chop or just replace with new egg markers, (although that could mean i'd end up with 15 chickens which isn't feasible in our little garden)

Cheers

[joyfull]

it depends on the breed, hybrids that have been bred to be egg laying machines may only live for about 3 - 4 years with their egg laying easing off a bit in the 3rd year. Pure breeds can still lay the odd egg when they are 8, but most will stop laying over winter when they are in their 3rd year. Some hens will live to 12 years  

[rachelr]

I got three ex baterys about 6 months ago and none of them laid. Now 2 of the three lay most days.

I am gonna keep mine when they stop laying and as they are hybrids i dont think they live as long as ten years but hey so be it.

I did plan on getting them in staggered numbers however i got so addicted i kept getting more lol

[cammi]

Ive updated my profile now so it says 

I have 1 Araucana, 1 bluebell and a light sussex x RIR

[joyfull]

the araucana could lay about 5 a week for their first couple of years then tail off  to lay and lay a couple a week for several years (and live at to 8 years and even older), my bluebelle started off with 6 eggs a week in her first year, then 5 in her second and now I am getting 3-4 a week in her 3rd year. Not sure about RIR/Lt sussex as I don't have them.

[cammi]

 be happy if my araucana gives me that many aweek i was hoping for 2 or 3.  when is your bluebell likely to flap her wings into the next life?

Also Joyfull i read in another post thatsometimes your eggs are too big for the egg skelter!what breed gives you that egg

[joyfull]

the main culprits for extra large eggs (although they were never double yolkers) were my amberlinks (sadly no longer with us) but my blackrock and my bluebelle are also known to lay on the large size.

[Chablis Dog]

I have a mixture of young and old, hybrids and maran cuckoos.  One of the older ones no longer lays and another one will stop soon but it doesn't bother me.  I just like to see them pecking about in the paddock and living such natural lives.  As a French friend told me, it adds to the ambiance of the place!

[cammi]

Chablis Dog i totally agree. Im hoping to get my borders chicken proofed a bit so they can come out occasionally, unfortunately dont have a big enough garden for them to be out all the time.

Oh i will keep my fingers crossed my bluebells eggs get bigger, i would say hers are about a shop bought medium at the moment.

[Pertelotte]

I too agree with Chablis Dog - they make a garden come alive.

But even if your girls don't lay, they're still petty nifty at removing bugs and weeds. They're also great fun to be around.

[cammi]

Am i right in think ing the Araucana is a pure breed and the bluebell is a hybrid??  Bit confused on what the light sussex x RIR is 

[joyfull]

The araucana is a purebreed, the bluebelle is a hybrid and the light sussex x RIR is a first cross although some people call these hybrids as well