[chickchick]

hi all, ive been reading various messages re: chickens not laying in the winter, is this beacause its dark earlier in evening and dark in morning?
why does it bother them? it hasnt bothered my 6, still getting 6 every day so do you think it may slow down in January?
any info on subject would be good please!

[Hawkins]

I know what you mean I'm waiting for the big slow down as well i'm getting 10 eggs from my 12 girls a day and 2 duck eggs from 3 ducks.

I hope they dont slow down. OH is loving the duck eggs

[kimT]

That is excellent. Our girls are just coming into lay again after nearly three months.

What breed do you have?

[Aunt Sally]

They tend to lay quite well throught their first winter.

[Bodger]

Seasons do play a large part on egg laying patterns but as has been said, age and bred of chicken also plays a large part.
The seven Light Susssex that i hatched last february are still laying very well. I have been very pleasantly suprised by their egg laying ability. On the other hand, I havent had any eggs off the marans for over two months and these were hatched at the same time.

[chickchick]

They tend to lay quite well throught their first winter.

 :cry: not looking forward to next winter then! :roll:

[Vember]

Seasons do play a large part on egg laying patterns but as has been said, age and bred of chicken also plays a large part.
The seven Light Susssex that i hatched last february are still laying very well. I have been very pleasantly suprised by their egg laying ability.

My 2 L Sussex are 5 years old now and I still get 4 eggs a week off them at this time of year, which I didn't think was bad going

Sarah

[poultrygeist]

You'll have the same dillemma as us when they all but stop laying chicky  :?

Keep getting more to keep up production or wait until your current ones die of old age and replace then.

The hard but efficient method is to 'get rid' after 2 or 3 years and replace. :shock:  

Rob

[chickchick]

no rob  :cry: they are my babies and i could never 'get rid', i dread the day the go to the little chicken house in the sky, i love them soooo much. i didnt think i would be that attached, but they are just so lovely.  

[morganmarni]

Our girls must be from oz, ou birds lay more eggs through the night than through the day, we keep a good regime of feedin and cleanin them, still waitin for them to go off layin hope it dont happen   :roll:  :cry:  :cry:    :roll:
Keep on layin girls...........................................

[GrannieAnnie]

Well the days are getting longer now, so you should be looking forward to getting more eggs not less!!

Srangely enough, most of the young Amberlinks were very late in laying.  that poor man in Horncastle who had 40 off us, still says he hasn't seen one egg of them yet! and they are 28 weeks tomorrow!  Still he wants nother 25, so he hasn't given them up as a bad job.  I hope he comes and gets them soon as I'll need the shed for the new Babcocks!