Should I add more hens?

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Diddy Gardener

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Should I add more hens?
« on: February 24, 2012, 17:36 »
Right, I've got 2 black rocks and 2 lohmann browns. The black rocks are almost 4 years old and the other two are about six months old. The lohmann's I got about a month ago and have been consistently laying an egg a day each. The black rocks... I think I've had one egg from one of them so far this year.

So my questions are: am I too impatient for my black rocks to start laying again? Will they lay enough eggs this year to get a full '4 hen' quota? Should I get a couple more hens to get a full quota of eggs? (I have room in the hen house for a couple more).

I know the egg production will reduce the older the chooks get but should I get a couple more now, or wait 'til I'm sure production has gone down?
Lucky Mother of 2 dogs, 2 cats (RiP Sherlock) and 4 chickens (welcome Brenda and Harriet)

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themagicaltoad1

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Re: Should I add more hens?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2012, 20:25 »
Your black rocks are probably coming to the end of their egg laying and you may find you only get the occasional egg from them, you could wait until the warmer weather to see if they improve but at 4 years old they are getting on a bit. If you have the room why not get another couple? you can never have too many chooks ;)

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bood77

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Re: Should I add more hens?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2012, 08:05 »
why not get more i mean this could be that last year for your rocks to lay they are old keep them though they might give you 1 egg every now and then

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joyfull

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Re: Should I add more hens?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2012, 11:59 »
my blackrock is 6 and apart from winter when she has a break is still giving me 2 or 3 eggs a week  :)
They have been known to still lay the occasional egg at the grand old age of 8  :)
Staffies are softer than you think.


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