[Mrs Bee]

Thank you for all the tips Joyfull.

4 of ours are in a moult poor scraggy looking ladies.

Luckily we have three younger girls we bought in the spring so hopefully we will still get a few through the winter.

[Willow_Warren]

Well my chickens have been on strike for the last three weeks.  The old girls (4 and half year old hybrids) stopped laying first followed by the 2 newer columines.  I had to resort to buying eggs this weekend in order to make my Mothers Christmas cake, the yolks were so small and pale... 

On the plus side my 3 older girls have all finished moulting and the new feathers have almost finished growing so they are all sporting smart new hair-dos!

Hannah

[primrose1]

I have 22 free range hens most of them are Rode Island Reds they seem to be the best breed for laying lots! I have a daily amount of about 10, we keep some for ourselves and sell the rest to the villagers where we live. 

[joyfull]

laying in winter depends on the age of the birds 

[Prod]

Wish I had read this when I started keeping Chickens in March!!!!!   I was getting six a day so was keeping half the village in free eggs, even the postman has had some!!!  Now Ive only got one girl, a Bluebell, laying and even thats not every day.  All the others have stopped and the 2 new ones I got in August havent even started!!!  If we have to buy eggs  my OH  will go spare, (yet again- nothing new) about the cost of keeping/feeding them for the return we get.  :blink: :blink: :blink:

[Mrs Bee]

Wish I had read this when I started keeping Chickens in March!!!!!   I was getting six a day so was keeping half the village in free eggs, even the postman has had some!!!  Now Ive only got one girl, a Bluebell, laying and even thats not every day.  All the others have stopped and the 2 new ones I got in August havent even started!!!  If we have to buy eggs  my OH  will go spare, (yet again- nothing new) about the cost of keeping/feeding them for the return we get.  :blink: :blink: :blink:

But OH must realise that you get more than eggs from chickens. You get the entertainment from watching their antics which is priceless.

Perhaps you should be charging for the eggs too. That would go towards their keep.
We have neighbours desperate for our spares and only to hapy to pay for them. 

[steyningness]

Wow, I knew you could freeze egg whites but no idea you could freeze all the egg! My chooks aren't laying yet but I can't wait till they do!  Keep the tips coming.

[ladyrose]

I have four hens and all laying fine mind you i do have a street lamp right next to the house   

[andy46]

I am still getting 4 eggs a day from my 4 girls they realy are superstar layers

[joyfull]

a lot depends on their age and breed 

[Abacus]

A couple of weeks ago we had to actually buys eggs for the first time in about three years. Fortunately that situation didn't last long.

One sure sign of winter round here is that our chooks, who are normally spread out between two coops (and even camping out in the covered run), all congregate in the one coop till the weather improves. When I open it in the morning the smell grabs you by the throat!

[upert]

I've noticed that my chickens - of all ages and descriptions, only seem to slow their winter laying in February then perk up again in Spring. At the moment I'm getting five eggs a day from my five hens and three eggs a day from my four ducks. I don't include my three eldest hens as they are in retirement.

[sussexchook]

i have 6 hens a light sussex, buff orpington, three morans and what i think is a black rock.
through this winter my ladys haave been kind to me as im getting eggs every day from 1 to 5 depends on how they are feeling i gues im lucky realy

[devonbarmygardener]

We've got 11 mixed hybrid birds and we're still getting between 5 and 9 eggs a day. They're almost 12 months old now.

They are all looking a bit scruffy though - is the moult at this time of year then???

[joyfull]

they are still laying because they are hybrids and less than 2 years old, however they will probably be going through a partial moult. Next winter you may still get some eggs but the following winter you may see their egg production drop significantly.