The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: funkyfish on January 28, 2013, 05:08:18 pm
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We are getting nothing from our girls yet. 4 are in their 2nd year of laying, 10 are 8 months old and 5 are 6 months old. Getting frustrated!!!
Want to see how they lay for a couple of months, then set up breeding groups to hatch some more! Chose hatching eggs carefully last year, to expand flock/sell hatching eggs/point of lay this year- want to get going! The weather here (Devon) has been awful so poor girls don't feel like laying yet.
Is anyone else getting eggs?
- They are a nice weight, wormed, fed layers with some corn pm in the cold weather and free range in 100m grass pens.
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I have 3 hens bought as POL last April. It was 5 weeks before they started to lay but, apart from one going broody in August, they have been laying well. Most days I get 2 or 3 eggs.
Sally
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Yes - we are - i have 11 layers with 3 POL due in the next 3 weeks and i am geting 2-3 eggs per day.
now and havent really had a break since last season - always had 1 per day.
There was a small gap when I bought some super market eggs before xmas cos i thought they were sure to stop laying but i used 2 then gave the rest away.
What breed do you have? ours are mainly orbingtons - buff / black / lacey. and light sussex.
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Humm, will be having a work with my lot!
I've a Columbian Black tail and a LS hybred (for sl. more reliable eggs... :-\ ), a Croad langshan bantam, Cream Legbars, some I.G. x C. black tails (the boys were very tasty!) and a Salmon Faverol.
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I find that the older birds don't do much over the winter months. Young birds that start to lay before the winter comes on will usually lay through the winter but not hit peak production till the spring. Younger birds that haven't started to lay when winter arrives might not start until the days get a bit lighter. I'm talking abouty pure bred birds here not hybrids.
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At long last a couple of mine have started laying - we've had four eggs in the last week (my very first egg was squished by a goose so maybe that doesn't count). But I've got seven hens and I think only two have laid anything yet. I've had three of them since September when they were sort of POL and the other four since November. So the November ones are now about 30 weeks old and the others are quite a bit older (and ironically the ones in lay are the younger ones). All of them look like they're not far off lay though to judge by their combs. They're all Orpingtons of various colours if that makes any difference. I'd say don't panic yet - the weather is still awful so I can't say I blame them!
H
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Agree with Hughesy.
We have been having about 8 eggs per day for a few weeks now. That is from a mixture of ex batts, RIR's, pekins etc. We haven't had a complete break this year ..... always 1 or 2 per day. Expected to go down to nothing and surprised they are laying so well, so early in the year and in such grotty weather. Did worm them and egg production went straight up ..... could be coincidence though.
Neighbours are having no eggs from their flocks at the moment. Theirs are Orpingtons or Orp crosses. My guess is that they are slower to mature.
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I have 6 hens, some older ones, some pol last year - I'm getting 4 eggs a day - never stopped laying yet, just teh two oldest I think. But they are here for keeps anyway.
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We have 4 hens. 3 hybrids @ 2 yrs old and a Wyandotte bantam of unknown age ( bought as pol )
One hybrid has laid an egg a day since we got her. The blacktail now lays 2-3 a week. The rhode rock type moulted in November and hasn't produced since. The Wyandotte is yet to give us an egg ::)
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I am getting 3 doz a week of my 13 girls, started laying again about 3wks ago. some are in their 4th year of laying.
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The pullets from our last 2012 hatch (August) have just started to lay. The first hatch (April) has been laying for some time. Unless a hen is exceptional in some way or has been a successful broody we normally sell them in the Autumn of their second year and just keep the young 'uns through the Winter. They have to be very hardy to survive Winter on our exposed hilltop. I only hatch eggs from the very best layers (all soft feathered large fowl rare breed) i.e. 6-7 eggs a week each, and over the years production has increased.
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We've been getting a couple since Christmas day, occasionally up to 5 from 6 girls. Most of my girls are considered elderly, the youngest are 3 years old. I noticed a reduction during the heavy snow, can't blame them! The ducks also have shut down again after I thought they were about to get going.... :&>
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Our old girls made a start at about the turn of the year but stopped again in the worst of the snow. Here's hoping they get their act together again soon as even organic free range bought eggs are just not as good as home produced. :chook:
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Hi. I have an assortment of hens-some hybrids and 1 Orpington bantam and they are laying intermittently, every 2 or3 days or so. They are fed layers pellets and corn mix and when its really cold I make up a porridge mixture with a little runny honey, which they love. My millefleur booted bantams ( I have 4 hens ) have been laying since Christmas Eve and I'm getting at least an egg a day from them. My friends have chickens and bantams which have not laid an egg for months! Weird or what? My husband thinks I'm mad but I like to pick mine up, talk to and cuddle them. I'm sure it helps!!