The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Louise Gaunt on March 25, 2015, 07:24:59 pm

Title: Many eggs!
Post by: Louise Gaunt on March 25, 2015, 07:24:59 pm
today we have had 7 eggs from 6 hens. Two had very thin shells and were broken in the nest box. They were definitely not there yesterday, and the last one was in the nest box when I went to shut them up for the night. We have been getting three a day for several days, so not sure if they are just getting back into the swing of laying. Five are just over a year old and one is three.
Title: Re: Many eggs!
Post by: Kimbo on March 25, 2015, 07:32:48 pm
Louise, Im in the same position!! Again! The only difference is that I don't have any soft shells...although I occasionally do have those too.
I have 6 hens aged about 9 months and yesterday they laid 8 eggs! Im also certain that none of them were from the day before ( at least not before 8pm the day before). And I had 6 eggs either side of the 8.
Ive been told previously on here that this is because I have hybrids and that the poor hens will have laid themselves to death in 18 months. I hope that isn't so but I can hardly send the eggs back can I?
Title: Re: Many eggs!
Post by: Clansman on March 25, 2015, 07:41:06 pm
They'll not lay themselves to death, don't worry  :thumbsup:

They may lay heavily for a few years then stop completely though.

Is there a possibility a couple of the eggs may have been laid just after you last looked yesterday and they have laid another one today around the same time?

They can lay every 23 hours or so.
Title: Re: Many eggs!
Post by: Louise Gaunt on March 25, 2015, 08:34:29 pm
One of this mornings eggs may have been laid after I closed them in last night, with a further one late this afternoon. It was cold so had been laid a while when I shut them in about 6.45 this evening. I will just wait and see what happens!
Title: Re: Many eggs!
Post by: Caroline1 on March 25, 2015, 08:46:44 pm
Sounds normal especially for that age. I have 3 hybrids who are all nearly 6 years old now and they only stopped laying last year. When they were 1 year they laid pretty much everyday.