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Author Topic: When best to buy POL hens?  (Read 3965 times)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
When best to buy POL hens?
« on: June 11, 2020, 06:04:34 pm »
When do you think is the best time of year to buy in new POL hens?
I was going to get some this spring, but suddenly everyone decided at the same time that a few hens would feed them through lockdown and there were none available.
I think suppliers are expecting more this autumn.  Were I to buy some in I would prefer to keep them in my polytunnel if it's a cold winter, but I shall have some winter brassicas in there which they will demolish.  When I have bought POLs in the Autumn before they seem to just come into lay then stop for the winter, then struggle to get going again.  If I leave it until stock is available in spring, it will be well into the summer before they are fully in lay.  That might encourage them to go on laying through their first winter perhaps?
What does everyone else do?
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Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2020, 06:38:15 pm »
I’ve found point of lays either start laying about September and go right through the winter while the others all stop or they don’t start laying till about Feb. I think the earlier they hatch in the year, the better. Quite like them hatching about March for winter eggs. A little extra lighting can work wonders to keep them laying through the winter.

Possum

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Somerset
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2020, 07:12:13 pm »
I have often bought POL hens in late autumn. One pair started laying in Christmas week so, needless to say, are called Holly and Ivy.


I have never had a problem with them laying throughout the winter, but then I have i don't live in the far north. Maybe the temperature makes a difference?

Terry T

  • Joined Sep 2014
  • Norfolk
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2020, 09:10:04 pm »
Maybe it depends whether you get hybrids or pure breeds. I have largely had hybrids in the past and have bought hens between March and October. They always come into lay eithin 2-3 weeks snd lay through their first winter.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2020, 11:14:02 pm »
I wonder if it might be the suppliers. Each place we have bought from (purebred and hybrids) has always bought in their hens from a big super breeder, so I'm wondering if the double move has an unsettling effect. Certainly it did from one supplier where the hens had only arrived with him that morning and we collected them in the afternoon. They were already laying but stopped totally for a while and took a long time to settle with us. Also one hen died the day after we got her.  We didn't buy from him again.
I'm trying to think back to birds we have raised ourselves brooded by our own hens. It's been a while since we did that so I can't remember.


Or maybe it's the winter light levels Possum as Steph says. Trouble is, we let our livestock do their own thing and with hens that means no lights.


I think I'll get some which have hatched in the early spring and see how it goes, which will save my winter brassicas and will cause the birds minimal disruption.  So hatched in March should mean they would be ready to start laying in July to August?  I'll keep a record of how they lay through next winter.


Thanks everyone for your experiences - they have been a great help.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2020, 12:27:25 pm »
March hatched, they say 16-20 weeks for POL, July-August but I think with breeds and my laid back/DIY feeding systems, to expect laying in September to start and then carry through. I avoid buying formulated chick crumb or pellets as we have wheat which I'll grind up for chicks, and get them out free ranging and sorting themselves out asap.
Some people I speak to (too many) some of them very clever/high up business types/investors say we are headed for a massive ressession, inflation and very hard times. It was harder this year to buy POL hens, hatching eggs and at times eating eggs. If I were you, I'd buy your POL as soon as you can x

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2020, 02:23:17 pm »
Eek, now I'm starting to panic  :tired:    I contacted Craigievern, which several others have recommended, but she has NO POL hybrid pullets at all (I was hoping for Isa Browns for hybrids - common but such sweet birds).  The oldest she has are 13 weeks, and the Welsummers I would also like will not be hatched until later in the year.  She breeds her own Welsummers so I can be confident they will be suitable for up here and she also makes sure they get outside, rather than being kept in a barn but sold as free range (I know other suppliers probably mean that their hens are suitable for free range, but it can be misleading, as you discover when you get them home that they have clearly never seen the great outdoors before!)
Jane at Craigievern says she has been selling 3 to 4 times the usual numbers of hens all this year and she sounds rather exhausted!
Other suppliers have none or are closed for the duration, but I may have to get less well acclimatised stock after all.  We have 6 hens now but they are elderly so we only get 2 or 3 eggs a day, so it is time to bring in fresh stock.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
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Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2020, 03:30:33 pm »
Eek, now I'm starting to panic  :tired:    I contacted Craigievern, which several others have recommended, but she has NO POL hybrid pullets at all (I was hoping for Isa Browns for hybrids - common but such sweet birds).  The oldest she has are 13 weeks, and the Welsummers I would also like will not be hatched until later in the year.  She breeds her own Welsummers so I can be confident they will be suitable for up here and she also makes sure they get outside, rather than being kept in a barn but sold as free range (I know other suppliers probably mean that their hens are suitable for free range, but it can be misleading, as you discover when you get them home that they have clearly never seen the great outdoors before!)
Jane at Craigievern says she has been selling 3 to 4 times the usual numbers of hens all this year and she sounds rather exhausted!
Other suppliers have none or are closed for the duration, but I may have to get less well acclimatised stock after all.  We have 6 hens now but they are elderly so we only get 2 or 3 eggs a day, so it is time to bring in fresh stock.
Order the 13 week old ones now - gives them a few weeks to get used to your ways before they start to lay
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2020, 01:07:52 pm »
Eek, now I'm starting to panic  :tired:    I contacted Craigievern, which several others have recommended, but she has NO POL hybrid pullets at all (I was hoping for Isa Browns for hybrids - common but such sweet birds).  The oldest she has are 13 weeks, and the Welsummers I would also like will not be hatched until later in the year.  She breeds her own Welsummers so I can be confident they will be suitable for up here and she also makes sure they get outside, rather than being kept in a barn but sold as free range (I know other suppliers probably mean that their hens are suitable for free range, but it can be misleading, as you discover when you get them home that they have clearly never seen the great outdoors before!)
Jane at Craigievern says she has been selling 3 to 4 times the usual numbers of hens all this year and she sounds rather exhausted!
Other suppliers have none or are closed for the duration, but I may have to get less well acclimatised stock after all.  We have 6 hens now but they are elderly so we only get 2 or 3 eggs a day, so it is time to bring in fresh stock.
Order the 13 week old ones now - gives them a few weeks to get used to your ways before they start to lay


Great minds think alike Doganjo  8)   We have a collection time booked, but she apparently doesn't reserve any hens - you just turn up and see what there is I think.  It's been hard to get info with her being so busy. I think it will also be a case of taking what's available, if anything. Mr F will have to choose  :o  as I'm stuck here - it's usually my job to buy the livestock.  So  :fc: :fc:  we get some hens, and that they lay through the winter  :hughen:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2020, 02:29:38 pm »
Adding a light to artificially make their day longer will help with laying through winter!

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2020, 05:09:08 pm »
Adding a light to artificially make their day longer will help with laying through winter!

Steph Hen suggested that too Roddycm, but we don't do anything artificial with our hens, we just let them live naturally.  I'm hoping that these young birds, if we can get any, which should come into lay in a couple of months time will just keep going through their first winter.  If they don't then we just make do without eggs for a while  :D  :hughen:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2020, 09:38:16 pm »
Adding a light to artificially make their day longer will help with laying through winter!

Steph Hen suggested that too Roddycm, but we don't do anything artificial with our hens, we just let them live naturally.  I'm hoping that these young birds, if we can get any, which should come into lay in a couple of months time will just keep going through their first winter.  If they don't then we just make do without eggs for a while  :D  :hughen:

I agree with you know that :) my hybrids lay a bit less but do lay through winter and because we do not force them with lights etc they seem to have a longer productive life... they dont burn out as more commercially run hens do.

Kiran

  • Joined Apr 2019
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2020, 06:49:50 am »


We did the same about 3 weeks ago. POL for sale were like rocking horse poo, but as we had been intending to get some before the world exploded we had already been in contact with a a good breeder who doesn't buy in stock etc. So we ended up with 10 week olds who were old enough to be out on the field. In the last 3 weeks they have been getting used to us and the environment and have definitely done some growing!

Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2020, 08:44:59 am »
Maybe I should do another batch in the incubator if they’re in such demand? Kinda like them to be up and going by now but July hatches do ok and better than nothing if people want them, even if I keep them till Christmas or spring. Sorry, thinking out loud!

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: When best to buy POL hens?
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2020, 03:07:19 pm »
Maybe I should do another batch in the incubator if they’re in such demand? Kinda like them to be up and going by now but July hatches do ok and better than nothing if people want them, even if I keep them till Christmas or spring. Sorry, thinking out loud!


I was thinking that once folk get back to work, all these hens will end up on preloved! and all the puppies will be taken back to the rescue centres.  Perhaps that's a bit negative (because we are currently trying to rehome a couple of dogs and that's a melee too).  At least with hens you can keep them yourself if people have given up the craze, so it's probably worth the gamble.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

 

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