[novicesmallholder]

Looks like the Worcestershire egg layers union officials are getting their way!

Have 28 ex batts and the last 2 weeks egg production has decreased to about 2 - 3 a day, sometimes nil! Either someone is stealing them or they are just adjusting to their first bad winter and temperatures and using energy to keep warm. Any one elses egg production declined as bad (were laying circa 12 a day in Oct).

Mark

[doganjo]

Yup, mine are on winter operations too - 1 or 2 a day from 7 ex batts and 3 LS

[johnmac]

My hens have always ground to a halt in the winter, unless there's a few sunny mold days, then suddenly BOoM! Eggs a plenty.

Probably best they put all their energy into staying warm! :-)

[doganjo]

Two of my ex batts wouldn't use the pophole and I had to put them in every night, one learned to go in, but until a day or so ago, the other resolutely stayed out in the cold till I went in  for her.  Now I can't get the gate open - frozen hard so I hope she's gone in herself tonight.  It's Baltic out there!

[ambriel]

Likewise, our six girls have reduced output from 5 or 6 a day in the summer to just 2 or 3 during the last couple of months. They're looking well though so I'm fully expecting them to resume normal service as the hours of daylight increase and the temperatures rise.

[northfifeduckling]

all of mine were off for a few weeks, only since the new year I find the occasional present in the nesting box. Snow puts them off! The ducks are off lay for a few weeks longer. 

[little blue]

ridiculously, ours laid better when it  was snowy! think it could have been the shock!
we get a maximum of three eggs, more often 1 or 2 ...
we have nearly 50 birds, but the ducks & "big shed" occupants are still young, and the quail decided September was winter :roll:
the layers are ex-battery or more mature girls   

[manian]

ours are behaving themselves.... we have 15 and are still getting 11 or 12 a day
we do put a light on outside the coop and one inside from 3.30pm until about 4pm
 

[little blue]

the first year we had chickens, we had solar lights in for them ... they gave up the ghost (the lights I mean!) and we've never really bothered so the girls can have a moult & a rest from egg laying. 
Its just the cost of feeding all these damn birds when none of the boys are big enough to eat & the girls are barely laying :roll: 

[northfifeduckling]

I actually don't mind that much if they have a break. I read somewhere that they live longer and are productive for longer if they are not laying machines. In the summer I had that many eggs that I froze them in batches for baking, etc. and I've not even needed those yet as the ducks were laying right into December and are having their break now until February. With feed I seem to be feeding the wild birds most of all but can't blame them - there is not much else around. 

[Anke]

Unless you extend their day-length to something like 12 hours, by having a light in their shed, on a timer, they will stop laying.

I always leave the first year ones (hatched last summer) to get on without a light, and the older ones have a light on, These are now coming up for three years, and I still get about 7 to 8 eggs per day from 11 hens. On Sunday it was 11 for some reason!!!!

My experience with freezing eggs is not great, they don't de-frost properly... maybe I should have scrambled them up before freezing?

[piggy]

We have about 100 layers and they have all been on strike for the last 3 months! finally they are now starting to lay again,i dont mind them having a break as they worked there socks off in summer.

[manian]

our ligh isn't on for long enough to stop them moulting...... most have moulted and the light is more for me so i can see to close the pop hole and lock up!!!

[Eve]

How do you freeze eggs? 

[northfifeduckling]

I seperate them (or not) and freeze according to what I need in recipes. 3 whites, 3 yolks together or even whole (without shell) in batches. I've never had any probs with thawing them as they go in quiches and cakes. Some folks find they are better frozen scrambled.