Author Topic: Not laying still during the winter (Read 7255 times)

faith0504 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 29, 2011, 08:13:33 pm »

my girls love porridge when its cold,

littlechick · « **Reply #16 on:** January 29, 2011, 09:40:22 pm »

I will give this ago tomorrow!

Saturman · « **Reply #17 on:** January 29, 2011, 09:56:40 pm »

Cold hens need more food, hot mash in the mornings, corn in the hopper, the sometimes supper = lots of eggs !! Its nice to talk to them but they cant just be pets !!!

Anke · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2011, 08:50:45 pm »

Pure breeds will lay less than crosses or hybrids. Light is the reason why they stop, not temperature per se. Although it probably has an influence too.

I find that in their first winter they lay steadily through without any additional light, but then for their second and any later ones, light to extend the day for them helps. I don't change their food other than to give mixed corn (incl maize) in the afternoons in winter, and just wheat (and less of it) during the summer. Mine have layed through minus 20 this winter, and are in their third winter! The pullets started to lay on Dec 22nd....

Most of mine are crosses by now, initially we had pure RIRs and Lt Ssxs (utility strain), but Maran cockerels and now Lt SSx have changed that...

ambriel · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2011, 11:41:21 pm »

Our 6 girls dropped production to just 1 or 2 from November but are now back up to 3 or 4, possibly more as I discovered a large cache of eggs in a reedy corner of the garden this morning, so someone's been laying al fresco.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2011, 07:47:18 am »

Quote from: ambriel on January 30, 2011, 11:41:21 pm

I discovered a large cache of eggs in a reedy corner of the garden this morning, so someone's been laying al fresco.

I never found any hens eggs outside yet, must check! The ducks are always having it on once they go broody, it's always Easter here once they start laying

doganjo · « **Reply #21 on:** January 31, 2011, 09:23:47 am »

You should look, Kerstin - I often find eggs lying outside- usually on a few scraps of twig or straw. And my window cleaner found some empty shells in the gutters when he was cleaning them out, so obviously I haven't been quick enough in picking them up and the magpies have had them.

littlechick · « **Reply #22 on:** January 31, 2011, 08:39:24 pm »

Well the Marran is laying!

and they both LOVE the porridge!

We always talk to them, they are apart of our family

I have never seen any eggies outside the shed though, wouldn't surprise me if the started to in summer when they have a longer 'free range'

faith0504 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 31, 2011, 08:43:28 pm »

my girls lay in the bushes round the pond they have 2 nests, think it depends on the mood of the first layer of the day which nest is going to be used, they never lay in there housey

ambriel · « **Reply #24 on:** January 31, 2011, 10:26:20 pm »

Quote from: northfifeduckling on January 31, 2011, 07:47:18 am

Quote from: ambriel on January 30, 2011, 11:41:21 pm
I discovered a large cache of eggs in a reedy corner of the garden this morning, so someone's been laying al fresco.
I never found any hens eggs outside yet, must check! The ducks are always having it on once they go broody, it's always Easter here once they start laying

One end of our garden is quite heavily overgrown with rushes and it was in here that the Kunes had found them. There were perhaps as many as two dozen eggs - they were pretty smelly, so smelly in fact that I paid the kids a pound each to collect and bin them for me

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #25 on:** January 31, 2011, 10:43:39 pm »

I'll probably find a few duck egg nests from last year once I really start tidying up! I found one of the hens' eggs a few times just outside their house, she must have put it there because Top Hen was in the nesting box! I'm glad we are not really plagued by magpies as yet although last year I saw some first time ever around here.