Hens on holiday

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Hens on holiday

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Paddington Bear

Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 170
Location: Shropshire

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 6:12 pm Post subject: Hens on holiday

First a hello to other forum users from the new bear.
We keep several breeds of chickens ; - Marans, Speckeldies, Welsummers, Black Rocks, RIR's and a couple of Light Sussex Bantams. At the moment from around a dozen hens that are in lay we are lucky to be getting one egg every second day. Before Christmas we got at least three eggs a day with many more in the summer. I know the egg production drops off in the winter months but we have never had so many blank days. Their feed, housing etc has not changed although the last bag of crushed oystershell we got was fine rather than coarse.
Any ideas before they all go in the pot?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 6:48 pm Post subject:
How old are they. Our three Sussex hens have been on extended leave for a few months now. They are about four now and I expect they will lay a few in the next month or so....just before they go broody.

Paddington Bear

Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 170
Location: Shropshire

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 7:19 pm Post subject: Hens on holiday
Our Welsummers and Marans were POL last year and the Black Rocks are coming up to 4 years with the rest in between.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 7:24 pm Post subject:
Well I'd expect a break but the recent POLs should lay again soon. Do they get much sunlight, i.e. are they let out early and not in deep shade? I would give them a bit longer as I remember ours starting about now in the last couple of years.

Paddington Bear

Joined: 31 Jan 2005
Posts: 170
Location: Shropshire

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 8:21 pm Post subject: Hens on holiday
Sigh! I suppose I shall have just to eat marmalade sandwiches for breakfast instead of eggs. They get up at first light and let themselves out of the run (when I'm still in bed). We are wondering about putting china eggs in he nest boxes in case the've forgotten what they are for.

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 10:33 pm Post subject:
They get back to it soon. It isn't really bright daylight yet is it. china eggs are god to fool a broody hen, or encourage use of the nest box on a POL. Do they bring hens back into lay?

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