What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[LES DUNNING]

Read somewhere the other day, that egg production dramatically falls after two years of age. What is the average age that hens get to, and do people just get rid when laying stops, or do they get kept as just non laying pets.

[Janty]

Mine are kept as pets. However, most of mine are pure breeds and their egg production is limited anyway. I like their patterns and colours and general quirkiness rather than their ability to produce an egg a day. The in-laws think I'm mental.

 

 

Pure breeds will live longer than hybrids and although pure breeds do not lay an egg a day (although no-one told my cochin that) they lay for longer. My splash cochin is three and lays around four or five eggs a week even in this weather - I hasten to add that my other cochin lays one or two eggs a week so it's not normal for the breed to be so prolific.

[LES DUNNING]

I will do the same, although having the eggs is great and the kids love to go and collect them , as soon as they get back from school . As you say, firstly they are lovely pets. What average age do they get to

[Charlottechicken]

My original Omlet hybrid, who will be 5 in December, still lays an average of 20 eggs per month. By comparison, my tiny Araucana bantam, hatched last year, averages 25 eggs per month, and her fellow hatchling, a massive copper black Marans, lays around 23 eggs per month.

[Purplemaniacs]

My original Omlet hybrid, who will be 5 in December, still lays an average of 20 eggs per month. By comparison, my tiny Araucana bantam, hatched last year, averages 25 eggs per month, and her fellow hatchling, a massive copper black Marans, lays around 23 eggs per month.

 

Wow your omlet girl is doing well, I lost both of mine at a much younger age, my other two old girls are nearly three and they regularly lay, both hybrids.

 

Chrissie

[LES DUNNING]

Oh thats good to hear then . Suppose its all down to the individual bird but still laying at 5 years of age is great. Thanks for the replies