RubySlippers Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Hi guys, I posted a few weeks ago that my ladies were molting and had stopped laying and you were all very reassuring that there was nothing wrong with them, they were just focusing their energy on new feathers. Well the new feathers are pretty much in now (though the tails have a little more growing to do) but not an egg in sight. This is at least a month now. They are Sussex Stars going into their third winter and they'll be three in late May. Is it time for me to go back to Tesco for my eggs? (or am I missing some last thing I could do? *hopeful*) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 They could be at the end of their laying lives... However, some take longer than others to come back into lay... I have an elderly Speckledy (4 now), she moulted badly last winter and I thought I'd never see another egg from her, but she started again late Spring.... She has just had another heavy moult.... I doubt I'll see eggs from her again, but she does surprise me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I think it takes (on average) 6 weeks for a moult, so it will likely be a couple more before they start laying again. Our ex-free range hens stopped laying about 6 months after we got them, and never laid again after that. Since your hen is a hybrid that hasn't (hopefully) had a traumatic past, she should lay all her life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Percy - All hens will retire from laying regardless of their pasts... Ok hybrids being designed as egg machines may lay until the die... If they die young, however, most will stop laying when they get older. This is why commercial hens only stay in the system for 18 months, after that they will be past their egg laying best. I have had several hybrids that retire from laying once they get to about 2-3 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharaoh Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 After a number of weeks with no eggs, I found one of mine in the nestbox yesterday tucking into an egg!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Do you think this is the first egg eaten? And is that link meant to be there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Oh sorry i got a bit muddled up! There was a link at the bottom of Pharaoh's post to reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
