cliveb Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I know that the girls tend to slow down during the winter, but mine have come to a complete stop for the last three weeks. This has never happened before with any of my previous chickens( these girls are 18 months old). Has anyone got any ideas to encourage laying again, as much as I love their company I have just had to buy eggs for the first time in three years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Are they pure breeds or hybrids? If they are pure breeds they will take a winter break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchellholmes Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Hello you could try letting them out later in the morning and putting putting golfballs. That might work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliveb Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Are they pure breeds or hybrids? If they are pure breeds they will take a winter break. For what its worth they are Hybrids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Most hybrids will lay through their first winter, but as this is your girls second winter, they are likely to take a break. It is also the time they may moult. They should start again about February. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindafw Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 its the light levels that stop them laying...do you have an outside plug from which you could run a spot light to extend their daylight hours. If you put it on a timer you could give them an extra hour morning and evening? Hybrids do slow down their laying after their first year (or so I read) so it may be a combination of both factors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 its the light levels that stop them laying...do you have an outside plug from which you could run a spot light to extend their daylight hours. If you put it on a timer you could give them an extra hour morning and evening? Hybrids do slow down their laying after their first year (or so I read) so it may be a combination of both factors That's one stage away from battery farming in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISCA Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 its the light levels that stop them laying...do you have an outside plug from which you could run a spot light to extend their daylight hours. If you put it on a timer you could give them an extra hour morning and evening? Hybrids do slow down their laying after their first year (or so I read) so it may be a combination of both factors That's one stage away from battery farming in my mind. I must be a Battery Human then as I turn the lights on morning and evening in the winter Personally I do not think 2 hours of artificial light a day will cause the hens any harm or distress. But we all have our own beliefs and welfare standards. Some would say keeping 2-3 hens in an Omlet run is little improvement on battery farming. As for the laying problem in winter...all mine moulted in September-October and now look plush in their new feathers My Light Sussex did not stop laying, the other 4 did but this week my Orpington started laying againanf has presented 3 eggs in 5 days This is their second winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banus Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Bit of a dilema for me too. We have powerful outdoor lighting that turns the rear garden into daylight when turned on at night. I used to put it on in the late afternoon to give our 3 girls another hours daylight thinking that they spend enough time being 'couped up' from 4pm - 7.30am. But then thought that I was 'artificially' keeping them up / awake, so I've abandoned the practice and let nature take its course. Not sure if it does any harm. It was quite funny though to see them run from their Eglu go when the light came on thinking it was morning already!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I'd be inclined to let them go off lay so they can have a break from it for a couple of months. My previous hens (omlet hybrids) went off lay over winter after a year, and my current ones are mostly off lay (2 hybrids laying every 2 or 3 days each and a purebreed off lay). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 It's much better for their health to have a break from laying and return to the new season healthier - the eggs will be better quality for starters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 It's much better for their health to have a break from laying and return to the new season healthier - the eggs will be better quality for starters. I agree although it is disappointing not to get any eggs I feel it is better for them. From my four oldest hybrids the two who laid almost every day both died quite young, the other two are now four and just lay sometimes, so I console myself with the fact that eight chooks and no eggs is doing them good Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I agree - the reason that battery hens are worn out very early on is due to the intensive laying, so I'd be inclined to give them a rest for a few weeks. My gingernut hybrids hatched in the spring are still laying, but the other hens have shut down. I try to get a couple of new pullets each year, natural wastage permitting, so that I get eggs through the winter but there are no guarantees. Last year I only had one week, over Christmas, with no eggs at all, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 My pure breeds usually stop laying through the winter but they had an early moult this year and have started to lay again.... granted I'm only getting 1 or 2 eggs a day at the moment, and I'm having to top it up with eggs from Jude (chicken and/or duck eggs) but it's a bit of a result as none of them are this year's hatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Whooooooooooooo....have been getting 3 eggs a day from 6 girls. Yesterday, 5 eggs and today 4. Busy cooking a quiche for tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I'm a firm believer that nature knows best. If hens naturally take a break over the winter then there must be a good reason why. I get 5 weeks annual leave from work every year, so it's only right and proper that my hens should too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Totally agree with you L-B. It is natures way to let them have a little down time at the end of the year & I for one am very against using artificial means to change that. I know for sure that my hens deserve a break,even if I have had to buy eggs this week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calmbreeze Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 our 2 hybrids are still laying one egg each a day, our light sussex is laying one every 3rd day, the other large one hasnt laid since she started her moult about 6 weeks ago. our 2 frizzles arent pol yet but i dont recon they will lay till the warmer weather starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 Last year both of mine stopped laying for about 6 weeks from November onwards - but it was freezing and Ebay (Leghorn) moulted. This year Phoebe had major moult and Ebay a little one. They both now look splendid but no eggs and I've had to buy some for first time since they started laying (I got them April 2010). I'm not expecting eggs anytime soon, but if one appears that will be a bonus - maybe Christmas Day would be good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctors girls Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 i got 15 eggs of the girls last week and so far this week 3 mon / none tue / 3 wed and have not checked today but hoping for at least 2 martha had a mini moult september/october but the other 2 i have yet to see any feathers in the run from them perhaps they might moult in the new year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 I had to buy eggs the other week in the supermarket, I stood there ages looking in all the boxes trying to decide which ones. Very confusing. Since then I've managed to get some from someone at work. One of the bigguns has started laying in the past couple of days and little Brillo is doing her very best, made pancakes with hers, yummy. Don't mind too much as they're having their moult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibah Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Late reply But use fake Egg dummies to encourage the more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
