mad.hen1 Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 Can anyone tellme how long the gingernut and the pepperpot lay for? Also, how long do hens live for? Just wondering what their productive life is. Thanks. (By the way, have no plans to eat my hens when they stop, in case anyone was wondering... they will have a happy retirement!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue and the Spice Girls Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 I think the brochure states up to 8 years, I know commercially hens are kept for about 2 years...as then thier laying reduces so is no longer commercially viable but thats not the same for someone who gives eggs away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 I think hybrids are bred to produce a large quantity of eggs up to the age of about 80 weeks, after that they are usually sent for slaughter as the egg production tails off quite considerably. I have found this with my gingernut girls who have both virtually stopped laying. The pepperpot, Bossy, is still producing 3 or 4 large eggs a week though. Not sure how long a hybrid lives though, probably 2 to 6 years on average? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 some chickens live up to 12 years Laying probably depends on the breed and certain situations, ie - like illness, old age, weight of chicken etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 I think the Omlet website says that PPs and GNRs live for around 5 years. Not sure how long they lay for though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Interesting - Beryl and Bertha are 2 years old. Beryl the gingernut still lays about 3 eggs a week, but the shells are getting thinner and are very wrinkly. Bertha the pepperpot still lays about 5 a week and the shell quality is as good as ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissinuk Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 Does anyone have any good stories about Gingernut's laying longer than 1 year As much as we like our new girls I was kind of hoping their egg-laying life would be a bit longer than that! I know the numbers go down a lot, but I know someone with ex-batts and they still lay regulariliy. What is everyone else's experience of gingernuts like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 My is 3 years old and she still lays an egg most days, although the shell quality is sometimes a bit dodgy, most of her eggs can be eaten. It was actually my that stopped laying first and she sadly passed away earlier this year, I think all hens are different regardless of breed just like us really................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHARLIE Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Some chickens are bred for longer productive lives than others- Black Rocks are an example (but beware of imitations!), bred for organic free range farming, they don't usually need vaccinations, are real toughies and can live up to 10 years and lay for most of that time- (of course this is dependent on several other factors too.) Our Black rock Reggie was sold to us at 18 months old, effectively retired from commercial life as her egg production has tailed off from 6 or 7 a week to 5 or 6!! she's just over 2 now and still going strong, no problem with broodiness or egg quality. Many breeds, especially hybrids used in battery and other intensive farming are bred to produce as many large eggs as possible in their first cycle, after which it tails off significantly and the eggs can take on some very bizarre shapes and poor shell quality, and the chicken's health can take a nose-dive too. Two of our original 3 which were "rescued" as pullets from a battery farm have had egg peritonitis (one fatal ) and the vet explained that this was largely because they are one of many breeds prone to this problem- I think most commonly available hybrids fall into this category. sorry i can't halp you with a gingernut anecdote but i can vouch for black rocks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad.hen1 Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 I have the sense that most people who post or reply to threads are fairly new or medium term gingernut / pepperpot owners. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had either of these long term and how their laying patterns changed. Should I really be bracing myself for two - three years of non-productivity?! Don't get me wrong, I love my girls and would never consider getting rid of them when their useful life is done.... I just like to know the reality, and it doesn't seem to spell it out on the website! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Mad hen I suspect that you're right when you suggest that most of us are reasonably new to chicken keeping, but Omlet only launched the eglu in 2004........... I think that SuperKate was amongst the very first to get one in June 2004 , so the majority of the forum membership, certainly those with experience of pepperpots & gingernuts will have been keeping them for 3 years or less. Naturally there are a few members around who have kept chickens for a long time in more traditional coops, and they make have comments about hybrid breeds in general I've had my pepperpot for 2 years now and her laying has reduced over this summer, we're probably down to 3-4 eggs a week, and my ex batt of a similar age is laying about the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad.hen1 Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 a good point, family.... sorry to go on, again, but do they ever shut doen the laying completely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 My Pepperpot gave up laying completely last winter, a bit before her second birthday. She had laid like a machine up until then. This is what hybrids are bred to do (i.e. lay for two seasons, and then pack it in before their first proper moult), but some people seem to be luckier than I was. It's the perfect excuse to get more hens, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick&Trish Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Our girls are now two-and-a-half years old. Geraldine, our Gingernut, lays an egg every day - but has time off when she moults, just before Winter, and goes broody for around three weeks in the Summer. Victoria, our Pepperpot, is generally good for around 6 eggs per week. She hasn't been broody yet, and doesn't do much of a moult either. She was very ill with a protozoal infection just after we got her, during which time she didn't lay at all, but we were able to nurse her through that. The eggshells are still very firm, and the eggs are yummy. We ensure that they have layers pellets, water and oystershell grit available at all times, and that they are wormed every three months - after which we don't eat the eggs for a week. They also get a treat every lunchtime - porridge, mashed potato, spaghetti, or mealworms - so they are probably spoilt rotten by any standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad.hen1 Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 seems to me its just luck of the draw then! Thank you to everyone who's contributed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
