hens laying !

[martnmagik 68]

just wondering if anyone elses hens are laying? ive had the odd one or two over the last few weeks but ive had 27 eggs from 4 hens in the last week.......being fairly new to keeping chooks i would have thought it was to early for them to be laying in these numbers. atb mart

[Paid 935]

its a weird season, and many are showing signs of a false spring, which is of course the main laying period for all chickens.

My own are doing the same, had a period not long ago of very few eggs, but there in full spring mode now.

[martnmagik 68]

so will they slow down as we get into spring or will they keep laying at a flat out rate? would the extended laying period do them any harm in the long run? like i say im new to keeping them and still learning.

[Paid 935]

it wont do them any harm, my guess is as the real cold weather comes in in feb they will slow down again, the restart in spring.

[paulus 26]

found a collard dove egg shell in the street today so they have young

[Paid 935]

collard doves lay all year round, every year. their originally from poland, and their breeding habits of raising broods all year is whats helped them colonise this country so quickly.

[paulus 26]

collard doves lay all year round, every year. their originally from poland, and their breeding habits of raising broods all year is whats helped them colonise this country so quickly.

theres thousands round here, they love the conifers

[martnmagik 68]

looks like everything is having offspring early this year exept my mrs "thank f**k" :laugh:

[Paid 935]

sparrow hawks love them :-)

[paulus 26]

sparrow hawks love them :-)

they seem to like woodpigeons even more here

[chartpolski 24,046]

I've only got four hens, but they have been laying everyday. Probably due to the very mild winter we are having ! Hope it stays this way.

 

Cheers.

[paulus 26]

weve got snowdrops out saw them earlier when out with the dogs

[mick.dundee 2]

I've seen snowdrops at the side of the road in Hampshire as well. My hens aren't laying much though. Laying in the winter wont do them any harm mate, but a hen only has so many eggs to lay in its life, so the faster it lays them the faster it'll stop

[foxdigger13 114]

I've had one hybrid hen who's in her third laying season nearly now and she has laid an egg basically everyday through this winter,

 

Cheers fd.

[patterdalejoel 669]

I've only got four hens, but they have been laying everyday. Probably due to the very mild winter we are having ! Hope it stays this way.

 

Cheers.

rhe egg cycle has little to do with the temperature, it is to do with daylight hours. it could be minus 10 but if the hens are getting food and water and are health AND have extended periods of sunlight, they will lay. its about how long the bird is "awake" for to make the egg