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RE: ~ 43 ~ Walk With Me Around The Homestead
Are you still getting many eggs? We're down to one or two a day now from our 12 hens.
I learnt an interesting fact recently - it takes 14 hours of cumulative daylight for a hen to produce an egg. I guess that means when day length is down to 7 hours it will take two days for an egg to form.
I wonder if this is true or internet myth...
We have a light on in the winter to give them 15 - 16 hours of light. Around here, the winter sun is only up for 7 3/4 hours which is not even close to being enough. Without the extra light, they will stop laying eggs and wait for spring! Chickens are photosensitive. The industrial system takes advantage of this and puts the chickens through two days (light and dark) within a 24 hour period. They do this so that they can raise a broiler from chick to dinner plate in 31 days. Absolutely gross and disgusting.
Thank you for this extra information. I may well try a light. That would certainly be better than buying eggs again.
Some people do keep a light on in the coop all the time to keep egg production going through the winter. We don't do that, we let nature take its course. We are still getting a lot of eggs, and I hear that's because most of our layers are pullets (just started laying).
I have wondered about having them inside with lights. But I have read that it interferes with hormones so not so sure about that.
Ours are all coming up to retirement I think soon - 4, 5, 6 years old. Hoping to breed some chicks next year to replenish the flock.
Oooh wow, older gals for sure, yes that must be why we are still getting so many eggs. I have heard from other farmers too that chickens only have a certain amount of eggs in them to lay in their lives, so if you do pump them all out in the first few years (using artificial lights), they will die young, or just not lay at all after year 3.
I have old hens that lay the odd egg even after 6 years old. But I think you are right, they have a finite amount of eggs, just like human bodies do. They reach menopause too!
Awww, bless your old menopausing Hennies! xoxoox
hahahahaha