A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[Mini Horses]

I would rather let them have their natural cycle. I've heard that they "burn out" if they're encouraged to lay all year

Me too. For those hens who are always subject to lights do have shorter life spans. Most are also caged, never seeing more than bars, feed & water, most with 23 hr lights on. Mine free range all year, heated water in winter, 24/7 food & shelter, coop open all day, scavenge on bugs, food scraps or whatever and have a pretty good life! They go to bed & I close the coop.

But, I'm not feeling that this push is much more than a "kick into gear" effort because I am letting them finish molt, then will light in AM to wake them up & encourage them to get back into laying. Mine have always done ok in winter but, they do tend to take a while to go from stop molt to start lay. An extended "vacay" . Probably only use it 2 months. Hey, I get up with a flash light to feed before going to work -- they can do a little more as well. Generally you keep eggs by adding new hens to start lay in Fall, and I do but, did not get enough pullets from sets and didn't buy more. So, this year they will need to help "with chores".

 

[wyoDreamer]

My birds have lights on timers in their coops all year round. That is mostly because it is a concrete room with very minimal natural light making in through the single window. I need the light on a 6 am so I can feed and open the pop door before I go to work. And have the timer set to keep the light on from 5 to 9 pm. That makes sure that they go into the coop before darkness sets in during the winter and I can close the pop door and give them some feed when I get home from work.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Well they havent started laying again. Coop is clean as a whistle with fresh new bedding. Must be preditors.

The leghorns just came into lay. And the ee havent bothered to start yet. Im gonna give them a week and add some scratch to the diet and maybe some oyster shell.


Heck maybe they are peaved because they ran out of bugs in the garden?

 

[Chic Rustler]

Maybe its just shorter days. But i seem to remember last year that it didnt effect the young ones as much?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Im gonna give them a week and add some scratch to the diet and maybe some oyster shell.

Are they getting a layer type feed too? Sometimes bumping up the protein a bit can help...

 

[Chic Rustler]

17% lay pellets

 

[NH Homesteader]

I had EE's briefly (until they started feather picking my other birds). They didn't lay the first year when all my others started. I think they start later. @Hinotori said they often need higher protein feed also.

 

[Chic Rustler]

I dont mind giving them more time. But they get the same feed as everyone else. If thats not good enought they can go in the freezer.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yep, I don't give special feed either. That's the other reason they're gone.

 

[Hinotori]

Some breeds just don't do well with less than 20%. I try to warn people about that on EEs and ameraucana before they get them. Silkies also do best on it. Hatchery silkies don't seem to have as much issue, but they barely look like silkies.

I feed 20% Layer. The New Hampshires did fine on 16% but I did get more eggs with the Egg Producer Layer.