Friday, August 7, 2009

What I'm learning about chickens laying eggs

My good friend, Laura, also has chickens (she says they're her daughters and husbands but I think she likes them and doesn't want to admit it) and hers laid before mine. I was very jealous because hers were younger than mine. I decided she could still be my friend though. Since that one day when her hens laid 7 eggs, she has only gotten 1 or 2 a day. I would find that very frustrating. As I've said before, I Google just about everything so I had to jump on my computer to see why hers have decreased and what I can expect. This is what I learned today about how chickens lay eggs.

They need approx. 14 hours of light a day to lay and may cut back in the winter.
Each chicken has its own cycle and may lay 3 days in a row, take a day off and then lay 3 more days in a row. Or it could be 4 or 5 days.
Young chickens, like ours, may lay one egg and then wait 3 more days.
They can lay eggs at any time of day.
I think I read a hen is most productive at 1 year old.

So, how many times will I check their nests today?

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