How long will they go off the lay..?

[Becca]

feeling a bit jealous reading all the record egg numbers in other threads, none of my girls have laid anything for nearly a month now.. At first I was glad they were taking a rest as Betty and Rene both had some health problems just before christmas (Betty had a prolapse, thankfully all recovered now and Rene had some bleeding from somewhere in her vent which she's had before but is hopefully all sorted again now) but now I'm starting to really miss my fresh laid eggs.. anybody else experiencing an egg drought..?

[Noodle]

I was! My nly hen who was laying moulte and I had nealry 2 months with out eggs! It's horrid isn't it! Now I have 3 in lay, it's just a matter of time....

[Becca]

You don't realise how used to they you'd been until they stop for a while.. It was the one thing I always knew I'd have in.. I guess the girls are just putting all their excess energy into keeping warm at the moment, and Rene has suddenly feathered up (after having her for 6 months with her battery bald neck) so I suppose eggs aren't top priority but I am missing my scrambled eggs on toast..

[Flummery]

I think there's a huge difference in numbers of eggs from pure breds and hybrids. If you have young hybrid birds you will be getting lots of eggs - even in winter they keep laying a few. The pure bred birds never lay as many per year and can go off lay completely in winter. I think Bephlam's are pure breds? The upside is that they usually live for longer so overall you do get a lots of eggs.

[Becca]

Mine are ex-batts, probably Isa-brown hybrids I think, approximately a year and a half old (at a guess, I got them in the rescue at the end of May).. I was just kind of worrying that I'm doing something wrong if everyone else's girls (as it seemed at least, we have a email sales list at work and several other chicken keepers have eggs for sale so they're obviously getting plenty) were still laying.. especially with their pre-christmas health problems.. I love them to bits, so even if they never laid another egg they'd still be my pride and joy, but i do get a lovely warm glow whenever out to the coop and come back with a clutch of freshly laid eggs for my tea..

[kirsty b]

My ex-batts went off lay around end of Oct, not long after clocks changed. Have not had any eggs until around Christmas. I get one egg most days from 15 birds!! Yesterday got 4 though, but thats cos OH didn't check the nest box on Weds when I was at work.
I reckon 3-4 are back in lay, but they each take it in turns to lay!

[Becca]

Thank you, that's reassuring I knew that I was being a bit silly being worried about it, after all all the books say about shorter daylight hours etc but having got used to at least 1 or 2 eggs a day it's been a bit worrying to have none for the last month.. tho I have to admit I've been alot less strict about making sure they eat their pellets before their treats as well.. I'm not home till after dark at the moment, so they get their greens etc for breakfast most of the time..

[Flummery]

My feeling is that we've always loved birds and want some cute pets (my budgie is in for a shock!) so eggs will be a bonus. I'm sure you get used to having them though and it must come hard to have to buy them.

[Snadger]

Mine seem to go off lay for a couple of days and then come back on again? The recent cold spell has seen my egg count dwindle to 3 but now I'm back up to 8 or 9 each day!
My plan seems to be working as well of buying 4 point of lay chooks for when tuthers do go off lay! I'm getting intermittant eggs from these now so hopefully if the rest just stop all of a sudden at least I'll still have a few chuckie eggs for my brekkie!

[frias]

Also got my ex-batts last May, although at the beginning of the month. I have been really lucky as they laid well all summer and continued to lay during the winter. Although not as many as they did. From 6 girls I've never had less than 21 eggs a week. They have taken it in turns to moult and seem to take it really badly and I don't think the one that is moulting lays. I have just handed out 24 eggs to the family today and left myself with none. Serves me right if they now stop! I would still keep them though as they are my pets. I've never eaten many eggs anyway.