Moult.

[peeejaay]

Hello.
I have two hens, one an ex-batt who is in her second year and one I got as a POL last spring (2009). They both lay very well. Looking in all my poultry books I see that they are supposed to moult through November to February and won't lay in that period. However neither of mine have moulted or even slowed down in their laying activities. Can anyone advise?
Also both of them lay eggs where the whites stick to the inside of the shells whether raw or hardboiled. They are fed on ad-lib layers mash, ad-lib grass or greens and occasionally a little corn/birdseed but they don't eat very much of this. Any ideas on that? And also how can I get a bit more weight on them? They are both very thin, one of them to the point of her breastbone poking through the feathers. They have been wormed regularly and live in an Eglu which definetly keeps them warm overnight. Any help gratefully received. Thanks.

[MaureenHall]

I wouldn't worry that they haven't seemed to moult, they'll do it in their own good time. Some of my girls (ex-batts) have continued to lay through the winter too, though I wouldn't mind if they stopped, they deserve a rest. Just keep feeding them the same as usual, and if they do start to moult, add some poultry spice to their feed as a boost. You can fatten them up a bit by giving them porridge or mixed corn, but do this later in the day so they get their balanced food first. Remember though that fat hens don't lay eggs!

As for the egg whites, I don't really understand what you mean about the whites sticking to the shells of raw eggs. For hard boiled eggs, the whites will definitely stick when the eggs are fresh, they need to be about 8 days old for shelling cleanly (we did an experiment on the vine about this)

[RichmondHens]

If they are both laying well (despite the short days and horrible weather) then there is nothing to worry about. Not all hens moult during the autumn/winter, although most do. Your youngster may well lay right through into early summer and then have a moult. Their diet sounds good and if they don't want much corn don't push it. It's just the equivalent of giving kids chocolate so if they don't want it, fine!! If they were too thin they would not be laying so I'm sure they are a healthy weight.

Re the egg whites, I can only echo what Maureen says - fresh eggs don't peel well if hard boiled.

[peeejaay]

Thanks for that advice, you have put my mind to rest. What I meant about the whites sticking to the inside of the shells is that if hardboiled they don't peel cleanly as you say but when breaking raw eggs I have to actually scrape the whites out of the shell with my finger or quite a large amounts sticks and gets left behind. PJ

[Flummery]

I think you have to leave an egg a week or more before it peels well after hard boiling. Makes you realise how old the eggs are that we get from the shops (or used to get!)