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Have laying free range birds not sure how old they are,how long will they lay for ? how and when do you moult a chicken and why ? new territory for me this !
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Chickens
Started By
Groundhog
, 22 Jun 2011 11:07
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#2
Posted 22 June 2011 - 11:27
Cornish Gems
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- Book Owners
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Lord and Lady of the Manor
- LocationCornwall (formerly Devon)
Groundhog,
How long will chickens lay can be dependant upon the breed, you will get a at least 2-3years laying however it will depend upon how hard you work them, ie force their egg production. Chickens have been know to stop laying for 6-12 months and start again normally this is after an illness or maybe they have been raising a clutch of chicks. Most chickens reduce their laying in cold weather and also in warm weather, however you can introduce a bit of climate control in having warm coops in winter with lighting this will encourage laying through the winter however it will reduce the laying life of the bird.
As for moulting this is something a chicken will do naturally they are shedding old feathers and replacing them with new ones, the moult can last a number of weeks as they do not just shed the lot at once.
Hope this helps.
CG
How long will chickens lay can be dependant upon the breed, you will get a at least 2-3years laying however it will depend upon how hard you work them, ie force their egg production. Chickens have been know to stop laying for 6-12 months and start again normally this is after an illness or maybe they have been raising a clutch of chicks. Most chickens reduce their laying in cold weather and also in warm weather, however you can introduce a bit of climate control in having warm coops in winter with lighting this will encourage laying through the winter however it will reduce the laying life of the bird.
As for moulting this is something a chicken will do naturally they are shedding old feathers and replacing them with new ones, the moult can last a number of weeks as they do not just shed the lot at once.
Hope this helps.
CG
#3
Posted 22 June 2011 - 11:59
meekle
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- Members
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- 29 posts
Duckling
- LocationRhayader - Mid Wales
Chickens have "strings" of eggs in the oviduct. when the bird comes to the end of this particular string, it comes into a moult before it can start the next string of eggs.
The length (and therefore the number of eggs) in a string varies from breed to breed, with some traditional birds having strings of only 100 eggs, whereas some commercial birds bred for the purpose have strings of 300+ in their first year.
If you buy all your birds in one go, then they will all naturally come to the end of a string at about the same time, thus leading to a total slow down or even stopping of laying whilst they moult. We tend to stagger our flock into 3 cycles, buying in Point of Lay every three months so that they dont all go into moult at the same time, keeping up a reasonable amount of eggs.
Chickens are also photo-ovulators - in as much as their is a receptor in the back of their iris that reacts to the length of daylight. once it receives 16 hours of light, it is triggered to release an egg. This is why the big commercial boys tend to light their sheds to keep up the number of eggs. Temperature does not effect egg laying directly as long as they get the right amount of light, however, low temperatures increase the amount of energy required so they eat more to keep up the egg laying. if they recieve the same amount of ration then the egg laying will drop accordingly.
You cant really force a bird into or out of a moult, all you can do is support it through the moult by ensuring that they get suitable nutrients etc during this cycle.
The length (and therefore the number of eggs) in a string varies from breed to breed, with some traditional birds having strings of only 100 eggs, whereas some commercial birds bred for the purpose have strings of 300+ in their first year.
If you buy all your birds in one go, then they will all naturally come to the end of a string at about the same time, thus leading to a total slow down or even stopping of laying whilst they moult. We tend to stagger our flock into 3 cycles, buying in Point of Lay every three months so that they dont all go into moult at the same time, keeping up a reasonable amount of eggs.
Chickens are also photo-ovulators - in as much as their is a receptor in the back of their iris that reacts to the length of daylight. once it receives 16 hours of light, it is triggered to release an egg. This is why the big commercial boys tend to light their sheds to keep up the number of eggs. Temperature does not effect egg laying directly as long as they get the right amount of light, however, low temperatures increase the amount of energy required so they eat more to keep up the egg laying. if they recieve the same amount of ration then the egg laying will drop accordingly.
You cant really force a bird into or out of a moult, all you can do is support it through the moult by ensuring that they get suitable nutrients etc during this cycle.
#5
Posted 23 June 2011 - 15:27
Groundhog
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Need to source 50 or so off heat 6 week old birds,Devon Somerset, North Cornwall Border or a spit from the A303 any suggestions only seem to be able to source day old or point of lay pm me if you prefer
#6
Posted 24 June 2011 - 11:13
Cornish Gems
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Lord and Lady of the Manor
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Groundhog, I find tyhis web site very helpfull it not only has breeder of fancy birds but also laying hens etc Poultry Suppliers you con sort by county makes it easier to locate near you.
CG
CG
#7
Posted 24 June 2011 - 17:35
Groundhog
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Ta !Groundhog, I find tyhis web site very helpfull it not only has breeder of fancy birds but also laying hens etc Poultry Suppliers you con sort by county makes it easier to locate near you.
CG
