Hi all! I have a quick question. I am wanting to down size my flock some, or at the very least get rid of the dead beats. (Don't worry about their fates, I have a neighbor that is more than happy to take them and still buy eggs from me.) So, how do I tell which of the hens are just old and are never going to lay again and which of the girls are just taking a break for the winter?
I know about doing the finger test between their....(pin bones? can't think of the name for them). That a 3 finger width across means the hen is laying, and 1 finger width means that they aren't. So, if they only have 1 finger width between those bones, will they ever lay again, or are they done and have gone into retirement?
Any help would be appreciated,
Christy
Hen too old to lay or just taking a break for winter?
I have never heard of the finger test. Cool! I know how old all mine are because I have had them since birth. They can produce for at least 5 years. I hope someone else has a better idea than I do. Good luck. Welcome.
Thanks sewincircle. I'm not new, just haven't been here for a long while. Back in the summer I was here all the time, but then life got way too crazy and I just haven't had the time to pop in.
I'm sure I learned of the finger test here at DG's. My young girls are about 5 months old and the hens are between 1 yr old to 1 1/2 yrs old. I know some of them must just be done laying though. I have 40 hens and get between 17-22 eggs a day. I think I only get that many because I keep a light in the hen house on through the winter until about 9 at night.
I just hope someone comes along that knows for sure how to tell the difference between a hen that is done laying and one that is just taking a break. I'd sure hate to lose an egg layer that is just on vacation, know what I mean?
Christy
Ladybugs, that's pretty much exactly what I've heard too. A year and a half seems very young to stop laying, but I've had some of mine do it too. I have trouble believing that they might start laying again if they're physically changed though...Wish I knew for sure...
ps. Glad you're back!
Goggle it and I`m sure you will get the answer,I know you can tell by how red the comb is and also about the color of the legs,but I can`t remember the particulars,just ask how can you tell when a chicken is laying or not
Thats why leg bands are so important. Keep a chart (colored of course) and when you get new chicks put on the leg bands and then put the color and date on the chart. Since you haven't done that maybe by observing them in the nest you could even get colored zip ties and It shouldn't take too long before you know who's laying and who's not. If you should loose a layer or two at least it becomes a good object lesson. You'd have to wait until after feb to see if the winter lay off is effecting them or if they went into retirement. Good to see you back and hope all is going well. Haystack
Hi Christy! Long time no hear!
Hi all! Thanks for the responses. Good to be back, just not sure for how long. I think I will still be popping in and out for a long while yet. My DH moved 400 miles away for a job, I have 2 kido's, live in the boon docks with a ton of animals to watch over, I'm working and in school. I was just officially accepted into the nursing program, so life will be nuts for what I'm sure will feel like about forever. (whew!) I'm so glad I'm still remembered, despite my absence.
Google it....yeah, somehow I hadn't thought of that, gee whiz, the easiest way to maybe find out and it didn't even occur to me. I'll have to post again when I find out what info is out there. I had heard about the leg color before, but not comb color.
I have used zip ties as leg bands in the past for marking broody hens, but not for much of anything else. I can see your point in leg band, charts, and dates......I just don't have the time. Right now I'm doing good to keep all their water from freezing through the winter, gathering eggs, and keeping everything clean. I was wondering, would keeping ages on them really help to tell if they are laying or not? It seems like maybe even with the ages, you might still end up with some in each age group that aren't laying, though I don't know for sure.
I never heard of checking a hens pelvic bones?
I know how to sex pigeons that way if the vent bones are finger wide female if close together male.
Of coures it only works on mature birds but it keeps me from getting cheated in to buying a bunch of males.
My mom had chickens up till last month and they were about 3 yrs old and still laid real good.
Isn't it that they don't really get to old to lay they just lay fewer eggs at longer intervals.
Thats what I thought. I read that every (always a few exceptions) have a set number of eggs in them. They begin laying and slowly lay less every year after the first two years. They may only lay 4 or 5 eggs a week verses 6 and so on. Perhaps the breeds have more to do with it. But really I believe some just slow up for the winter. A natural rest for their bodies. Then BOOM factory back in action. I dont know...maybe I read too many books. LOL
All mine go off and on i have 2 laying now i did have 8 laying and i actually have 29 hens so go figure that LOL
Oh and all but 5 are under 1 year old yea it's just the winter i believe.
You know Ladybugs, you really made a good point though. There are those breeds that don't hardly lay at all. I have four polish crested. They are eight months old and I have only gotten one egg between the four. We'll see what happens come spring. I talked online with some big outfits in Australia who raise only polish crested, both of them told me that they are very unreliable as layers and a good layer might lay one-two a week. Most lay about 3 monthly. EEK's Thats not getting your moneys worth is it. Right now I have twenty six layers and usually get between 16-twenty eggs daily. Sounds like you really have your hands full, school and all. I certainly hope everything goes well for you. Thats a bummer having your hubby so far away for work. Good luck Haystack
Here's what I've observed...
hens slack off during the winter months. Especially dual purpose breeds. Egg laying being light dependent.
Checking the width of the gap between the pelvic bones is a way of selecting a good, easy layer... narrow gap will cause difficulty passing large eggs. I've never heard of it going up and down.
All your birds are young enough that they will all start laying as the daylight/photoperiod increases. So I'd pick out the least typey of your breed... too long in the back, too narrow, poor comb, etc. because at this point they are all layers, just laying less during the winter.
Leg color... I've heard of it, I even used it, but now I dasn't 'member it. It's not as reliable as caging and counting how many eggs a hen lays in a week.
IMHO Jay