Gathering eggs

[fitzw]

Last week, when I started gathering eggs, we were getting numbers in the 20s and 30s.
This week, we're getting numbers in the 50s.

But I think that one of those hens is part duck, if not part goose...

Comments

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

The increase in eggs is interesting. I thought egg production was directly related to light exposure, and the numbers decrease in fall. Any idea what might be the cause for the increase - or do you think it's just a fluke for a week ? I have heard of people increasing production with the addition of electric lights in the hen house, playing music and so forth. I do not have chickens of my own, but I keep running into several stories about people's experiences and i kind of file the information in a mental "you never know what will happen to keep this incase" kind of file.

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

Two factors are at work here to increase the egg production:

1. These hens are still young enough that they haven't reached their full laying potential (~1 egg per hen per day) — we have about 90 hens, so we're just over 50% production at this point.
2. The chicken rooms (they're in a section of the barn) do have electric lights, set on a timer to give them about 15 hours of light (CFLs) a day — They turn on early in the morning, I turn them off when I gather eggs at dawn, and they turn on again for part of the evening.

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

So once again it seems age is as important as human intervention ! Makes total sense that their age also factors into egg production. I often think about these sorts of factors when I look at the eggs in the supermarket. Thanks !

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly, about the age being important. Since we got these hens as chicks back in the spring, they didn't start laying until mid-September.

Our chickens aren't free range — the barn isn't set up to allow for easy access to the outdoors from the rooms, but they are free to roam around the rooms at will (it's called "cage free"). We've been thinking about how to allow them outdoors into a fenced area, but that will be waiting until the spring.

Personally, I'd prefer not to use the lights, but at least that's minimal intervention. Plus, they will often roost at night before the lights go out.

Trust me, I think about these sorts of things when I see eggs in the supermarket myself.

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

[I posted this comment once already — I wonder why it didn't show up.]

There are two factors at work to explain the increase in egg production:

1. They're young hens, and haven't reached their full egg laying potential.
2. There are electric lights in the chicken rooms, to give them a fixed period of light each day.

[lady-jade-01.livejournal.com]

How about a Parent Update?

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

Parents, yup, I have two of them.

:-P

We visited my father in his single-occupancy room today, brought him something to read. He gave me more chores to do. :-D