Want winter eggs?

[Urban Homestead]

Trying to trick your hens into laying eggs through the use of artificial lighting wears their bodies out and makes it tougher to survive through winter. Besides that, hens can only produce a limited number of eggs so you're really just shortening her use and speeding her journey to the stew pot. A better solution is to raise winter-hardy birds like Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons that naturally continue to lay eggs during the colder months when the sun isn't out very long. Their egg production won't be as rigorous as it is during summer, but they will continue producing eggs with no harm coming to the birds and no need for artificial lighting.

 

[Jonny B Goode]

Good points, thank you for sharing that.

Another option is to get more hens then you think you need and stockpile the eggs you don't use in the summer. Like squirrels storing nuts. You see that expiration date on the carton of eggs you bought at the store? It's there because the process they go through to get to the store shortens their shelf life. You can keep farm eggs for a year if you need to and they're still good.

 

[Rosebud]

Thank you for the tip!! We are looking to add two or three chickens to our farm this coming Spring, so I will definitely look into these. I think they are quite lovely to look at. It would be great if we had fresh eggs throughout the entire year.

 

[fatcow]

Good points, thank you for sharing that.

Another option is to get more hens then you think you need and stockpile the eggs you don't use in the summer. Like squirrels storing nuts. You see that expiration date on the carton of eggs you bought at the store? It's there because the process they go through to get to the store shortens their shelf life. You can keep farm eggs for a year if you need to and they're still good.

i once stockpiled eggs packed into a bucket of salt. they kept and were edible after more than a year without refrigeration. the trick is to not wash the egg first and if you want to lesson the dehydration you can rubb them with whole butter before you salt them. but to be honest te eggs will keep just as long in a refrigerator but DONT WASH THE EGGS before you put them away. if you do they will spoil

 

[csafarmer]

Trying to trick your hens into laying eggs through the use of artificial lighting wears their bodies out and makes it tougher to survive through winter. Besides that, hens can only produce a limited number of eggs so you're really just shortening her use and speeding her journey to the stew pot. A better solution is to raise winter-hardy birds like Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons that naturally continue to lay eggs during the colder months when the sun isn't out very long. Their egg production won't be as rigorous as it is during summer, but they will continue producing eggs with no harm coming to the birds and no need for artificial lighting.

Very true, we have 16 hens, mix of Barred Rock and RI Red. In the summer we have more eggs than we can use, so we sell/barter a few to friends and neighbors. Yesterday I picked up 6 eggs from the coop; it was -10C outside (14F),we don't use artificial light or heat.

Good quality feed is important to egg production. We feed an organic layer mash 17% protein and supplement with grit and oyster shell. I tried to 'skimp' one year and just fed a mixed grain feed with a lower protein content. The birds were OK, but egg production fell to nothing in the winter.

 

[fatcow]

been raising chickens for over 50 years. always used a 40 watt bulb in the hen house on a timer in later years. tried to keep the light and daylight combo for 11 hours through the winter to keep egg production up. don't worry about the hens lasting. that is what the soup pot if for.