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The fact that we have over a dozen chickens left on the homestead, and have not collected one single egg in over a month, must be living proof that we have made the right decision to leave the farm life behind. The old biddies have a good excuse to have slowed down on their production, after all, a chicken can only be expected to lay for so long. Lucky for them they are grandfathered in due to their good looks, but the new pullets are dangerously close to being labeled as free loaders. Six month old egg machines that don't lay eggs have begun to raise this retired farming wife's suspicions. Our hope is to bring the flock (preferably an egg laying flock), chicken coop and all, to the new place next Spring. Until then, it looks like fake, white store bought eggs for all.
We have a flock of 6 month old replacement pullets, and MIGHT have gotten our first egg this morning. Not sure yet. I've found if we get chicks that turn 6 months old around August/September, then we will get eggs before Thanksgiving. If they wait to hit the laying age until after October, we've always had at least a couple start laying (very few eggs), but most seem to wait until days get longer in early spring. I'm amazed we are still getting any eggs at all (2-3 a day out of 17 hens), though, as we have locked ours in a dark barn for the winter, so their daylight is very limited. Hopefully, we will have better accomodations next winter.
ReplyDeleteI'll give you a laugh. This girl did not know chickens stop laying after a few years. Go ahead haha. Since July 2012 I have gotten 2 eggs. Store bought eggs are on our grocery list now a days. I'm giving them a home and feeding them well but they have become pets. I have thought about cooking them or finding them a new home. But guilt keeps me from doing either. The kids named them as chicks. They come when called by name. I guess I'm boarding a retired flock. Hope you get some real eggs soon. Prayers continue.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...we have SO much in common! :) You're not alone! We also have 6-month old "freeloaders" and I had to {finally} resort to buy yucky white fake eggs. And we have 30 chickens! We also have one, our hen Israel, who is broody and into week 2 on a nest. {I also just did a Blog post about our other similarities...and linked it to you.} Nice to FINALLY check in, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteWe're right there with you and rubbery store bought eggs. Yuck!
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