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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Robert Walton wrote:

> Your hens are doing good. Glad you found the culprit. I got 7 eggs 
> today, put a light on the hens a couple of weeks ago. I was down to 
> just a couple a day. I've got to do a count, but I doubt I'm getting 
> 50% lay with 7 eggs. Some of my hens are in the longest molt I've
> seen them in, though. Those won't be laying anytime soon.

My turken went through a molt that made her almost bald,,,,,I was
worried, but that was before Thanksgiving, she looks better now than she
has in her two years<g>.
I've never had a light on my birds to increase laying.  I've always
carried enough hens so that even one or two eggs a day is enough.  For
me, I was really affected by seeing how battery chickens are stressed,
so I kind of vowed to myself that I would not feed meds, hormones, have
extra lights, small spaces, etc.  Turning on a light for a few weeks a
year isn't that big of a deal, but I've just never found it necessary.
Of course, you live further north than I do, and that makes a difference
in the amount of light a bird gets.

> I butchered all the red hens last summer. They were RIR and over two 
> years old. I needed to lower numbers and decided just to keep the 
> younger hens. The old RIR hens layed better in winter. I've got a few
>  Marans, White Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and a few daughters coming in. 
> I'm finally down to one rooster, a Marans.

Marans, a breed I've never had.  Obviously you like them?  I have heard
good things about them-seem to recall they are good winter layers...


> I was thinking about switching to Delawares in the spring to see how 
> the young roos dress out. If they grow nicely, I'll keep a couple of 
> roos and some hens. I just butchered some of the MaransX roosters and
>  they dressed out nicely at about 4 months.

Did you feed your roosters any differently than your pullets?
This is something I am debating, whether or not to feed the meat birds
more protein.

Bev

--
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to
hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda