• About
  • Archive
  • Contact
The Greening of Gavin
  • Home
  • Our Green Shop
    • Little Green Workshops
  • Green Workshops
    • Cheese Making
    • Soap Making
    • Soy Candle Making
  • eBooks
    • Clay Oven eBook
    • Keep Calm and Make Cheese eBook
  • Podcast
    • TGOG Podcast
    • TGoG Podcast Archive
    • Little Green Cheese
  • Vlog
  • Cheese
  • Green Living
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Soap Making
    • Recipes
    • Climate Change
    • Peak Oil
    • Solar Power
  • Resources

Egg Famine

June 3, 2012 @ 20:28 By Gavin Webber 23 Comments

I just did the monthly egg tally, and the girls are certainly not earning their keep.

They laid a grand total of 17 eggs for the entire month of May.  There is a good reason however, and that is that they are moulting.  There are feathers everywhere, and it looks like I have killed, and plucked a few of them and scattered the feathers around the chook run!

Now if I did not keep a tally, I may have been very concerned, so I checked back in my egg book (yes I have a book to record eggs laid each day), and remarked to Kim that the hens only laid 41 eggs in May last year, which was the yearly minimum.  Around the winter solstice, the girls started to pick up the pace again.

We can only hope that this happens, because I am not running a retirement home for old battle axes.    The two oldest girls, Bunty and Edwina, are now 4 and three quarter years old, which is quite long in the tooth for ISA Browns.  In a commercial intensive farm, they are killed at about the 18 month mark, which is just before their first moult.  Sad, but true.

That being said the rest are still quite young, and the bantams and leghorns are laying, albeit every few days.  The four ISA browns have not popped out a bum nut for about three weeks.

I may just have to see what eventuates over the next few months, and make the difficult decision at that time.

For those of you with chickens, are you having a famine at the moment?

-37.6777778144.5686375

Will this article help someone you know? If so help them out by sharing now!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Chickens

← Volunteering Grass Roots June/July Edition →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. Linda says

    June 3, 2012 at 21:15

    Haven’t had an egg laid for ages. I’m feeding the chooks AND buying free range eggs!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    June 3, 2012 at 21:49

    Our chooks are doing a brilliant job……. we are getting 4 a day, every day from our 4 isa browns. So that’s 124 for May. Apparently this is very unusual locally (or so they tell us at the produce store where we buy feed). We’ll see if the cold slows them down. Love your egg book idea. Going to start one of those!

    Reply
  3. Sue says

    June 3, 2012 at 22:11

    our 5 girls have only started laying again this week after a 5 week break and a lot of moulting. We are now getting 2 eggs every 2 days, hopefully that will pick up soon.

    Reply
  4. Scott says

    June 3, 2012 at 22:21

    We have five bantums and they haven’t laid for months…. But we love them anyway.

    Reply
  5. Joyfulhomemaker says

    June 3, 2012 at 22:47

    Yesterday I met a lady that has been farming for the last 50 yrs and we where talking about chickens (we have 4 Isa browns left now) the rest are bantam wyandottes and we got 5 silkies from her..anywys she said because the Isa’s are hybrid breed for popping out eggs its kinda rough on their bodies and so you need to get new ones yearly to keep your egg supplies up… Isa’s were our first chickens ever when we moved here and knowing what i know now about them I will not get them again our bantams may not lay as fullon but they stand the test of time better IMO

    Reply
  6. Alli @ ducks on the dam says

    June 3, 2012 at 21:51

    My comment above wasn’t meant to be anonymous! Grrr. I struggle with your spam bot

    Reply
  7. Nallerang Creek Farm says

    June 3, 2012 at 23:22

    Yes, there’s an egg famine here too, although I have some younger hens coming on who may be laying soon. I haven’t had to buy any eggs so far, I’m just scraping through! Unfortunately I had a fox attack and have lost some of my best layers. 🙁

    Reply
  8. Michael says

    June 4, 2012 at 00:00

    Yep, I only got 5 in May from four chooks. Then I bought 2 more and one of the older ones prompty turn her claws up. Still no eggs so I bought another 2. I now have 7 (all Ise Browns at the moment) but the new ones were just starting to lay before I went away for a few weeks. It will be interesting to see how they’re going when I get back.

    The trick is to keep a rotation going. Buy point-of-lay chooks in Autumn and they will lay through the first winter and often through the second winter (although much fewer eggs). As they get older they slow down but the eggs get bigger. By the time they get to four they will really slow down but you will still get eggs in summer. Of course, a rotation only works if you can bring yourself to cull the older girls or find them a retirement home. That’s not an option for everyone.

    Hmmm, I might steal your idea Gav and post on this topic as well as it seems quite timely.

    Reply
  9. Sarah says

    June 4, 2012 at 01:38

    I found upping the protein in the chickens diet really helps. I use composting worms as a supplement but others swear by cat food (yuck). They need lots of protein to grow new feathers and it seems to help them get back up to speed on egg laying.

    Reply
    • farmer_liz says

      June 4, 2012 at 08:20

      Great idea, hope I will have spare worms by next winter!

      Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    June 4, 2012 at 01:56

    Chickens need light. If you increase the amount of light with a light bulb in the chook house to 13 hours per day they will think it is spring and start laying like crazy. I think 13 hours/day is the required number but a google search will no doubt confirm or deny it. I had mine on a timer for a few hours before dawn and a few hours after sunset which worked very well. The sudden lights out as opposed to a slow sunset confused them at first but there is some way of deminishing the light gradually so they will go to their perches. Perhaps an LED? I suppose the question is, does the artificial light go against the purist principals and does the cost of the electricity exceed the value of the additional eggs?
    David

    Reply
    • Michael says

      June 4, 2012 at 19:28

      Why don’t you try solar garden lights. They come on automatically at dusk and just run until the batteries get low. In winter this is usually about 4-5 hours. You will get all the light in the evenings but it will still add up to about 13 hours.

      Reply
  11. Kim says

    June 4, 2012 at 07:51

    Yep that happens this time of year here too. It’s just natural.There are some European breeds that lay over winter for longer but the isa browns are very much a commercial chicken. I would say they will start up again as it warms up …but when it is time to ‘change chickens’ , try some of the heritage breeds like Langhams and Wesummers which lay through the winter.

    Reply
  12. sailorssmallfarm says

    June 4, 2012 at 07:55

    I agree about giving them more protein – they really need it while they generate new feathers. The light thing is true, but probably better to do when they’re back in lay. I’ve been using hybrids for my laying flock for about a decade, usually ISA Browns, though this year I’m trying Red Rocks. ISA’s are bred for the commercial industry, and their bodies do tend to give out very young. You have done well with Bunty and Edwina, because usually these birds just plain wear out if they don’t get eggbound first. The other thing is that chickens lay significantly fewer eggs after their first molt – 1 every 3 or 4 days is about average, even less after the second molt. You probably can’t count on getting back to previous production levels with these birds. Feeding birds that don’t give you eggs is an expensive proposition, even considering the fertilizer and entertainment value they provide.

    Reply
  13. Michael from Canberra says

    June 4, 2012 at 09:01

    Hi Gavin,

    We went through a refresh recently. It took us 6 months of buying eggs and feed before we decided to dispatch them. It wasn’t an easy decision, and it was a very sad day for us, but now that the new flock have taken up their positions on the perch and we got our first egg from them on Saturday, we now feel more comfortable about our action. Everyone will be different though, but I did need to remind myself that every time I enjoyed a roast chook, I was essentially making the same decision to put down a bird.

    Over our last 3 years of urban chicken farming we have owned Hy-line Browns, ISA browns and Rhode Island Reds. After reflecting on each of their qualities we got 7 Hy-line browns. We found them to be more quiet than the ISA’s, they were more consistent than the Rhode Island, and never went broody.

    I accept that moulting, going off the lay and going broody are all natural behaviours that are are usually part of the package, but in our current situation, at this point in our lives, we are looking for hardy egg layers. They do live a good life though, and that is what is important to us.

    Reply
  14. Frogdancer says

    June 4, 2012 at 08:41

    I’m struggling with the same decision…

    Reply
  15. veggiegobbler says

    June 4, 2012 at 10:16

    Mine haven’t been laying much last month either. And then yesterday I discovered mites. Poor girls – got to get onto that now.

    Reply
  16. Kenzie says

    June 4, 2012 at 13:07

    Gavin,
    This is totally off the subject, but when you make Romano cheese, at what age would you wax it? Just at the one month mark when oiling would be? Seems soon compared to the parm. cheese.
    Thanks!
    Kenzie

    Reply
    • Gavin Webber says

      June 4, 2012 at 13:15

      Hi Kenzie.

      Yes, one month would be a good time to wax a small Romano. It needs to dry out enough so that the finished product is firm and dryer than, say, a cheddar.

      Gav

      Reply
  17. Jo says

    June 4, 2012 at 14:35

    15 Hens and 2-3 eggs a day. Very much an egg drought! Not sure l could cull any of them..

    Reply
  18. Enchanted Moments says

    June 4, 2012 at 17:23

    I am in SA and its getting colder here, but mine are yet to moult and we are still get five out of five most days, at the minimum 4…my girls are about 18 months old. Three white leghorn cross and 2 Isa Browns.

    Reply
  19. Michael says

    June 4, 2012 at 19:36

    I finally got around to stealing Gavin’s idea for a post, (I mean gaining inspiration 🙂 and penned a similar article here

    http://www.sixgorillas.com/2012/06/laid-off/

    that outlines how we manage our small flock.

    Reply
  20. Darren (Green Change) says

    June 6, 2012 at 10:01

    I’ve got 9 female ducks and 6 female chickens, and we’re getting 1 duck egg per day and a chicken egg every second day. Very expensive eggs!

    That said, we do eat the old ones and most of the young boys that hatch, so this time of year I prefer to think of the feed cost as producing meat rather than eggs :-).

    Reply

Comments build lively communities. Let me know your thoughts, but keep it clean and green! Spam is removed instantly. Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search This Blog

Follow my work

About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

Delve Into the Archives

Visit Our Online Simple Living Shop

Little Green Workshops

Latest Podcast Episode

Subscribe on iTunes

Top Posts & Pages

Strawbridge Family Inspiration
How To Remove Scaly Leg Mites
Building a Wicking Bed on Concrete
The Seven Stages Of Change
It's Not Easy Being Green TV series
Broad Bean Rust
Liveable Home Update - Glass Brick Window
VegTrug Fail
Black Aphids On Garlic
Veggie Curry and Rice Soup

Recent Awards

Recent Awards

Local Green Hero

Categories

Favourite Daily Reads

Debt Free, Cashed Up, and Laughing

The Off-Grid Solar House

Greener Me

The Rogue Ginger

Little Eco Footprints

Down To Earth

Surviving the Suburbs

Little Green Cheese

Eight Acres

The Witches Kitchen

TGOG Readers On-line

Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

Carbon Offset website

Copyright - Gavin Webber © 2023