The hens have been spending their days in the Coop since it snowed. They generally won’t leave the coop if they can’t see the ground under the snow. This morning they were still roosting, sleeping late you might say.
Since it’s been warm out (above freezing) I’ve been opening the door to get some light and fresh air in the coop. But when it’s very cold, I leave the door shut. We do have a light in the coop too. Jon likes to joke that since they’re not reading they don’t need a light.
Some people put lights in the coop to keep the hens laying eggs, but that doesn’t seem to work with our chickens. Maybe it’s because I’m not consistent about it.
I did find a frozen egg in the barn last week but I have no idea how long it was there.
The hens are six years old. I always thought they’d stop laying eggs when they got older, but I’ve read that’s not true. And ours may not lay as many eggs and as often as they used to, but they still give us one to two a day in the warm weather.
Chickens do stop laying eventually. Basically, every chicken can produce X number of eggs over the course of a lifetime. If you trick them into laying all winter, they will cease producing at a younger age than if you allow them to have breaks.
Oh interesting about tricking them into laying Lauren. Thanks!