I've kept a small flock of laying hens for 30 years or more and I'm aware of the effect of shorter days on production, as well as age of the hens.

Typically, I get a half-dozen or so "second hand" hens in the Fall from folks that are strictly production oriented and turn their flocks over annually. This usually provides me with at least a few eggs over the Winter.

This year my source was unavailable and my flock is aging out anyway and production dropped to zero around the first of December. Not unexpected.

My daughter has a small flock as well and she extolled the virtues of something called "Best Eggs Ever" which is basically a potpourri with various aromatic herbs. Swore it started her birds laying again. I figured what the hell, I'll give it a whirl.

Well, I damned if my birds haven't started laying again since I started sprinkling a little in each nest every 2-3 days. I'm wary of confusing correlation with causation so I'm wondering if anyone knows of or suspects a reason there might be a connection. Don't think day length has changed enough yet to spur laying.

The only thing I can think of...and it's WAAAAY out there...is that chickens have a sense of smell (do they?) and it's tricking them into thinking it's Spring. Damned thin, but it's all I've got.

Stoner birds don't know what day it is, might as well lay and egg or three, might get the munchies and want an omolette.

It's not like they can fly down the the corner store and snag a bag of Doritos...

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
The only thing I can think of...and it's WAAAAY out there...is that chickens have a sense of smell (do they?) and it's tricking them into thinking it's Spring. Damned thin, but it's all I've got.

Not way out there at all. Chickens, and most poultry, sense of smell develops while still in the shell.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Stoner birds don't know what day it is, might as well lay and egg or three, might get the munchies and want an omolette.

It's not like they can fly down the the corner store and snag a bag of Doritos...

Hmmmm...that might explain their tiny little pupils...

As I've always understood it, their lack of laying during the winter has to do with a lack of daylight more than anything else. I have a lamp on a timer keeping it light inside the henhouse until 2100 in the winter and mine keep laying every day.

Ha !!

I didn't think chickens were birds, and I've never seen a chicken in the waiting room of an animal hospital.

This sounds like a chicken farmer question. Do we have any chicken farmers in the house ?

quote:

My daughter has a small flock as well and she extolled the virtues of something called "Best Eggs Ever" which is basically a potpourri with various aromatic herbs. Swore it started her birds laying again.

I’m interested in this, particularly if it works, might get some of ours laying again.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:

I’m interested in this, particularly if it works, might get some of ours laying again.

Well, they went from nothing to 3-4 eggs a week which, considering the age of my birds, is a pretty good result IMO.

Best Eggs Ever from Chewy

Paul you just need to get the chickens happy, ya know, In The Mood, know whut I mean???

Here's Ray Stevens with In The Henhouse 5 Plus Two. Let the mother cluckers cluck:

I can't help it, every time I scroll by this thread title I think of...