Last year I did the end of year egg count in January because Smoke and Shadow laid throughout December. Sadly we lost them both this spring. Snowflake stopped laying at the end of November and Sugar had stopped laying at the end of October so we have no girls laying now and I don’t expect any eggs until spring.
It’s been a sad year for losses with Shadow, Smoke, Spot, Flame and Saffron all departing. Only the three seramas remain from last year. New comers are Storm, Gold and Snowflake in February. We then got Dot in May and Diamond in August.
Last year Flame laid 77 eggs and this year in five months she laid 49. Flame stopped laying at the end of June and we lost her in September.
Last year Salmon laid 47 eggs and this year hasn’t laid at all.
Last year Spangle laid 31 eggs and this year laid 5 in April and May.
I think that at five years old Salmon and Spangle have probably reached the end of their egg laying days. I am not sorry if this means that they remain healthy and they are now the oldest seramas I have had.
Last year Sugar laid 57 and this year laid 53. She has been the most consistent due to her monthly broody spells. She averages 8 eggs per month.
Storm laid 55 eggs in three months as her breed has a short season. She laid in May, June and July.
Gold laid 86 eggs and stopped laying at the end of August.
Snowflake laid 137 eggs and is way ahead as our best layer.
Dot laid 20 eggs over a five month period while moulting in between. She is in her second year.
Saffron laid 17 eggs in one month before we lost her.
Diamond hasn’t started laying yet. I have read that when her breed matures late in the year they usually start laying the following spring plus she had gape worm when she came to us which took a while to get rid of.
Last year we had a total of 449 eggs. This year we have had a total of 442 eggs.
I have just been researching Diamond’s breed and it says that they don’t go broody and lay well. They lay pale brown eggs that are a good size for bantam hens. I am looking forward to seeing how she lays and am hopeful that she will take over from Flame with some bigger eggs.
I am really hoping that the flock will remain settled now and that we can keep these girls healthy and happy and won’t be needing to add more girls for a good while. Even with very few serama eggs we have enough girls to keep us in plenty of eggs next year and I am grateful for all the eggs that they lay.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Lovely to have all thoes eggs. Let us hope tat thegirls you have now will live long healthy lives.
It is lovely to have so many eggs. I just realised that I forgot to put the year’s total in which I have now just added. We had 442 eggs this year. I am really really hoping that they live long healthy lives.
I am surprised that Snowflake has laid the most as all that I’ve read says that Japanese bantams are not good layers but I suppose she is an exception to the rule. I really thought that Gold would be your best layer.
I am still having some eggs at the moment as my new hens haven’t long come into lay. I’m not sure if Jasmine (at 6) is still laying because I can’t tell between them!
Sophie x
Gold and Snowflake were laying the same amount of eggs each month but Gold stopped laying three months earlier than Snowflake which is why Snowflake’s total is much higher. It may be different next as they are first year girls and Gold moulted more than Snowflake this year.
I have just looked up Snowflake’s breed and it says between 100 and 160 eggs per year so at 137 she is right in the middle of this range. Storm is supposed to be a poor layer due to her short three month season but Sugar lays just as few because she is always broody. It is lovely that you are still getting some eggs x
So close in total to last year! The summary is quite eye-opening, not least because it details how many girls are no longer alive. It’s a shame you have no layers but you are so right that, if they’re healthy, that’s what matters most and what a blessing if those who had problems are no longer in lay. We are getting spasmodic eggs, usually with very poor shells, from the older girls. Two of the leghorns have started to lay, but only every third day, but it is nice to have a few eggs in the tray.
I have had two light sussex bantams over the past several years, but only one now. She was a persistent broody last year!
I think the total of eggs was so similar to last year because with new girls the total of birds has remained constant. I too was shocked by how many girls we have lost but to put it into perspective two were seramas with egg laying problems which is what lead me to decide not to have them again and Flame was elderly. Oh dear to your broody light sussex having just read that they don’t usually go broody. I hope Diamond turns out not be a broody one but it’s the luck of the draw I suppose!