Hen Slow-Down

Our three hens are now almost two years old, and I am noticing a definite slow-down in egg production from last year, which becomes apparent every time the weather turns cold again. 

 Last month, with daytime temperatures hovering in the 70's and the nights down into the 30's, egg production began picking back up again, after a lull in our very chilly December. Last month, I was getting at least one egg a day, sometimes two.  And that was a good thing, because I used a lot of eggs over the holidays and was able to build a little reserve of a dozen or so back up, there whenever I needed some.

But since our weekend storm, we've had freezing temperatures at night once again, and the days have only gotten into the 50's.  And the girls know it.  At this rate I will get only three or four eggs a week, which is barely enough to keep the kitchen stocked.  My reserves are used up again. It seems like as fast as those eggs get layed, I'm using them in recipes.

The solution is, obviously, a couple more fluffy balls of cuteness once Chick Days starts in earnest at the farm supply stores around town.  I'm thinking right now I want one Plymouth Barred Rock and one Auracauna. And maybe one more to be determined.

It will be nice to hear the peeping of little cheepers again....or is that the cheeping of little peepers? 

Either way, fluffy explosions of cuteness very soon, with colorful eggs to follow.