How often do Ameraucanas lay eggs?

[Guest]

Greetings all.

Just a quick one here: how often do Ameraucans lay eggs? (number of eggs per year or week).

Thanks much.

--Ron

[John]

I haven\'t ever taken a count of how many eggs a hen lays per year or for any time period.  Most Ameraucana black, blue and white large fowl have Australop ancestors and are very good layers.

[bantamhill]

Here in Missouri they are definitely seasonal since I do not do any supplemental lighting. I would agree with John that the white, blue, and black seem to be the best layers. I try to hatch from the best layers early and late in the season to genetically improve the laying rate. I would suspect one would get around 200 eggs a year from some hens. Some of my bantams definitely out produce the large fowl.

Michael

[Paul]

  Egg production varies within different lines.  Most of our black and blue Ameraucanas lay every other day - three to four eggs per female per week.  The pullets are good layers throughout the winter months with the proper lighting, which is 12 to 14 hours per day.  Our timer turns the lights on at 4:00am and off at day light.  It usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks to bring the pullets which are mature enough into production after starting the lights.  The older hens are a lot slower to start production during the winter.  They will be in full production in the Spring when the temperature gets warmer.  Most Ameraucanas are good egg producers.  Genetics, environment, climate, length of day, time of year, nutrition and flock health play a big part of egg production.

[Guest]

Thank you all.

I got my first egg on 12/12 and have had five more since. I have three pullets -- two wheatens and a silver. I think one of the wheatens started laying as they\'re bigger than the silver who\'s the baby of the bunch; so I\'m just trying to guesstimate.

I\'m going to wait another month or so before I start simply letting the eggs set and seeing if they\'ll hatch.

--Ron