how well/often do araucanas/americanas lay eggs?

-- C (punk_chicadee@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002

Answers

Pretty steady. My chicken women like to HIDE their eggs like the bantams do. I'd say 5 eggs every week from each of my Americanas. If I find them.

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), April 03, 2002.

My araucanas lay an egg a day, mostly green ones. I love to add those green eggs to the batch of browns, sure looks nice when selling! -Jeanie

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Jeanie Whiting, On-The-Farm Newsletter Author of "Farm Animals, Your Guide to Raising Livestock" and "Pigs and other stories" URL: http://www.FoxMtnPublishing.com ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

-- Jeanie Whiting (rjwhiting@ncidata.com), April 03, 2002.

depends where you are also,, mine are just starting to lay ,, didnt get anything all winter from them,, now I get one a week from each of them

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 03, 2002.

I get about 5 a week out of each of my three aracauna hens now that they are laying again. When the weather is cold they almost quit laying entirely. I have two green layers and one brown. One green layer lays eggs so big they won't fit in the large sized egg cartons that come from the store. We used the green and brown eggs to hide for our grandkids at Easter. Didn't have to dye them, they are so pretty on their own. Sometimes the brown one comes out speckled and then it's really pretty. (Can eggs be pretty?)

-- cindy palmer (jandcpalmer@sierratel.com), April 03, 2002.

My girls quit for several weeks during the winter, but they are elderly... 5 & 6 years old. Once February rolled around, though, they picked back up and are going great guns now! debra in nm

-- debra in nm (goatgirl@unm.edu), April 03, 2002.

Mine (Americanas) lay 5 or 6 a week average per hen. We keep about 30 laying hens and hatch out about 30 more each month in the incubator. Some of these are sold and some are kept for replacements. I have a buyer for the roosters at $5.00 at 12 weeks and $4.00 for the hens,same age. So I always have $100.00 emergency stash of chickens,just in case. Mine lay year round but, I do keep a light on them for 12 hours in the winter. Daryll

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

My Americaunas do as others mentioned and quit entirely for the winter. But for the rest of the year, they are as regular as can be with their gorgeous blue and green eggs (and I had one hen - dog got her - who laid rose-colored eggs). I've also noticed that they are the best foragers of the flock (and I have about 8 different breeds), so eat less feed for most of the year while they're free-ranging. The Leghorn/Rock crosses and my little banties lay pretty much year 'round, but those beautifully tinted eggs sure do start some conversations!

-- Andrea Gauland, Big Flats NY (andreagee@aol.com), April 03, 2002.

My experience with my Americaunas has been about what everyone else's here has been. Our chickens go through a natural moult each Fall and take the months of Dec, Jan., and Feb. off from laying. Last summer, they were almost all laying an egg a day. Now, after the "dry spell" of winter, we're getting eggs again -- about 3 eggs a day from 7 hens. I expect this rate to increase as the days get longer. Please note: My hens are four years old (!) and the eggs this year are bigger than ever, ranging in color from a Robin's egg blue, olive, aqua, and one peachy-beige layer. (I'd love to get a pink layer.) Incidentally, I have a Rooster of indeterminate breeding in with them. One of their daughters who hatched out last Spring is just starting to lay blue/green eggs as well, so the trait for colored eggs must be dominant. (A banty hatched her out, not one of the Americaunas). I really enjoy these breed of chicken and have been very satified with the level of laying and the quality/size of the eggs.

-- Cheers, Renee M.

-- Renee Martin (icehorse@altelco.net), April 04, 2002.

My Araucanas lay about 6-7 a week each and they also layed during the summer because we had a light going in their house all winter and made a warm house for them. My Araucanas lay cute blue and green eggs ^_^

-- Sarah in OK (Princessmeatballhead@yahoo.com), April 04, 2002.

ditto. love the blue and green had a pink layer too, she's gone now :( also have banty aracaunas-prolific layers, colored eggs, permanent broody. unintentionally hatched out about 50 chicks over the winter. aaagh!

-- laura (okgoatgal@hotmail.com), April 05, 2002.