Getting More Eggs This Way Really Works...

[@willyboukhris3172]

Hi, I raise both in France. just for you to know, once you have tasted bresse, all the other breed are taste less. the cou nu ( prononce "koonu" as Urugway), lay eggs during winter. rather than the bress lay during the good season. Don't hesitate to contact me if you want some tricks, i raise bress for 20 years

[@giveregard2truth502]

I have Bresse questions

[@theherbwalker7000]

Have you noticed a difference between hatchery chickens and chickens you get from smaller breeders? We've had terrible luck with hatcheries, including not getting the breed of chicken that we were supposed to be buying. It was some sort of cross breed. From smaller breeders we get really nice birds.

[@debbiecable6968]

The rooster got in a fight and now his eye "is broken". I LOVE IT. You are such a good papa and the kids are going to grow up respecting all animals just like you! Thank you Simeon for sharing your life with us!!!

[@Rowdymotmot]

I love the chickens. I am so glad you give them a rest time. I do think they have seasons to lay eggs and rest times in the Winter. Such a cool thing to learn about chickens laying. They notice the daylight change even if we don't.

[@kathynunnery7326]

Just subscribed after watching just one video. You are a kind an genuine person and I look forward to see more of your homestead journey❤️

[@thekatt...]

This channel is one of my top 4 favourite farming related channel . Along with Sandi Brock, Hoof GP and Goldshaw Farms. Thank you Simeon, for all you do to educate us on all aspects of homesteading . I have to say...I just love your pig breed , and your cows. Makes so much sense in colder climates. ❤️❤️❤️🇨🇦☕️☕️

[@daveberntson4081]

Thanks for the info. My chickens (I only have about 8 hens) stopped laying completely somewhere around Halloween. I was surprised when they started laying again after solstice. I thought it was just a coincidence. I didn't know others had the same experience. Edit: I also noticed their appetite has increased quite a bit. Edit #2: The afternoons have been lengthening since about the middle of December, but the mornings (sunrise to noon) keep shortening until around the New Year. But the shortest day is still solstice.

[@T289c]

This miracle is probably true for birds under 2 years old. My chickens are a bit older and stopped laying in November and have not started back up yet. My flock ranges from 2-6 years old. And believe it or not, my oldest hens are the best layers!

[@PowerTom286]

Hi Simeon, amazing that they notice the days getting longer again two days after.

[@christineortmann359]

So exciting to see your farm growing in numbers. Great job.

[@RAYOFSONLITE]

So grey here too. Even 15 minutes of sunshine is welcome. Mild and rainy too. Wishing sunshine to you.

[@dobsonfarm493]

Queen Bees react the same way to that day. It's their que to start laying also.

[@CarolinaGirlCreationZ]

Aww! I'm so glad I found your channel. You seem to be one of the most down to earth people! I am very much enjoying your channel! Cheers from eastern NC in the US!

[@mrmacgregorshomestead233]

This was my first vid of yours that i watched. Not too bad. I have the same mindset in that i let my chickens rest as well. Nature knows what she is doing. I dont like messing with that. I subscribed solely on that piece of information u stated. Hoping this is a beautiful relationship via KZbin. I will be watching your other vids to try to catch up 😆 Happy New Year to u and your family. Blessings from Michigan and Mr. MacGregor's Community Homestead

[@gardankoi]

Our egg production jumped right after the winter solstice. In USA, all Heritage breeds are readily available, in addition to hybrids.

[@yetundesowemimo4113]

Please kindly show us how your chickens incubator was constructed.

[@Imperatrix_Mundi]

What a change the seasons bring! My hens suddenly started laying January 2nd, after no eggs for months.

[@mariamarcucci6556]

Same here. Nothing for months and now a dozen everyday:-) weird!

[@kiddobee3610]

Watching chickens hatch is fascinating!

[@pinemeadowshobbyfarmafruga8319]

Hi Simeon. I have that same issues with my chickens. Right now I get none. I'm considering that breed of cow you have because I live near Crater Lake and we get a lot of snow.

[@HansQuistorff]

My old hens have not started laying yet but i hope they will soon. Because of our mild winters here I can move them to fresh grass each day, They are cleaning the grass out of my summer garden soil while fertilizing it and removing pests.

[@1rdgrnnr]

I want to wish you and your family a great and prosperous 2020 !!!!

[@hermitld]

A good time for a miracle, thanks for bringing us along on your journey. Happy new year!

[@davidj.mackinney6568]

Are the new chickens naked necks? Praying you will have a prosperous year, physically, relationally, financially, and spiritually. Love your channel and family.

[@lararabb8888]

Glad the chickys are feeding you again!

[@bigunone]

Friend of mine had thought their chickens weren't laying then they found one broody hen with 25 eggs under her! Now they are just waiting to see how many hatch, if any

[@kathijordan3232]

Happy New Year to you and your beautiful family! Love seeing the kids so happy to help! May the good Lord continue to bless you in the new year!

[@jnpg]

Nice video, Simeon. Our hens started laying after adding a rooster. And yes. The solstice matters.

[@Thumpfy]

Ich macht das alles mit soviel Herz, immer wieder schön eure Videos zu sehen 💚 liebe Grüße aus Österreich, Thumpfy

[@shirleyj5885]

My pullets started laying 22/23 of Dec. My older girls haven't started laying again yet. I live in the very deep south and never use artificial light. Like you I prefer to let nature run it's course. I love watching how your homestead grows and evolves.

[@BerryMountainHomestead]

That's fantastic to hear about the chicken miracle! Way to go girls!

[@katepowell1051]

Lovely video!!!!!!!!

[@JoshuaSmithHomesteader]

I use a plastic barrel with a water nipple for pigs. Works great.

[@davidb5978]

This time of year the hours of daylight are short and that causes egg production to drop off. You need to set up a lightbulb to give them a few more hours of light. My Father learned about this trick back in the 1930's and it works.

[@glendaroten703]

To Uncle Simeon and aunt Alex, From your nephew, Landen, in Oregon. I am 6 years old now and in kindergarten. I like how you are so nice and I wish you could come here to Oregon to visit me so you could see my family. Great grandma and I like to watch your videos. I like the chickens and your pigs and the cows. I love everything on your farm. I would like to visit your farm and play with my cousins. Bye, Landen

[@thechickenwire6136]

Our chickens hadn’t laid since October. I had a dream on New Year’s Eve that our chickens had laid so many eggs that they were starting to break them. So of course I went out right away the next day to check and they had started laying eggs! Maybe I instinctively knew that the season had changed enough for them to start laying again? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Svetlenisthebest]

winter solstice is lasting for about a week, the day starts growing around 29-30 of December i think :)

[@saemushailstorm3135]

both visually & story interesting !

[@graciegolden2290]

Super dupers. Blessings to you and yours from Tn in the states.

[@WendyK656]

Happy New year 2020 Simeon , Alex and kids ! I am so happy that y'all are getting eggs. We have had the same with very gray in Wisconsin as well and a mild so far winter too. Awe look at all those baby chicks, they are adorable.

[@gardenlady1293]

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[@MarcvanExel]

Happy new year for you and your family!

[@markmorris3579]

It's good to see you back!

[@kathryngagne5813]

That happened with our layers too! Could not figure out why. Now I know, thanks!

[@mariadi1069]

Happy New year!

[@Bamaman14k]

You know I had heard about that with the chickens, but I live in the deep South in the United States. When I had chickens I don't remember the egg production either dropping off or picking up much. Like today it was 75°f or 23°c. What a cool thing to happen. Jimmy

[@battles146]

Happy 2020 to you and yours Simeon! may this year and the coming decade be full of Blessings for you!

[@glendarousseau5736]

Happy New Year going to try leaving my chickens like you thanks

[@judithburke1539]

Happy New Year! May God continue to bless you and your family endeavors throughout the coming year.

[@susansharphaynes555]

My Great Grandsons name is Simeon!

[@chelemichele1524]

Have a great evening ⛄⛄⛄

[@veefriend4201]

Very interesting. Thank you for the hint. I intend to do the same with my little flock of ten Cream Legbars that were gifted to me. Starting today - down to the coop to unplug the timer and let them do their thing from now on. See how it goes.

[@nthpottery8453]

Thanks for this update, everything there looking amazing. Nice one.

[@ciaobella8963]

Happy New Year Simeon. God bless you and your family in every way. Greetings from Italy.

[@simeonandalex]

Thank you. Same to you. Where in Italy are you?

[@onedayatatime7378]

I have naked necks and they are great. They do lay large to extra large eggs.

[@stephaniechavez9422]

merry christmas and happy new year to you simeon and your family!

[@sonyhk3824]

Nice and good luck 🍀

[@kathrynjoseph2599]

Did you ever find out how your flock of chickens disappeared last year, Simeon? It looks like your doing a grand job reestablishing that part of the homestead.

[@marianfrances4959]

Beautiful....😊 🇨🇦

[@edwardkeenan6138]

I heard your son say do they like the light on all the time have you heard about the heating light with out the light . I raise chickens in California just wondering if you know anything about that..watching your show for awhile got me raising chickens and I have a couple turkeys I started off with three chickens but now I have close to more 30 hens and Counting thanks hope you and your family have a blessed year

[@cherylwilliams81]

Great video! Beautiful music!💕

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

Happy new year to you and yours, Simeon. Our chickens must be slackers. They did not start laying again on the 23rd... sad.

[@4KidsandaFarm]

I have heard great things about the Bresse especially their phenomenal table quality.

[@RidgeLife]

Awesome! Thx for the story. We hope our channel @RidgeLife can be as entertaining!!!

[@shermdog6969]

This is what ours done. What did we do? Got a rooster.

[@bradpayn8058]

If you're into chickens to make a little money, selling eggs, or selling meat, you really do need to use birds bred for that, the lights for laying, special food to get more meat faster, or eggs, but you also need to stay on top of culling and removing birds too old for peak performance of laying. You were right on about the lights and giving the hens a rest, but there is a little more on that that you didn't get into, or maybe didn't consider. All hens have all the eggs already in them that they'll ever have when they hatch. There is not hardly any difference in the high production egg layers, and the slower laying heritage breeds. The biggest difference is the high production breeds were bred to start laying sooner, and to lay steadier. Lights keep them laying more of those eggs all the time. However, there were still only the same amount of eggs to begin with. Typically a high production bird with supplemental light may begin laying in four months and have a peak laying span from 8 months to 24 months laying an egg almost every day, but lose 20-30% of their production in the following 12 months, and another 20-30% in their 4th year, and so on. Profitable farms have culled them before this. That is where the profit comes from getting as many of those eggs as quick as they can with less feed due to a shorter useful lifespan, and why chicken nuggets are cheap. A lot of homesteader types figure this old girl already payed her way, I'll just keep her around and let her retire here and add some young girls to keep the eggs coming. Nothing wrong with that, but she may be nearing 5 and only giving a few eggs a month, and eventually none while eating the same amount feed . So if you're too kind, you may end up feeding two or three times, or more birds to get the eggs you were getting on year two. On the other hand, a good steady medium producer, say a Barred Rock or Buff Orpington of many examples, may only be laying 3 to 5 eggs a week typically at their peak, and less if you don't turn the lights on, or you let them go broody and raise a clutch a time or two, but they may not begin that production decline until they are 3 or 4 years old, then they don't tend to drop production as fast, maybe 10-20% a year, until they too get to a few eggs a month and eventually none, but it may take 6 or 7 years. You may still end up getting younger hens, but you'll need fewer, and you won't need them as soon, so if you're keeping those old hens around, you may only need to end up with 1.5 times the birds in five years, or 2x in 7 years to get the eggs you were getting year two. I tend to keep my old hens around and add a few every other year or so, and a few seem to always get lost along the way. I'm not making any kind of a judgment on anybody that does chickens either way, just pointing out that there is more than one way to see production, and reminding everyone that chickens (well all animals) the females come into this world with all the eggs that they'll ever have. You can breed them, and light them to get all those eggs as quick as you can, or prolong it to get a slower longer production span, or anything in between, but in the end it's still around the same total. So far I haven't ever heard, or even know if it's possible, to breed a breed that starts life with many more eggs in the ovaries. Backyard chicken raisers who can only have a few birds really need to consider this carefully before they begin. Let's say their town allows six hens, Do you want a lot of eggs the first two or three years, then pets that produce less and less the next five or so? As pets, are you willing to cull a few in three years, and say replace two three year olds with two pullets each year after?, Cull them all and get 6 fresh layers?, or would you rather start out with less production, but still be getting a useful amount of eggs for four or five years from the original birds? Eventually there will still be culling, or keeping for pet, decisions to be made, but they are getting nearer to the tail end of their lifespan when you decide. All of these answers are correct to different people for different reasons, but need be considered when choosing a breed. If you're willing to do diligent culling, the earliest and highest producers will fit you best. If you want to keep all your pets as long as you can, but still keep getting some eggs too, remember that every day that she doesn't lay an egg should be made up for someday when she does. A medium producer may be better for you.

[@brucea550]

That’s fairly thorough regarding quantity but what about quality? If you are forcing through artificial lighting etc. which may stress the hen, are you getting as good quality eggs?

[@bradpayn8058]

@@brucea550 Probably not, but I think that has more to do with what you feed them than it does with how often they lay. If you are seriously thinking of having a profitable egg farm, you would want to experiment and study how to invest as little in feed per egg as you could get by with. I can only tell you for sure, that if you feed them as I do, like pets, with quality egg laying feed, blended with grains according to the season, and let them free range as well as giving them treats, mealworms and flock blocks, according to the season, that chickens that have access to all they can eat are pigs. They waste a lot of food, and yet never seem to get full. Those eggs are awesome, but honestly, probably cost far more than even the best organic free range eggs at the store. You may sell a few, but if you can sell enough to help cover a good portion of your feed bill, you're not doing it for profit. That is for where I live any way, high enough in the Rockies, 7,000', that there is snow on the ground 4 to 6 months of the year, and many days that chicken don't even leave their coup even with the door left open. I'm sure that each location where chickens get raised is altogether different. One would have to monitor and calculate their own costs according to their own individual environment and feeding regime to answer this for themselves.

[@MartinLV.]

Happy 2020!

[@the60s87]

Paws and claws cat food more protein will help them to start laying more eggs it worked for me

[@ericjohnson1008]

The breese is one that I am looking for this year. I haven't heard of the new breed over here yet, but I haven't looked yet either.

[@tonygrimes13]

Eric Johnson - It's spelled *Bresse*

[@vickykirkland6629]

Happy new year guys 🍾🥂🥰

[@scotiacustom]

You pronounced it alright. I have cou nou. they taste great and are very easy to process. Mine get up to 3 kilo or so. Im not using them for eggs though. Sussexx for that.

[@slycat1939]

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing with us. Your chickens , pigs and cattle look great. May you continue to receive the blessings from our Lord. God bless you and all your family always.

[@simeonandalex]

Thank you

[@stickerscat]

Amazing that the pigs are not going after the hens!

[@bernadettejeffers7533]

Love my butter knife!

[@maxinedurling3425]

Have you looked at Icelandic Chickens to add to your breeding program

[@simeonandalex]

Yes, but they forage well and produce yummy eggs but cannot compete with the stronger dual purpose breeds. They are great for a little homestead though.

[@TyroniuzOz]

Soooo, I would love to try breeding different ones for the low price of a plane trip, residency, and my own 5 acres of land lol 😁

[@lafingpiggon2035]

Hej från Sverige

[@christinehulmes]

How is Lucky coping after being weaned?

[@chrisfryer3118]

I don't expect eggs from my bantams until March at 52'N, but I'm not going to use artificial light, as I too respect the rest period.

[@1garandm]

Hello,Awhile ago you had a hatching video with bielefelder chicks,do you still have them? if so how long did it take them to start laying eggs..if you do not have anymore what happened..thanks,john maine,usa

[@karenmccleary7616]

I wish my chickens would start laying again. I get anywhere from 0-2 eggs/day and have 10 hens.

[@kathijordan3232]

I wish you well for your chickens this year 2020! Happy New Year!

[@user-1A-2A]

I live in north central wisconsin that often goes well below zero F, and my chickens free range all day, but are in the coop at night. All my chickens lay 6 out of 7 days a week all year long. I learned from Becky’s homestead to give them lots of protein. I supplement with soldier fly larva, tuna in water, canned cat food, dog Gaines burgers broken up, pumpkin pie, whole grain or 12 grain bread, cheese, sprouted whole oats or peas, and especially scrambled eggs with oatmeal mixed in at the end. Also I feed a good multi-flock like Kents for its high protein. Since i have some turkeys the multi-flock takes care of their high protein needs too. Calcium in the form of pulverized shells are necessary for egg production. Chick grit to help digest all that food. Try some of these things and remember that a chicken never gets full :) With that even some 3rd year chickens will lay wellHope that helps

[@thechickenwire6136]

@chrisbeck I have heard so many people say nutrition has nothing to do with how much chickens are laying but I always wondered if that was really true. Glad to hear you get good results without adding additional lighting. I am going to see what I can do to start increasing nutrition in my flock.

[@user-1A-2A]

I also keep one rooster. I dont know if that encourages the girls or not. I understand some people cant have a rooster. I have always subscribed to more food the better for chickens. Making eggs takes so much from their body. They cant form a strong shell without addition of calcium. They will eat the oyster shell or other on there own. I dont put it in the feed because of being harmful to young chicks and roosters. I run a heater bulb in the coop and some panels. They still get some frostbite but sleep fine with the red bulb. Put some on your chickies 😍

[@karenmccleary7616]

@@user-1A-2A can't have roosters where I live🐓

[@davidjaime9334]

Que bonito poder en cuvar tus propios poyitos

[@sukochilee4770]

So interesting. Thank you. Do you have any idea why the increase in egg laying there? I wonder if other farmers in your area are seeing an increase in their egg production, as well. Happy New Year to you. Hope it's the one where this world finds peace with all.

[@4philipp]

I wonder if it’s really just light alone. I watch a channel on New Hampshire and his chickens still Kay only between 3-5, no increase in the 14 days since the shortest day. He has plenty of snow on the ground too. Another aspect I imagine would have an impact is the exact date of molt. So they would need some time to get back to proper laying. Which brings me to another aspect, which is the normal egg cycle. My understanding is that it takes 21 days for each egg to grow. Which means there is always a bunch in the pipeline. Molting and daylight increases may delay higher laying rates until at least 21 days after the shortest day. Now if you take all the potential factors together it would explain regional differences. On the question of using artificial light, it might be important to consider a laying hens average life expectancy. 5-8 months before they start laying, followed by 2 years of laying including their winter break. Stewpot thereafter. So we really only talk about one molting. One could feel justified to use light to keep cost low and production high if it’s a one season thing anyway. One solution i have heard about is to withhold eggs when production is up and slowly add them to your store as a supplement when your hens slow down laying this might be easier if you have loads of hens. Anyway, great video.

[@BRWfilms]

Any one in US found a place we can buy Cou no eggs or chicks?

[@kjmonosr]

Did you build your Incubator?

[@alexriddles492]

I have been curious could you jump start the egg laying by increasing the light intensity. I was thinking in terms of using mirrors to reflect more sunlight into the chicken pen. Same day length with brighter light.

[@sharee-1111]

When the chicks cracked the shell and cant seem to get out, sometimes they need help.

[@brucea550]

I once tried to tell my grandmother that, as his son tried to tell him here. All life is based on survival of the fittest. You do not want the inferior weak ones, it will become a waste of time and feed.

[@sharee-1111]

@@brucea550 Actually that's not true at all. I hatch my own chicks and in my last hatch I had to help 3 of the 6. One that didn't need any help was born 1day before all of the rest and she is beautiful, healthy, but not as strong and bold as the 3 I had to help crack open their shells. Sometimes their bodies are so big and twisted up that they can't peck the shell or sometimes they're just still weak. One that was extremely weak and not fully developed I continued to incubate and help for 1 day after all the others hatched and I'm so glad I did because that one turned out to be my only rooster and now he's so big strong and healthy.

[@brucea550]

@@sharee-1111 I’m certainly not a chicken hatching expert, but my grandmother was, if decades of experience and observation count for anything. Her explanation to me, in addition to my first comment, was that a hen sitting on eggs doesn’t peck them open to ‘help’, and messing with nature usually isn’t successful. I’ve never talked with anyone who incubates who has said otherwise. The consensus seems to be that helping is not desirable, in that you can do more harm than good. Evidently your recent experience is otherwise.

[@sharee-1111]

@@brucea550 I respect your attention to the matter, but please be advised a chicken hatching expert would definitely understand how to properly incubate and assist struggling chicks. An expert would also know how to test the shell to see if the veins are mature enough, when and how to help crack the shell. I speak from experience, it's the best teacher and I have learned from watching expert's as well. Many of my strongest chicks are those who I didn't give up on.

[@brucea550]

@@sharee-1111 Again, I’m not an expert. I do talk with the chicken breeders at the state fair every year trying to learn as much as possible. I’ve yet to meet one who thinks it’s a good idea, nor have I seen different in any book on animal husbandry. As I said, your personal experience is evidence to the contrary.

[@wendyjohnson2366]

Happy new year things looking great lucky still crying for her milk?? Hope she becomes a good milk cow

[@mandersson3649]

Who did that amazing logo??

[@MichalBerman]

Hi. My farm neighbour is also experiencing the same thing with her chickens. Hmm?

[@johntraynor8777]

Simion what are you feeding your chickens ie protein content etc great videos.

[@simeonandalex]

They are getting pellets from the store which are optimized for them and have the right amount of protein in it. They also get kitchen scraps, hay and whole grains.

[@johntraynor8777]

@@simeonandalex CHEERS FOR THE INFO

[@lukapopovic6668]

Here in Serbia, we call them barenecks

[@edieboudreau9637]

Cou nu. Interesting breed name.

[@debbiebillings8192]

I missed you

[@itsamysticlife3500]

Thanks for a great video about raising chickens naturally. We just realized today that we weren't seeing new postings from some of our favorite farming, homestead and common sense channels. Seems that we got unsubbed - again. Does this happen often to others? Are y'all at a point where your ads are about to pay you more money? We just don't understand what's going on.

[@RFDarter]

Hast du die Mechelner schon probiert?

[@simeonandalex]

Persönlich nicht, ich glaube mein Vater schon. Eine gute Zweinutzungsrasse aber nach unserer Einschätzung kommst sie nicht at bresse gauloise ran.

[@RFDarter]

@@simeonandalex ich hab aktuell sowohl die bresse als auch die mechelner, ich werde dieses Jahr mal versuchen beide zu kreuzen. Die Mechelner werden nach nach meiner Beobachtung schwererer als die bresse

[@daynight4902]

GOD BLESS

[@timothyjeffiers8042]

My chickens have done the same here in Kentucky USA

[@colleenrodamer6230]

How’s lucky doing

[@markdyer3247]

Why dont your pigs root the floor up? Mine destroyed a concrete floor and a 45m2 outside area! A;so why dont they attack the chickens?

[@jeffery19677]

Is that a commercial incubator or did you build it?