Lilibet, or Lily, is a White Ranger. She and Daisy (Amber Star) joined us in January 2009, when they were bith about 16 weeks old.
White Rangers lay large china white eggs. They lay6 or 7 eggs a week for most of the first year, taking a break for a week or two when they moult. They are supposed to lay about 320 eggs in their first year. This is an enormous number.
Hens, irrespective of breed, have about the same number of eggs. Pure breeds tend to lay less often, and take the winter off. They tend to lay for more years though than those hybrids that are developed to churn out eggs.
Lily laid her first egg on 15th March 2009. She hasn't laid any eggs for a couple of weeks - she just stopped. Suddenly. I've seen her in the nestbox a couple of times, sitting on other Girls' eggs. I've checked to see if she's eggbound (doesn't seem to be). She was wormed recently, so it's unlikely to be that. She could be going broody, but she's not showing any other broody symptoms. She might be taking a little holiday. Or she might be going through the henopause.
I don't mind the lack of eggs. I'm just concerned that it may be the beginning of the end for her - White Rangers tend to have a fairly short average life span, and she's already 2.5 years old. She looks fine, is eating well; she's taking a few more rest breaks than she used to - although no more than anyone else does.
Bless her little cotton socks.
White Rangers lay large china white eggs. They lay6 or 7 eggs a week for most of the first year, taking a break for a week or two when they moult. They are supposed to lay about 320 eggs in their first year. This is an enormous number.
Hens, irrespective of breed, have about the same number of eggs. Pure breeds tend to lay less often, and take the winter off. They tend to lay for more years though than those hybrids that are developed to churn out eggs.
Lily laid her first egg on 15th March 2009. She hasn't laid any eggs for a couple of weeks - she just stopped. Suddenly. I've seen her in the nestbox a couple of times, sitting on other Girls' eggs. I've checked to see if she's eggbound (doesn't seem to be). She was wormed recently, so it's unlikely to be that. She could be going broody, but she's not showing any other broody symptoms. She might be taking a little holiday. Or she might be going through the henopause.
I don't mind the lack of eggs. I'm just concerned that it may be the beginning of the end for her - White Rangers tend to have a fairly short average life span, and she's already 2.5 years old. She looks fine, is eating well; she's taking a few more rest breaks than she used to - although no more than anyone else does.
Bless her little cotton socks.
