We don't normally raise flocks to sell during the winter.

There are a number of good reasons for this. In order to develop to the stage where a hen will lay eggs, she needs to be at least 16 weeks old (older for some breeds), she needs to have a good body weight, and she needs at least 16 hours of daylight every day.

Commercial breeds (like Lohmann Browns) are usually more ready to come into lay because of their genetics -but commercial free range farms have the facilities to artificially raise the amount of daylight hours gradually over a period of three weeks from 10 hours light up to 16 hours light in the winter. Not many families are able to provide this for garden hens. We can provide Lohmann Brown hens over winter, but only to more commercial units, and only in quantities of 30 hens or more.

If you buy a 16 week old pullet in February, she will start to lay in March - but if you buy a 16 week old pullet in October ... well she still probably won't start to lay until March. A very young hen may also be less well equipped for a cold winter.

So if you want hens in the spring, why not buy point of lay hens at the end of February? Email us now if you want to reserve hens from the first flock, or ask us to send you a mail when our first pullets are ready. Email Sue on mailto:sueironmonger@hotmail.com