Our Bettys are molting

photographer: Phoenix Sage

Well, we were told last year, when we first got our hens, that they would lay eggs for a year then their egg production would wane. We've been reading websites that say hens go through a molting phase where they stop laying eggs for a month or two. Then, supposedly, they go through a second cycle of laying eggs. They don't lay as frequently, so where we've been getting ten eggs each day, we might only get six or seven in the second cycle. Today, we stopped at the store where we bought our Bettys and they said our hens only have one cycle: after a year, they're only good to add to soups and casseroles.


Kevin and I have decided to wait and see. They've been especially productive and if we boost their food with more vitamins and keep their coop nice and clean, maybe they'll hang in there and give us another cycle. We're obviously preparing for the inevitable and if we have to buy more hens, then we will. When we do, we'll probably increase our brood to 15. Fresh eggs seem to be pretty popular and more and more people are asking for some. Kevin and I are deciding on names for the new batch of hens... we have a few names in mind... we'll reveal our pick once our Bettys are gone and the new hens arrive. Stay tuned...

---