09/07/2026
🥚 How's your egg production going this breeding season? 🥚
Living in the cold climate of Central West NSW, our breeding season starts a little differently to those in warmer parts of the country. During winter, the shorter daylight hours naturally signal to hens that it's time to slow down or stop laying altogether. Hens are heavily influenced by day length, and as the days shorten after daylight saving ends, egg production often drops.
To help bring our girls back into lay, we use artificial lighting through winter to gradually extend their daylight hours. This mimics the longer days of spring and encourages them to start producing eggs while still allowing us to manage their health and condition carefully.
Once the girls are laying consistently, we collect eggs daily and set the incubator every seven days. Every egg is marked with a date and the breeding pair it came from. It might seem like a small job, but accurate record-keeping is one of the most valuable tools in any breeding program.
When hatch day arrives, each breeding pair has its own basket inside the hatcher so there's no chance of chicks from different matings getting mixed up.
Once the chicks are dry and ready to leave the hatcher, the real fun begins! We identify every chick using coloured leg bands and toe punches, allowing us to trace every bird back to its parents. That information becomes invaluable as they grow and we assess which pairings are producing the traits we're aiming for.
A successful breeding program isn't just about putting a rooster over a hen—it's about planning, organisation, and keeping detailed records every step of the way.
So, how is everyone else's breeding season shaping up? Are your girls keeping the egg basket full, or are you still waiting for them to get into the swing of things? We are full steam ahead here! 🐣🥚🐣🥚
