The coming of the light means a new season of eggs.

chook and goose eggs in Spring

Its often hard to convince customers that eggs have a season

as we all know there is always a plentiful supply in the shops all year.

 

But like all things in nature, when left to live as naturally as is possible while still being in the care of us humans, our humble chooks fit into the rhythm of the solar clock .

 

As the Autumn Equinox approaches (By the way that occurs on March 21or 22) The day length begins to shorten the birds lay fewer eggs or stop laying altogether and go into a moult.

During the moult a hen will stop laying and shed its old feathers which are replaced by new feathers.

After the Winter Solstice  (marking the shortest day)  The days start to lengthen and the hens start laying again. By Spring there are abundant eggs for all to share.

RIR out and about

 

As the days lengthen a little more moving into September the hens start to look for nesting sites so they can secure a clutch of eggs to brood,  then  hatch chicks.

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