# Best time to Hatch to save $



## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

This is a money question;
If you are hatching a breed (like Marans) that take the winter off from laying, is there a better time to hatch them so that they are ready to start laying when they normally would in the spring? Rather than feeding them all winter and getting no eggs anyway.


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## soccerchicken12 (Feb 8, 2013)

I don't know I have all ways done it that way!


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## LICHICK28 (Jan 1, 2013)

I have splash marans & they don't stop laying in winter. I have two glass pane windows that open/close that I got from the town dump for sun & 4 little windows near the roof line for air circulation. Also have them in fenced run in day time. I feed them back their shells that I dry & crush for calcium. I get an egg a day from each of them every day of the week. They are 1 1/2 years old. Maybe you need to add sun light to your coop or your hens are getting older. Any time you breed you will still have winter so why not help them along. I saw a coop recently that some one made selling on CL that just had a door for them to get out. They said that no predators can get them. I wondered how they were going to breath & get any light in that thing when the door is closed. Emailed them but got no response


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

That seems like good production for Marans. Is is part how one cares and feeds them and another part the breeding?


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## LICHICK28 (Jan 1, 2013)

Guess it is both. I like the marans for the brown eggs plus they are curious birds that walk up to you to see what you are doing, not nervious bouncing off the walls like leghorns


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## VIVI (Mar 23, 2013)

Hm interesting question. Mine lay all year. I'll also hatch almost hatch all all year as well for the most part. I'll take a few weeks off from mid Jan thru end of Dec. They key is sunlight, and combination of feeds, and green stuff.

VIVI


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