Why chickens lay small eggs: causes and methods for solving the problem

Beginning poultry farmers wonder why some chickens lay small eggs. After all, all birds are created the same conditions of detention. Problems with egg production occur for various reasons. Sometimes chickens do not lay well due to age factors or hormonal failure. Such phenomena do not require treatment, over time the situation stabilizes on its own. True, in some cases, small eggs appear due to illness in chickens.

Why do chickens lay small eggs?

Chickens of all breeds, except for dwarf ones, lay eggs weighing 50-60 grams. There are egg and meat crosses.Their eggs are approximately the same size. Breeds differ only in productivity, that is, egg production. Egg types of hens lay almost every day and produce about 300 eggs a year. Meat birds can lay 100-200 eggs in 12 months.

True, the size of eggs can change in chickens throughout their lives. The occasional appearance of small testicles can be ignored. You need to worry if the problem has become permanent. There are a number of reasons for the appearance of small eggs.

Age factor

A chicken can live up to 10 years. Begins to rush six months after birth. In hybrid breeds, egg production begins at 3 months of age. The very first eggs in young hens are always small. It's just that the oviduct during this period is still too narrow and short, so the first testicles in it are formed in small sizes.

But the small eggs of young hens are considered the most delicious. They have a standard-sized yolk and a minimum of protein. After 3-4 weeks, the situation will return to normal, and the chicken will begin to lay eggs of normal size.

Layers reach their highest productivity at the age of 1-2.5 years. Then the egg production of the bird gradually decreases. Older hens usually lay very infrequently or produce small eggs.

Violation in light mode

Puberty in laying hens of conventional breeds occurs 5-6 months after birth. At a certain period, birds begin to carry first small, and then standard-sized testicles. If poultry farmers want to get eggs faster, they increase the daylight hours for laying hens. In this case, the chickens begin to lay 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule.

True, their testicles remain small for a long time. To solve this problem, you need to normalize the light regime. Birds should wake up at 6 am and fall asleep at 10 pm.

If a chicken lays a small egg during normal daylight hours, then the cause of the problem is elsewhere.

Physiology of the body and stressful situations

It takes less than 24 hours for a laying hen to form an egg. The egg enters the oviduct, overgrown with yolk, protein, film, lime shell. This whole process is controlled by the hormonal system.

True, sometimes, due to severe stress or improper care, birds experience hormonal failure. In this case, the chicken can lay a small egg or an egg without a shell and protein. A similar phenomenon can occur after the transfer of the bird, a sudden change in feed, during starvation, or due to a loud noise that frightened the hen.

The hormonal background of the chicken is restored on its own and does not require any treatment. You just need to wait a few days for the bird to calm down or get used to the new place, you can give it more green food or premix with vitamins.

Features of the breed

Some large breeds of chickens lay eggs weighing 40-45 grams, while their relatives of the same size lay eggs of 50-60 grams. Before buying chickens, it is advisable to ask the seller for their name. The Sultanka breed has eggs weighing 40-45 grams.

Even smaller testicles in dwarf chickens. These birds are increasingly found in poultry houses. Dwarf laying hens take up less space, not much grain is spent on feeding them, but they give small testicles weighing 30 grams. True, such chickens lay every other day, and besides, they get sick less, as they come from wild species.

Foreign objects in the oviduct

Pebbles, feathers, bedding elements or helminths from the intestines sometimes get into the oviduct of birds through the cloaca. Such foreign bodies cause the appearance of small testicles.The reproductive system of a chicken perceives such objects as yolk. They begin to grow with protein and shell, and the output is a small egg only without the yolk. Such phenomena are usually one-time in nature.

A similar problem is faced by those poultry farmers who take poor care of the bird, rarely change the litter. If the rules of care are not followed, helminths appear in chickens. True, in adult laying hens, immunity is stronger; foreign objects rarely get into their oviduct.

Inflammatory processes and increased peristalsis of the oviduct

The cause of the appearance of small eggs may be the inflammatory process of the oviduct. The disease is called salpingitis. With this disease, chickens do not eat well, but they gain a lot of weight. Their belly enlarges, and the oviduct protrudes through the cloaca. The bird stops laying or lays small, deformed testicles.

The disease can occur due to a lack of vitamin feed, after a blow to the oviduct, when the infection enters the reproductive system.

Sometimes salpingitis appears after laying large eggs or as a result of increased egg production in young animals that have not reached puberty. Protein-rich foods and increased daylight hours can provoke pathology and increased peristalsis.

The disease requires intervention, it is recommended to show the laying hen to the veterinarian. Usually, in this case, a little vaseline is injected into the cloaca of the birds for lubrication and intramuscular injections of Sinestrol and Pituitrin are given to the chickens.

How to solve the problem?

If small testicles often appear in the nests, you must first determine which chicken is carrying them. Then you need to find the cause and solutions to the problem. If small eggs appear in young chickens, you need to wait a couple of weeks, as the oviduct grows, the size of the testicles will increase until it reaches the standard size. It is undesirable to increase daylight hours in the chicken coop and stimulate early egg laying.Better to wait for the natural puberty of the birds.

In the chicken coop, it is advisable to change the litter, clean it up. Birds are advised to give more plant foods, such as fodder beets, greens. Vegetables have a laxative effect and eliminate constipation, due to which chickens are unable to lay eggs.

If eggs with blood appear in laying hens, the cloaca turns red, becomes dirty, the oviduct protrudes from it, then the bird needs to be shown to the veterinarian. The veterinarian prescribes treatment, after which the condition of the chicken quickly returns to normal.

Problem Prevention

The occurrence of such a problem can be avoided by keeping the chicken coop clean and changing the bedding in time. Birds should walk in the fresh air, run, develop muscles. In this case, all their organs, including the oviduct, will work smoothly. Chickens need to be given a complete feed rich in vitamins and minerals.In the diet of laying hens, fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits should be present. These foods improve the functioning of the digestive tract.

Birds should fall asleep no later than 10 pm and wake up no earlier than 5-6 am. In addition to the light regime, chickens, especially in winter, need to establish a normal temperature regime. In the poultry house, the temperature should be maintained above 15 degrees Celsius; at lower rates, laying hens stop producing eggs. It is recommended to protect chickens from stress, loud sounds, give them food at least 3 times a day

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