Why chickens don't lay eggs: reasons for what to do for better egg production than feed

Chicken is not only a source of meat. The content of birds is explained by high egg production. Professional poultry farmers and amateurs create all the conditions for laying hens to give eggs. But there are times when keeping birds that people never get eggs. Then the question arises, why does the production of hens decrease and they do not lay?

Reasons for the decline in egg production in chickens

It depends not only on the actions of a person. External stimuli negatively affect birds. Containment failure is the root cause.

Lighting

Violation of the light regime often leads to the fact that chickens stop laying. The body of poultry is designed in such a way that they wake up at sunrise and fall asleep at sunset. As a rule, daylight hours are 12 hours.

Daylight hours shorten in the middle of summer. Simultaneously with other phenomena, it leads to the fact that chickens stop laying eggs. The solution to the problem is the use of an artificial light source.

Temperature

High or too low air temperature in the chicken coop also has a negative effect on egg production. Optimal performance should not go beyond 23-25 degrees. A thermometer will help control the indicator.

In spring and summer, the chicken coop must be ventilated and the more often the better. With the onset of cold weather, the house is insulated, and, if necessary, heaters are installed.This issue is very important when keeping laying hens, as their body reacts sensitively to heat and cold.

Stress

If a hen is shocked, she stops laying completely or her egg production drops. Stress in chickens is provoked by the following factors:

• sharp cooling or warming;
• appearance of new birds in the chicken coop;
• shouts and noise;
• feed change;
• transfer to a new location.

In order to prevent stress in the chicken and keep the eggs from laying, experienced farmers give ascorbic acid or vitamin E along with the food.

Humidity

In this matter, it is also necessary to adhere to the "golden mean". If the hens have stopped laying eggs, pay attention to the humidity in the hen house. Various kinds of dermatitis develop against the background of too dry or humid air.

Food

With a lack of nutrients in a chicken, egg production is preserved, but the eggs that the bird carries are devoid of shells. To avoid this phenomenon, people feed birds with a balanced diet. For this, a diet is developed in advance.

The main food of adult birds is grain, fresh herbs or vegetable tops.

The latter is most often used when not walking in the yard. The problem with shellless eggs is corrected by adding bone meal, shells or chalk to the feed.

Seasonal changes

Egg production depends on the season.

Autumn

If laying hens don't lay eggs in the fall, people start sounding the alarm, looking for nutritional or coop problems. Along with the absence of eggs, chickens lose their plumage. This indicates that the molting process has been started.At this time, the body of the bird is resting, and with the onset of heat, egg production returns.

Winter

Autumn molt, which began in September, continues and drags on until winter. At the end of the coldest season, chickens begin to lay eggs, but there are not so many of them. The complete absence indicates that the problem lies in the wrong conditions of detention.

Spring

The weather in spring is very changeable and dangerous. Poultry farmers open the coop too early, letting in cold air. There should be no drafts in the room where chickens are kept.

Summer

The reasons for stopping the socks of eggs are a lack of calcium in the body, diseases and the presence of rats. There is no need to panic in such cases. Having reviewed the mistakes, the person will do everything possible so that this does not happen again next year.

Age changes

After 4-5 months after the birth of the chicks, they begin to rush. The appearance of the comb indicates whether the laying hen is ready to lay eggs. It turns red and looks developed.

You can determine the readiness for laying in pullets in another way. She is turned over on her back and carried along the sternum to the lower abdomen. If the finger is completely deep between the pubic bones, in a month the chicken will be laid.

Laying hens continue to lay for 2 years. In order to always have eggs on the farm, it is recommended to replenish the herd with young animals. To this end, a periodic revision is made.

Breed

Chickens are birds of many breeds. Some species lay eggs daily, while others do not. Breeds of exclusively egg-oriented chickens produce about 300 eggs per year.

If a person wants chickens to lay eggs and at the same time the meat could be eaten, pay attention to the universal options - meat and egg types.

Laying hens bring 200 pieces a year. At the same time, their meat has good taste.

Hatching instinct

In the spring and summer, chickens change their behavior. As a rule, this is accompanied by the fact that the laying hen has stopped producing eggs and leaves the nest in rare cases. If a bird steals eggs from other birds, it has a brooding instinct.

Presence of external or internal parasites

Socking eggs depends on the state of the body of the chicken. Egg production decreases or disappears completely if a disease develops in a bird. The cause of poor condition can be internal or external parasites. A similar issue is solved by hygienic actions in the chicken coop and taking medicines.

Predators

Rats, ferrets, martens and even foxes settle near the chicken coop. Often they choose for themselves such farms in which birds give a lot of eggs. The chicken coop must be protected from predators. To do this, all holes and loopholes are closed.

Other chickens can act as predators. They steal eggs and then eat them. Poultry breeders often find eggshells in nests.

Obesity

Chickens, which spend almost all the time in a closed chicken coop, are overgrown with fat. Limited space does not allow them to move freely. As a result, the fat that has appeared collects around the oviduct, and the chicken cannot lay. In rare cases, such situations end with the bird dying. Therefore, it is recommended to treat this issue with great responsibility.

There must be a yard for walking around the chicken coop. This allows you to keep chickens in conditions close to natural, which in turn increases their productivity.

Chickens will not get fat if they walk among the green grass, clean their plumage in ashes or sand. Even if space is limited, it's good to have a patio.

Chickens are curious birds that will find something to do in the open air. Even if the birds are kept on a farm, it is still recommended to let them go outside every day. Being outdoors can last 15-20 minutes, which is good.

How to improve egg production?

There are several ways to get laying hens to lay eggs. You don't need to invent something supernatural for this. It is only necessary to provide the birds with the proper conditions of detention:

1. Feeding laying hens should be complete. Diversity is welcome. The diet should include grains, vegetables, herbs. Do not forget about additional elements, such as chalk, shells. To saturate the diet with calcium, use a little trick. The shells from used eggs are dried and crushed. The resulting powder is added to food in the morning and evening.
2. There must be water in the walking area. For convenience, drinking bowls are installed that adults cannot turn over.
3. Laying hens are given time to get used to the new birds in the house. This may take 3 to 7 days.
4. The place where birds are kept must be protected from external irritants. Birds thrive in a quiet and peaceful environment.
5. Regardless of the season, favorable conditions are created in the chicken coop. If the birds feel comfortable indoors, then the person is doing everything right. The three main rules to follow are temperature, sufficient lighting and humidity.
6. The herd is regularly replenished with new individuals. In this way, a person is constantly provided with eggs, without experiencing a shortage of them.

Cases intended for laying hens should also be in a secure location. If this is a chicken coop, it is located in a secluded place. A layer of straw or hay is placed at the bottom. The box is lifted off the ground to avoid exposure to cold air.

If laying hens are sitting in boxes two by two, then they do not have enough space. As a rule, one box falls on 4 hens. This is a very important point that poultry farmers must take into account.

Do I need a rooster to lay eggs

Rooster - one of the members of the herd, responsible for the order. The chickens always listen to him. He is responsible for ensuring that all his wards are fed and that there is enough space for everyone in the nests. There should not be many roosters in the chicken coop. In this case, daily fights are guaranteed.

One rooster is responsible for 10 layers. The frequency of laying eggs does not depend on the number of roosters. During the growth of young animals, a herd audit is regularly carried out.

Rooster does not affect egg production. The body of a chicken is designed in such a way that it will in any case carry eggs. The need for a rooster arises if a person plans to have offspring. The fact is that chicks hatch only from fertilized eggs.

When is a rooster removed from the flock?

It often happens that a cock does not help, but only hinders. He becomes aggressive towards the owners and rushes at them when they try to feed the herd. The bigger the rooster, the more serious the attacks on his part.

The aggressiveness of the rooster affects the egg production of chickens. His anxiety is transferred to them, and in stressful situations, the hens stop laying.

Roosters are removed from the herd as soon as possible. Another is taken in his place, as the chickens need his presence.

Conclusion

Most often, poultry farmers are faced with the problem of lack of egg production in chickens if they are kept in inappropriate conditions. Birds by nature received a very sensitive body, so they need to be taken care of. Many people take action to correct the situation without understanding why it has arisen.This is wrong and only makes the problem worse.

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