What to do chickens do not carry. Chickens stopped laying eggs in the summer - the main reasons. When should you start laying eggs?

Many breeders are wondering: "Why don't chickens lay?". There can be many reasons for this, and each breeder has his own. What are the most common causes, how to quickly find and eliminate them? Read about this and much more on our website now.

Seasonal loss or decline in oviposition

It often happens that most of the causes affecting egg laying in chickens can be attributed to the phenomena of a particular season. So, the most frequent breaks in egg laying occur in winter and autumn. But in summer and spring - this can also happen. Let's see why the chickens stopped laying eggs, what is the reason for this and what to do?

in winter

The cessation of laying eggs in winter is quite common in laying hens. The most common cause is cold. Remember that most laying hens are demanding on temperature conditions, and if they are not adhered to, they will stop laying eggs. Another one common cause- this is an inevitable reduction in daylight hours in winter. Everything is solved easily with the help of artificial lighting.

Another scourge of oviposition in winter can be various diseases. Most often, they are caused by high humidity with high overcrowding of birds and lack of ventilation. Also, a poorly insulated chicken coop can serve as a negative factor.

spring

What to do in the spring if the living creatures have stopped laying eggs? This season, there are few negative factors for stopping egg laying. But birds can stop laying eggs if they lack vitamins. Also, if the diet is not nutritious, then you can also see eggs. But the beginning of free-range in the spring quickly corrects the situation and returns the egg-laying. Diseases can be a significant problem not only in winter or spring, but also in other seasons.

Summer

If everything is in order, but there are no eggs, then what to do? Then you need to sin on the chicken itself, most likely she changed the place of masonry and you just need to find it. If the chicken walks disheveled and cackles, then she is preparing to become a hen. In this state, she also does not lay eggs. If the nests are wet, then the birds may be eating the eggs. In this case, we give more calcium and other trace elements in the food of the laying hen.

autumn

In addition to the above problems, another one may appear in the fall. You don’t need to do anything with it, just wait, since molting is a normal physiological phenomenon in chickens. The reduction of daylight hours pushes the birds towards it. Until the end of this period, we will not wait for eggs from chickens.

Age and other reasons

While your birds are young (up to two years old) their egg production will be at its peak. Once pullets begin to age, starting from the third year, their egg-laying will decrease by 15-20% annually. Once your pullets reach the age of five years, it will be extremely impractical to keep them on an egg. But it also happens that pullets stop laying in the first year. Then you need to carefully examine the birds for any diseases.

If you have made a purchase of pullets, and they do not produce eggs, then the bird may be stressed. Let her get used to the new conditions for at least a week or two. Then their diet should not differ much from the old one, otherwise it also takes time to get used to. Remember that the key to the productivity of pullets in the first two years is a nutritious diet and good conditions content, lack of constant stress and timely prevention of various diseases.

How to solve the problem?

The thing is that you can buy old or sick individuals, then you will not end up with problems. The best option there will be the acquisition of hatching eggs or young at the age of about a week. Having a good brood hen or incubator will help you keep your flock up to date and keep your egg production at its peak. It is also very important to rotate in a timely manner and remove excess males and old individuals.

After watching the diet, chickens should not get fat, but they should always have enough vitamins and trace elements, especially with cellular content. Also remember that if the bird is healthy and you have checked for all other reasons for the decline in laying, then just look for eggs elsewhere. And it’s better to follow the chickens for 1-2 days, the pets will definitely lead you to their new nest.

And finally, it is important to know which direction your laying hen belongs to. After all, different directions have a different start of laying and the amount of product per year. Greatest product carry breeds of hens of the egg direction. A little less product per year will give a meat and egg direction. And the smallest amount should be expected from meat-oriented pets.

Video "Why don't chickens lay?"

The video covers the most common problems that lead to loss of egg production, as well as how to quickly correct the situation.

In production, the egg production of birds is increased by modern means, which guarantees constant productivity. But in order for the chicken to lay eggs, she needs to create the appropriate conditions. There are many factors that can cause chickens to stop laying. To fix a problem, you need to identify its source.

Scientists have identified nine main reasons why chickens stop laying eggs. Violation of the conditions of detention, diet, stressful situations and belonging to the breed play an important role in the process of egg production.

Lighting

A change in daylight hours or improperly organized artificial light can lead to an imbalance in the body of a bird, which will affect its egg production and egg quality. For normal health, a chicken needs to provide daylight hours from 12 to 15 hours. And since in winter you cannot get the right amount of light during the day with the help of the sun, it is therefore recommended to install lamps with warm white or soft red light. If the bird is indoors without walking, then the lighting should be strictly adjusted by the clock.

Temperature

If the chicken coop is too cold or too hot, then the number of eggs received from laying hens will be greatly reduced, and winter time dangerous because chickens can freeze. The temperature of keeping chickens is important factor affecting egg production. The optimum air temperature is from 12 to 18 degrees Celsius.

If you want to receive eggs from laying hens all year round, then in winter it is necessary to spend in a chicken coop additional heating and make sure that there are no drafts, and in summer the nest room should be well ventilated daily.

Air humidity

If the chicken is kept in a room with very dry air, then this will affect its feather cover, and various kinds of dermatitis may begin. high humidity too bad. To prevent problems with the health of the bird, you need to regularly air the chicken coops, avoiding drafts.

stressful situations

The stress associated with a change of habitat passes in about one to two weeks. If after that the bird did not enter, the problem should be looked for in something else: in the conditions of keeping, the nutritional value of the feed, the safety of the location of the nest, and health problems. Stress can be caused by a number of reasons:

• moving the laying hen to a new place;
• poor location of nests (loud noise, constant movement near the nest, etc.);
• a rat or other potentially dangerous animal settled in the chicken coop.

To ensure good egg production, it is necessary to protect layers from such stressful situations.

Nutrition

Proper nutrition- this is the key to getting a good volume of eggs from laying hens. You can not underfeed or overfeed the bird - everything should be in moderation:

• meals 4 times (autumn- winter period);
• three meals a day during free range in summer;
• necessarily wet mixers, daily;
• the presence of a sufficient amount of clean water in drinking bowls throughout the day, especially in summer;
• strict adherence to the norms for feeding laying hens.

The diet should be varied, include a mixture of cereals, green fodder, as well as a complex of vitamins and minerals. If you notice the appearance of eggs without a shell, then you can give in addition to the main food: a shell, crushed chalk, ground eggshells, and other natural sources of calcium.

seasonal changes

Egg laying of chickens directly depends on the time of year. Most of the problems that cause laying hens to stop laying are based on this variable factor.

Age changes

To understand why chickens do not rush, it is necessary to take into account their age. If the chicken is a pullet, that is, it has not reached the age of two years, then its egg production should be at its peak. The absence of eggs in such a chicken may indicate that the chicken is sick, stressed due to a change of residence, getting used to new food, etc.

When selling an adult hen, you may have been lied to about her age. To eliminate this possibility, it is recommended to purchase hatching eggs or young animals up to two weeks old. But always remember that the largest number of eggs can be expected only in the first two years of life. With age, the egg production of chickens decreases by about a quarter every year, this cannot be influenced in any way. After the bird reaches 5 years of age, the point of keeping it for the sake of eggs disappears.

Breed

Chickens have many breeds. Some of them rush every day, others are unusual.

hatching instinct

The instinct of incubation is a special behavior that can appear in hens in spring and summer. If you notice that the laying hen has stopped laying eggs, rarely gets up from the nest, tries to steal eggs from other hens, then there is no doubt that the bird has a brooding instinct.

To remedy the situation, if you do not need chickens, you need to get a cage with edges of about 0.7 m.

1. Kuru is planted there and placed in the place of free range of other birds, providing her with enough food and water.
2. After 2-3 days, a rooster is planted in the same cage for a day or two.
3. After this period, in the evening, the birds are released to the rest.

If this procedure does not help, then it should be repeated, extending the time of keeping the laying hen locked.

When the chicken returns to the rest, the ability to carry eggs will again manifest itself in her within two weeks.

Improving the egg production of laying hens

To do this, you need a balanced diet and the use of premixes, although you should not forget about the conditions of detention, and you also need to monitor the health of the bird.

Summarize

There are several reasons why laying hens do not lay eggs or stop laying eggs at all:

• malnutrition;
• poor conditions of detention;
• stress;
• the presence of a predator nearby;
• age;
• molting period;
• various diseases;
• incubation instinct;
• wrong choice of breed.

Having determined what exactly the problem is, we can draw conclusions and return egg production to the chicken.

Modern breeds and hybrids of chickens are characterized by very high productivity. From one laying hen you can get up to 300 eggs per year. However, sometimes it happens that the nests in the poultry house remain completely empty for a long time - the hens do not rush. What to do in this case? Of course, first of all, you should find out the cause of the decrease in egg production, and then deal with its elimination.

Low temperature

In winter, the cold is often the most accurate answer to the question of why laying hens do not lay. What to do in this case, the owners of household plots? Of course, insulate the barn. Also, in order to get eggs at this time of the year, it is worth arranging heating in the house. You can put there, for example, a closed fireproof heater. Some breeds of chickens can also be laid at fairly low air temperatures in the barn. It is not necessary to arrange heating for such a bird. However, in this case, a bedding of straw or sawdust with a thickness of at least 40 cm should be laid on the floor. In the cold season, various biological processes will begin to occur in it, accompanied by the release of heat.

Also in winter, chickens may stop laying due to lack of lighting. In this case, you just need to hang additional lamps in the chicken coop. It is very good if the poultry house is illuminated for at least 16 hours a day.

crowding

This is another reason why chickens may stop laying eggs. A similar problem usually also arises in the winter period, when the owners stop letting the birds out for walking. When buying chickens or building a barn, it should be borne in mind that there should be at least one square meter of space for 6-7 individuals. But it is better to place no more than four chickens on such an area.

Of course, in the house you need to arrange or hang a sufficient number of nests. For ten individuals, at least two are required. It should also be taken into account that one bird should have at least 15-20 cm of perch length.

Feeding

An improperly designed diet is also a common reason why chickens do not lay. What to do in this case? Of course, to make a new, more balanced menu for the bird. Laying hens need to be fed at least three times a day. In the morning they are usually given grain. You can add a little granular compound feed or inert meal to it. Barley grain - food is quite heavy for chickens. Feeding it to a bird can also cause a decrease in egg production. A much more correct solution would be to pour wheat into the feeders.

During the day, chickens are fed wet mash. The more varied this "salad" is, the better. In addition to root crops (beets, carrots, cabbage, potatoes), greens should be added to the mash. It can be tops of carrots, beet leaves, fresh nettles, quinoa, etc. Fruits are also rubbed into the mixer - usually apple carrion. You can add some overgrown cucumbers or zucchini to the “salad”.

Also, white bread and bran are usually placed in wet mixers. You can pour the “salad” with boiled water or weak meat broth. Be sure to add a little salt and chalk to the mixers. These trace elements are simply necessary for the body of chickens. After all, the shell of eggs is mainly composed of calcium. In the evening, the hens should again be fed with grain. Of course, the bird needs to provide constant access to water.

It is also impossible to overfeed the bird. Often obese adult hens and young hens do not rush. What to do in this case, of course, is clear. You should give the bird less food. Chickens should be fed enough food in the feeder so that they eat it completely in no more than half an hour.

If the chickens are fat and do not rush (we figured out what to do with the diet), you also need to arrange a good paddock for them. Daytime walks are what a bird of this productivity direction simply needs. They are kept in cages without walking mainly only meat crosses.

Moult

For this reason, chickens may stop laying several times a year. However, usually a decrease in egg production due to molting does not cause much concern in the owners. The fact is that replacing a pen with a new one in chickens usually lasts a very short time - no more than 8-10 days. Autumn and shortening of daylight hours is the main reason why chickens molt and do not lay. What to do in this case? Of course, nothing. You just need to wait for the end of the molt.

Diseases

Treating chickens on your own, however, is still worth it only in the most extreme cases. The bird can simply be killed. It's best to call your veterinarian and follow their instructions.

Stress

Fright is another common reason why chickens do not lay eggs. What to do in this case, many farmers know. In fact, you just have to wait a bit. After a while, the bird will come to its senses, and many eggs will again appear in the nests.

Sometimes, for example, chickens do not lay eggs after purchase. What to do in such a situation? If the bird has not started laying eggs 6 weeks after moving to a new "place of residence", then it is no longer a matter of stress. Perhaps the owners of the farm were simply sold too old a bird. In this case, the chickens, unfortunately, will most likely have to be slaughtered.

Until six weeks after purchase, the absence of eggs in nests is completely normal. Moving to a new "place of residence" does not work in the best way for a bird of any breed. Anxiety with a decrease in productivity in chickens can also be caused by a sharp change in diet. New foods should be introduced to the menu carefully and gradually.

Another reason that causes stress in chickens is the close presence of some predators. For example, a hawk flying over a paddock can frighten a bird so much that it will stop rushing for a while. It is also undesirable to allow strangers to enter the chicken coop.

bird age

Sometimes the owners of household plots are also worried that young chickens do not rush. What to do in this case? If the bird was not frightened and not subjected to any stress, the reason for the lack of eggs may be precisely its young age. Modern breeds and hybrids of chickens usually begin to lay at the age of 4.5-6 months. Of course, the appearance of eggs in the nests before this time should not be expected.

At the age of 7 to 10 months, chickens are especially active. Further, the intensity of oviposition gradually begins to decrease. The optimal term for keeping a chicken herd without renewal is 2 years. Then it may just become not very cost-effective. However, the above does not apply to all breeds of birds. Some hybrids and crosses can lay very well up to the age of five.

Experienced poultry farmers do not advise beginners to purchase poultry in the market. Often, unscrupulous sellers slip sick or very old chickens to buyers. It is better to organize your home farm with the purchase of chickens or hatching eggs. Or, as a last resort, buy chickens at a poultry farm.

Hatching chickens

Why don't laying hens lay? What to do, for example, if only one individual has stopped laying eggs? In this case, you just need to watch the bird. Such a chicken will most likely try to sit on the eggs in the nest and occasionally cackle loudly. This means that the bird simply decided to become a mother hen. In many modern breeds of chickens, the instinct of motherhood is completely lost, but far from all. There are many ways to walk a bird. Some owners even advise dipping such chickens into the water. But, of course, this is by no means the case. This can cause the death of the bird due to severe stress.

It’s better to knock down a box of boards for the chicken and close its top with a grate. The chicken is planted in it for several days. Of course, the bird should be periodically fed and watered. You can not put chickens in steel boxes, cover them with buckets, etc. Metal gets very hot in the sun, and the bird can die from the heat.

Herd Composition

Hens, as you know, can lay eggs without a cockerel. However, it may still be worth buying a “cavalier” for your birds even if the owners of the household plot are not going to incubate the eggs. It has been noticed that with a cockerel, chickens begin to lay better. However, the herd should be observed after it has been replanted. The authority of a cockerel hens in the event that he, for example, is very young, may simply not be recognized. In this case, the most active laying hen usually becomes the dominant individual. Sometimes it also happens that the cockerel, on the contrary, begins to behave too aggressively towards the chickens. At the same time, chickens are frightened and reduce egg production.

What other reasons could there be

Sometimes homeowners are also interested in the question of why chickens do not lay eggs in the summer. What to do in this case first of all? If the bird is healthy and has not been stressed, you just need to carefully observe it. Sometimes the owners do not find eggs in the nests, not because the bird is frightened, poorly fed, or sick. It often happens that for some reason the chickens do not like the nests installed in the house. In this case, they begin to rush anywhere - in bushes, under boards, boxes, etc. Attentive owners will sooner or later find the place chosen by the chicken for laying.

Sometimes chicken eggs from nests are also stolen by various kinds of small predators or rats. In this case, you should carefully inspect the house and block the "thieves" from entering it.

Conclusion

As you can see, the reasons for the decline in egg production of laying hens can be different. If the owners stopped finding eggs in the nests, first of all, you should think about making adjustments to the bird's diet. You also need to try to create chickens optimal conditions maintenance, arrange walking for them and try to protect them from stress. All this guarantees good bird productivity.

Chur in household bred and kept mainly for two purposes: obtaining dietary meat and eggs. The latter are the concentration of vitamins, trace elements, nutrients. Egg laying in chickens appears at 4.5 - 5 months of age, and productivity decreases when the bird reaches 2.5 - 3 years of age. If it falls, there are reasons for this, understanding which you can correct the situation, why the chickens stop laying, see below. However, not everything depends on the person, but it is quite possible to minimize negative processes.

In the process of keeping a bird in captivity, people gain invaluable experience that helps to identify and systematize the main reasons for the decline (cessation) of egg production. We propose the following systematization of reasons:

Containment dependent:

• lighting;
• nutrition;
• temperature environment;
• stress;
• diseases (we conditionally refer to this category, since the conditions of detention largely determine the presence or absence of a disease).

Physiological:

• breed;
• age;
• molting (we conditionally refer to this category)

Natural:

• seasonality;
• influence of solar and lunar cycles;
• geomagnetic storms and other natural phenomena.

Let's consider in more detail each reason separately.

Lighting

For normal productivity of laying hens need daylight hours around 12-15 hours. Exposure to light on the body of a bird is associated with its effect on the optic nerve, hypothalamus, the release of certain substances that stimulate hormones. They, in turn, affect the functioning of the ovaries. We will not delve into the anatomical subtleties this process. Suffice it to say that the relationship between the length of daylight hours and egg production definitely exists.

expedient gradually increase the daylight hours associated with the start of laying: first set at 10-12 hours, gradually raise to 14-15. A sharp increase in daylight hours will not give good positive results. If the bird is in a room with small windows or without them at all (with a walking type of content), it is better to have a part of a backyard or suburban area take for walking not indoors, but outdoors. The goal is more space for movement, an increase in daylight hours. If the content of laying hens is cellular, it is advisable to install not incandescent lamps, but fluorescent lamps. It is important that there is no solid darkness or bright lighting above the nests themselves. Light shading is sufficient.

Very bright light has a negative effect on laying hens.

Nutrition

Properly formulated diet and nutrition period- recipe for success. Often, poultry farmers are faced with two related problems that are directly related to nutrition. This is the absence or decrease in egg production and the problem associated with the fact that birds peck eggs. Both in the first and in the second case, the root is the same - a lack of necessary vitamins and microelements in the feed. In addition, an excess of feed leads to obesity, which negatively affects the production of a normal number of eggs throughout the year.

diet

The feed should contain a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts, vitamins. The basis of the diet of laying hens is whole grains: wheat, corn, barley, triticale, oats, rye - all this can be given as feed. It is recommended to alternate grains in the diet different cultures. It is not necessary to mix 5-6 types of grain in one feeding. Otherwise, they choose what they like. The rest is trampled or raked.

Lack of vitamins and minerals pushes the laying hen to make up for their insufficient number by pecking at the laid eggs. In this regard, it is necessary to take a number of measures:

• remove eggs from nests, because the chicken can crush them by accident and peck it. This quickly becomes a habit, and it can be very difficult to wean a poultry from such actions;
• make nests spacious and plentiful so that the laying hen can take a free nest;
• diet make sure that it contains enough trace elements and vitamins. One way to replenish these substances is to add grated shells and ground egg shells to the feed;
• when adding shells to feed it is important to ensure that it is well dried and finely worn. Simply split and crushed shells are not suitable for feeding. Otherwise, all this provokes chickens to get used to pecking at laid eggs.

Approximate diet for laying hens (grams per head per day)

Periodicity

To obtain a good result, it is not recommended to feed laying hens “as for slaughter”. It means that 3 meals a day - optimal mode. There should be no grain in the feeder at all times. The diet plan is designed in such a way that first time feed them as early as possible in the morning, but after dawn. If it is winter, then we artificially prolong daylight hours. In this case, give food after turning on the light. Feed a second time at lunch (13:00-14:00). Evening feeding is recommended to be carried out an hour before the bird sits down for the night. In the evening it is recommended to feed grain, and during the day diversify the food with a mash, a clean green mass.

An excess of food, like a lack of food, adversely affects the egg production of chickens.

Diseases

The biggest danger to egg production is viral diseases:

• Newcastle disease: reduces this figure to 25-35%.

• Infectious laryngotracheitis: breathing becomes difficult, the bird dies from suffocation. Naturally, in the process of illness, good results in obtaining eggs are not to be expected.
• Infectious bronchitis: the disease is accompanied by dysfunction of the oviduct. The decrease in egg production is accompanied by an increase in the proportion of eggs of irregular shape and with a rough shell.

• Infectious encephalomyelitis: reduces egg production by 7-12%.
• Flu: characterized by death a large number birds and a sharp decline in oviposition of chickens.

To prevent or minimize the consequences of the action of the disease, a number of preventive measures: laying hens are kept separately from the rest of the birds, they are given only high-quality and fresh food, one or two people care for the layers (since people are carriers of many diseases, it is necessary to limit their access to poultry). In addition, the separation of a sick bird from a healthy one and vaccination itself helps.

Temperature

Optimum temperature for laying hens- in the range from 17 to 22 degrees. If it is lower, the bird spends its energy to heat the body. The increased ambient temperature forces her to drink more moisture, to look for places with a temperature lower than in a cozy nest with soft straws. Both the first and the second negatively affect the total number of eggs laid. To support optimum temperature in the chicken coop, you need to insulate and heat it in the winter. In summer, they provide the room with good ventilation without drafts and the possibility of walking in the morning and evening, and in the daytime - hiding in the room from the scorching sun.

Moult

Moulting is the process of natural feather replacement in a bird. It usually occurs in autumn, before the onset of winter. The molting period itself takes from a month to three. The shorter this period, the better the chicken is carried. Another feature: if a hen begins to molt in October-November, then she carries more eggs. Accordingly, the longer the molting period and the earlier it occurs, the lower the egg production.

Shedding in chickens is influenced by many factors:

• incomplete and unbalanced nutrition;
• high temperature environment in the poultry house;
• insufficient intake liquids;
• too enlarged daylight hours for a long period;
• action of certain diseases;
• various stress, other factors.

To reduce shedding time a forced change of the bird's feather is carried out. The meaning of this operation is to save feed, to bring chickens into the molting stage together and also to bring chickens out of it. At the same time, the total molting period is reduced to one and a half months. This is achieved by changing the diet, the length of the daylight hours, the temperature regime (raising the temperature), artificial starvation, etc.

Stress

Stressful situations always have a negative effect on the number of eggs laid. This is a shy bird. She is frightened by sharp sounds, knocks, a sharp change in illumination, the sudden appearance of a person in a chicken coop. Even the sound of rain on glass or metal roofing adversely affect the process of egg production. The chicken perceives everything new with caution, gradually getting used to the changed conditions. Therefore, any move for her is a huge stress. To avoid stressful situations, minimize the above factors or remove them altogether.

Often a poultry farmer is faced with a situation where, when buying an adult hen in the market, she stops laying. In our opinion, the main reason is the resulting stress after moving and a complete change of scenery.

Age

When buying an adult bird at a poultry farm, should be remembered:

• most productive laying age- up to two years. Therefore, if you buy an older bird, there is a good chance that its egg production will gradually decrease;
• at the poultry farm, they feed the livestock with compound feed from the very beginning, the composition of which is very difficult to make at home. So a radical change in diet has a negative effect on the egg-laying.

If you decide to buy chickens at a poultry farm, you should opt for young animals that have not started laying eggs.

Breed

To obtain a large number of eggs from one laying hen, you need to grow or purchase hens of egg breeds. It is believed that the most egg-laying breed is the leggorn. However, this is not the case in all cases. In addition, genetics does not stand still. Therefore, you can buy a new breed, which will be more adapted to specific living conditions, and will show a better result.

Seasonality: spring, summer, autumn, winter

Usually, spring and autumn are the seasons in which the egg production of chickens drops. What is the reason for this phenomenon? In our opinion, this is due to climatic conditions. Winter is always colder. To warm itself, the chicken spends a certain amount of energy, which is no longer used for laying eggs. This can be avoided by installing additional heating in the chicken coop. Then in winter, spring and autumn, the air temperature in the chicken coop will remain approximately the same, there will be no sharp transition in the temperature regime from winter to spring. In autumn, in addition to a change in temperature, molting begins, which also affects egg production. The factors that accompany it and its effect on the laying hen are indicated above.

In summer, the decrease in the number of laid eggs is explained by hot weather.. At temperatures above 25 degrees, the chicken rushes reluctantly, flies onto the perch, opening it, spreading its wings to the side, thereby trying to somehow reduce its body temperature. During this period, she drinks a lot, which also reduces egg production. A well-thought-out ventilation system partially removes the problem of high ambient temperature.

When ventilating the poultry house, make sure that there are no drafts in it.

In addition to all the above factors, roosters affect the egg production of chickens in a certain way, or rather, their proportional relationship to the number of chickens. Many people think that there should be only one rooster in one pen. Then the number of chickens is limited to ten. Some half a hundred hens keep four or five roosters in one pen. But if a third of the total livestock turn out to be roosters, this will lead to a periodic struggle for superiority.

Influence of solar and lunar cycles, as well as geomagnetic storms and other natural phenomena little has been studied. But there is no doubt that they also affect the number of eggs laid. By the way, folk methods egg production is based on rituals associated with the lunar cycles.

Anyway, good care, hard work and proper attitude to poultry will play a role, and laying hens will definitely thank you.

In households, chickens are most often bred for eggs, but it happens that laying hens do not lay. To find out why this happens, it is necessary to understand the features of keeping chickens of egg breeds.

When do hens start laying eggs

Pullets are called chickens of the first year of life. They differ from adult birds in having a pale pink scallop. At what age egg laying begins depends on the breed.

Pullets of egg breeds begin to lay as early as 4 - 5 months. Mixed chickens, meat - egg breeds, give eggs at 5 - 6 months. The longest time will have to wait for eggs from chickens of meat breeds. They begin to rush only at 7 - 8 months, so it is not advisable to keep such birds to get eggs.

Great importance have and conditions for keeping chickens at home. The important metrics here are:

• spacious chicken coop
• providing a place for walking;
• quantity and quality of feed;
• proper care for the chickens.

The weight of the chicken by the time the eggs are laid should be an average of 1.5 kg. If pullets start laying too early, this is bad for their health.

The first eggs are usually small and weigh about 45 grams. But standard sizes reach pretty quickly. Therefore, chickens are purchased with a certain age difference in order to receive fresh large eggs systematically.

Why laying hens do not rush: the main reasons

Under favorable conditions, you can get up to 300 eggs per year. With the onset of autumn, the decrease in the number of eggs is affected by low temperatures air and short daylight hours. It happens that egg production drops sharply in spring summer period. There are several main reasons for this problem.

Nutritional problems

If the feed contains insufficient amounts of fats and carbohydrates, the hen does not have enough energy reserves to lay eggs at full strength. In the diet of laying hens, cereals such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats should be present. Carbohydrates are rich in corn grain, it is pre-crushed. It is useful to add legumes, flax and sunflower seeds. About 20% of the daily norm falls on greens and root crops. Along with the food, water must be given to drink. The diet is also important. Feeding should take place twice a day, after waking up in the morning and after 8-10 hours.

Vitamin deficiency

A deficiency of vitamins A, D and folic acid leads to a decrease in egg production. It is necessary to introduce components such as dandelion greens, spinach, asparagus, peas into the diet of birds. Vitamin D is synthesized under the sun's rays, its deficiency can be compensated by the addition of hay flour and UV-irradiated yeast. It is better not to use artificial vitamins for laying hens. Their overdose can lead to the death of birds.

Diseases

Hens molt

Before the onset of winter cold, chickens begin the process of natural feather replacement. In different breeds, the duration of this period can be from 2 weeks to a month. Feathers change to denser and thicker ones. During the period when chickens molt, grain can be excluded from the diet, and the number of feedings per day can be increased up to 3-4 times.

Errors in containment conditions

The main problem can be limited space. Chickens do not like tight spaces. The chicken coop must have a perch and a sufficient number of nests. They are made in quiet, secluded places. In hot weather, it is necessary to equip a canopy on the walking area. In winter, the chicken coop should be provided with additional lighting.

How to raise laying hens (video)

What to do if the chickens stop laying

In the absence or a sharp decrease in the number of eggs per day, it is necessary to observe the laying hens, analyze the changes that have occurred in order to find out the cause.

• First of all, you should review the diet and establish how much feed the laying hens consume. To provide the birds with all the necessary nutrients, it is better to use special compound feed. It is equally bad to underfeed and overfeed birds. Obesity can also be a reason for the lack of eggs. For one chicken per day, approximately 150 grams of feed is needed. You can increase the number of feedings up to 3-4 times.
• Grain should be given in the morning and evening, and during the day, a wet mash of water, crushed cereals, and salt should be prepared. You can add dairy products. The mass should not be sticky. If the chickens have not eaten the entire mash at one meal, the feeders should be cleaned and remove any leftovers. This perishable product can cause mold and poisoning.
• If laying hens begin to shed, meat and bone meal, fish and other foods containing protein in large quantities should be added to the feed. Mandatory during this period are mineral supplements, you can add shells, chalk, river sand. This will allow you to make up for the lack of calcium, in which the hens can eat their own eggs.

• In the chicken coop, it is necessary to provide as much as possible comfortable temperature, it is 18 - 20°C. For control, a thermometer should be installed. In the summer you can ventilate more often, in the winter you can additionally insulate. The thickness of dry straw and sawdust should be at least 40 cm. It is better to make the door not too wide, you can hang it with a tarpaulin or blanket. Lighting should be maintained 14 - 16 hours a day.
• The reason for the decrease in egg production may be tightness and a large number of roosters in a flock. On one square meter you can keep no more than 4 - 5 birds at the same time. One rooster is enough for 10 hens. A rooster is needed only for fertilization of eggs, if it is planned to incubate chickens. It does not participate in the process of egg formation.
• The chicken coop should be checked for rodents. Mice and rats often not only carry dangerous diseases, but also carry away eggs from the nest. To scare off pests, the area around the building and the floor inside are sprinkled with wood ash. It sticks to the paws of rodents and enters the stomach, causing discomfort. You can use scare devices. It is not recommended to lay out pesticides in the chicken coop. They can poison the birds themselves and other domestic animals.

• Young laying hens are very shy. Thunderstorms, the sound of rain, moving to another chicken coop can affect their egg production. In such cases, the beneficial effect on nervous system has the addition of 20 ml of apple cider vinegar to food daily for one week.
• It must be borne in mind that chickens lay eggs for procreation. Perhaps the laying hen began to prepare to incubate chickens, so she changed the laying place to a more secluded one. If the development of this process is undesirable, the chicken is placed away from the nests. Over time, the hormonal background is restored, and the bird begins to lay eggs as usual.
• Once a year, the chicken coop must be replenished with new layers.. After reaching the age of 2 years, egg production in birds begins to decline by 15 - 20% per year. It is impractical to keep grown chickens, they are sent for meat, and hatching eggs or chickens are purchased to update the flock.

How to increase egg production

Among the egg-bearing breeds, the most productive are:

• Leghorn;
• White Russian;
• broken brown;
• Hisex;
• Minorca.

These are capable of carrying 250 - 300 eggs per year. The highest figure is 371 eggs.

To increase egg production in laying hens you need to follow a few simple rules:

1. Balanced diet. When choosing a feed, you should pay attention to the composition, quality, expiration date. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and salts must be present in sufficient quantities.
2. Feeding mode. It is necessary to observe the regularity and uniformity of nutrition. With constant feeding at the same time, the hens get used to a certain schedule and wait near the feeders at the set time. The evening meal should take place an hour before perching.
3. Temperature regime and lighting. Chickens lay more eggs in the warm season, with a long daylight hours. If the air temperature drops and intensive lighting is less than 14 hours a day, egg production decreases reflexively. An additional help to deceive nature at any time of the day.
4. Livestock update young laying hens every year.

How to feed laying hens in winter (video)