When Do You Get Chickens to Lay Eggs Again

Tips On How To Get Chickens To First Laying

Allow's confront it. At that place is nothing better than going out and collecting fresh eggs and then cracking them open into a frying pan. The glorious, plump orange yokes are meliorate than a ray of forenoon sunshine.

Simply when you think you have a skillful handle on chicken raising, it'due south devastating when you become out to collect your astonishing eggs and there are none. "What? No eggs!" Before you go too offended, there may be some simple solutions to get those eggs flowing once once more.

Information technology is recommended that yous keep track of the number of eggs that your hens lay. Information technology tin assist yous place if there is a problem and let you to address the effect correct away. Y'all will have to figure out which hen or hens are not producing eggs and so narrow down the possible reasons.

Read More than: How Many Eggs Does a Chicken Lay in a Lifetime?

In that location are tales handed down from old chicken farmers that claim feeding "hot pepper" to chickens volition become them to start laying again. This is an former wives' tale that has non been supported by any enquiry. The theory is that when the chickens eat cayenne pepper, they get so heated upwards that they start laying again.

Allow'southward have a look at some of the valid reasons chickens might terminate laying and what you can exercise to go them started once more.

vi Common Reasons Chicken May Stop Laying Eggs

Starting out with the most common reasons is the best way to begin your investigative procedure. You can probably easily identify these issues and hopefully determine the cause of your egg-laying dry spell.

1. Nutrition

If your chickens are non eating the dietary requirements they demand to lay eggs, the production volition finish. This is pretty much a "no brainer". What yous may not know is exactly what the dietary requirements are for laying hens, so knowing this might exist helpful information.

Poultryhub.org is a expert source of information on the nutritional requirements needed for the average laying hen.

When a hen reaches xviii weeks, she should exist laying eggs. Laying age will vary according to breed. When hens do begin laying, they will need to consume around 20 grams of protein a solar day. The corporeality of protein volition increment equally hens go along to grow and gain more bodyweight.

Check the nutrition labels on your feed and make certain your girls are getting the protein, vitamins, and minerals they demand to lay their optimum number of eggs a calendar week. Some people have found that their egg product will increase dramatically when they have switched to a college-quality feed.

Not plenty of eating the right kind of food volition definitely result in reduced egg-laying or no egg-laying at all.

Another important aspect of existence able to produce eggs is proper hydration. If a hen is non getting plenty h2o, her body will accommodate by stopping egg production. Your flock needs a good source of clean water all day long. Fresh h2o is imperative. This is especially truthful in the summer months or in climates that stay warm all year round.

ii. Sunlight

If you know your girls are getting the right nutrient and plenty of fresh water just your eggs have stopped flowing, the trouble may be equally simple every bit not enough daylight. The boilerplate chicken will demand 14 to 16 hours of sunlight a mean solar day to lay eggs.

In the winter months, the natural light may only be shining ix hours a day. This means your girls are 5 hours shy of laying light. Some breeds will lay all year, regardless of the amount of light. Others will close down the egg manufacturing plant due to a lack of lite.

The reason a hen's body shuts downwardly is to rest and recover. Some chicken raisers embrace this natural process. Others choose to fix an artificial light in the coop to go along up the egg production. You lot have to counterbalance your options. Your hen may have a longer and more productive life if her body is immune a recovery catamenia. If you lot simply can't practise with a laying break, you can consider calculation bogus low-cal to your coop.

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3. Brooding

No, this doesn't mean your hen is in a bad mood. If she is getting lots of diet, water, and there is plenty of light, a hen will go "broody" when she decides its time to sit down and hatch her eggs.

It takes 21 days to hatch eggs. Your hen volition sit on a nest for 21 days or until the eggs hatch. During this time, she will not exercise any laying. Look for these signs to determine if your hen is in a "hatching" mood.

She is sitting in the nesting box all mean solar day.
She raises her hackles and growls at you when you take her eggs.
You lot detect feathers missing from her chest (she is removing them to generate torso rut for the eggs).

There are ways to prevent your hen from getting broody. That is fodder for a whole new article.

4. Disruptions to the Flock

Girls volition be girls. A niggling drama can disrupt the laying procedure. The almost common disruption is when you move a chicken to a new location or send them for some reason. If you move the coop, this can be enough of a reason to stop laying temporarily.

Introducing a new chicken to the flock tin disrupt their routine. There will be some pecking and shoving for a few days equally a new pecking order is established. This should be a temporary not-laying event and things will get back into full swing in a few days.

If you have simply a few hens and an over-zealous rooster, this can crusade laying bug. If you observe feathers missing off your hen's back, this can exist the result of an aggressive rooster. Your hen may be traumatized past the constant attacks and finish laying.

5. Molting

Molting is the time in a craven'south life when they shed the old feathers and grow in new ones. If oftentimes occurs effectually changes in season, such as when winter collides with fall and the daylight decreases.

During this fourth dimension, y'all will meet your chicken shedding. Their bodies are going through a natural rejuvenating process and part of that process is halting egg production. It is good for you for a craven to molt. While it can exist halted with bogus lite you have to exist aware that there is a natural reason for this process and y'all are messing with nature.

6. Old Age

If all of the above reasons have been checked off the list, the terminal common reason for a reduction or halt in the egg-laying process is simply quondam age. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this reason.

A typical brood similar a Rhode Isle Red will lay effectually 200 eggs in their start year, and reduce down to 128 past twelvemonth 3. They tin can lay up to ten years, but you will just be getting nearly 40 eggs a year past this point. Eventually, they will dry upwardly all-together and terminate laying.

Other Reasons Your Chickens May Non Be Laying

If you lot have ruled out all the common reasons your hens are non laying, the investigation must continue. There are some less common reasons for a hen to stop producing eggs.

Affliction. You lot chicken could be suffering from a affliction or disease. Believe it or not, chickens tin can grab a common cold. Always heard of the bird flu? Look for any discharge from the nostrils. You will want to isolate any sick chickens from the others to prevent the disease from spreading. You lot can become antibiotics from a veterinarian. In one case your chicken in healthy again, she volition begin laying again.

Parasites. Mites, lice, and worms are a possible crusade of stopping egg production. You volition need to rectify this problem to become your chickens laying again. Await for stake combs and itchy birds. These are signs of a bird with parasites. Yous tin spray the chickens and coop with a poultry spray designed for ridding parasites like lice and mites. Worms are a little trickier and you lot may need to feed your chickens a de-worming medicine. It is not advisable to swallow eggs for a fourth dimension period later administering medication equally there may be residuum in the eggs.

Breed. Certain breeds of chickens are simply not as productive as others. Check the facts on egg production for the breed you are raising. Y'all will get some thought of how many eggs yous can expect from your girls and which seasons your birds may non be laying.

Nesting Box. Your nesting box may be causing the problem. If you don't have plenty bedding, if information technology is besides minor or cramped, your chickens may exist choosing to lay somewhere else. I backyard craven farmer idea her girls had stopped laying until she found a hidden nest with l rotten eggs. Another possibility is that the chickens are laying exterior the box and the eggs are nifty and getting eaten.

Tips For Getting Your Chickens To Lay Eggs Again

Make sure your flock is getting the correct diet for laying eggs. Supplement with snacks high in protein like mealworms, sunflower seeds, oats, and provide a free-feed source of calcium like oyster shells or crushed eggshells.
Always provide a clean and steady supply of fresh water.
Make certain your nesting boxes are roomy and well padded.
Bank check your flock routinely for parasites.
Place a light on a timer in your coop to provide enough light for laying.
If your hens are non costless-range, make a roomy run to ensure your chickens are not overcrowded and stressed.
Provide toys or fistfuls of fresh greens to go on your hens active and happy.

If your egg product has slowed down or stopped, in that location may be a elementary reason. Egg-vestigate the mutual reasons first. If you are satisfied you take the basic issues covered then move on to the less-common reasons. Taking good care of your chickens and being proactive with their health and well-being is the all-time recipe for making the most eggs.