Why chickens stopped laying: 5 tips for a poultry farmer Every poultry farmer at least once in his life is faced with a situation where laying hens stop laying. This undermines the economic system of the enterprise and causes serious damage to it. Below are some of the causes of this problem and tips on how to avoid or solve it. Why chickens stopped laying There are many reasons why chickens stopped laying. This can be from a lack of light, vitamins and trace elements, low temperature in the chicken coop, a change in feed, and even stress. To solve this problem, you need to find out what caused it. Think about what exactly has changed since the time when the hens lay well; watch the chickens, inspect the room where they are kept; check the quality of the feed and mineral supplements you give them. Perhaps the chicken simply does not have enough food. Although, there is also the opposite situation, when chickens do not rush because they eat too much. It is important that the room where laying hens are kept is spacious enough. If there are too many birds in the coop, this may be one of the reasons why the hens stop laying. Make sure that this room has enough space for laying eggs. Place extra roosters in a separate aviary. One rooster is enough for 10 hens. The chickens have stopped laying. What to do? Let's look at some of the most common reasons why laying hens stop laying and how to solve this problem. There is a viral disease called egg drop syndrome - 76. The main source and carrier of this virus are wild and domestic ducks. If at least one chicken becomes infected, then after 9-16 days all other laying hens will be sick. The main signs that the chicken is sick with egg drop syndrome are: feathers are ruffled, the scallop and earrings become bluish, diarrhea, appetite is increased, but the chicken is losing weight; egg production is reduced by an average of 15%, and the eggs themselves are either without a shell or with a very thin layer of it. Only chickens that are not yet 40 weeks old get sick. To prevent infection of laying hens with this virus, it is necessary to keep them separate from all other birds and animals and vaccinate them. And if the infection did occur, then you need to: add baking soda to the feed, double the content of calcium in it, as well as vitamins B, E and A; give chickens nitrofuran preparations and antibiotics for 5-10 days. It is best to treat under the supervision of a veterinarian. Another reason why laying hens have stopped laying is that the temperature in the coop is too high or too cold. The optimum temperature for laying hens is 20 - 23°C, not higher than 25°C. Hang a thermometer in the room where you keep chickens - this is the surest way to determine whether the conditions of detention meet the requirements and act according to the situation - either insulate the chicken coop or ventilate it more often. An amusing but equally problematic cause of decreased egg production can be rats, mice, and crows. You think the hens have stopped laying. But in fact, they rush as usual, only their eggs are stolen. Rats and mice do this very cunningly: one of the rats takes the egg in its paws, lies on its back, and the rest of the rats carry it along with the prey to their home. Ravens just take the egg in their beak and fly away. What to do if the chickens stop laying? The hen lays eggs to hatch from them. As soon as she realizes that the eggs are missing, she changes the place of laying. Look well in all corners of the house, you may find them. Another reason why chickens have stopped laying may be a lack of light in the room. Experienced poultry owners and veterinarians advise not to turn off the light in the chicken coop at night, but to take the hens to fresh air during the day in a special fenced area. It is also necessary to include vitamin D in the diet of birds. Changing the usual feed can also cause a decrease in egg production. Carefully study the composition of the new food and compare it with the old one. It is possible that the feed you switched the bird to lacks vitamins and calcium. If this is the case, then either change the food to the old one, or introduce the missing vitamins into the diet and give the bird egg shells (this will compensate for the lack of calcium). Keep the house clean and ventilate it often. Make sure that it has the optimal temperature for the birds and enough light. Choose the food that is best for your chickens, give them vitamins. And do not forget about the prevention of egg drop syndrome-76. By following these simple tips, you will achieve great results and avoid situations where your hens stop laying.
All poultry farmers know that the peak of egg production is spring and early summer. Further, the eggs become smaller and smaller. Chickens stopped laying, what to do and how to resume the process? These issues have long been resolved by production workers and experienced owners.
A flock of chickens walks in the courtyard, but there are no eggs. What happens in the feathered body and why chickens do not rush. Let's figure it out.
To understand the problem, you should consider everything in order.
Start of egg production
Young laying hens willingly visit nests. The start of laying depends on:
- genetic, pedigree data;
- feeding;
- content.
Feeding is the basis of egg production
If there are 10 chickens in a flock, and only 5-6 eggs, then this may mean that:
- The diet is not rich enough in proteins;
- The diet is balanced, but the feed is not digested.
During this period, chickens do not lay well. To speed up the process, you can make a forced molt. There is nothing new in this procedure, this is how they do it at poultry enterprises, and the methodology has long been worked out. 
To organize a forced molt, you should choose days when the temperature is not very high. In September, this is not difficult to do. Then proceed as follows:
- After the chickens enter the chicken coop for the night, it is closed with a latch;
- Windows, if any, are curtained with an opaque cloth;
- Water and feed are removed from the chicken coop.
In the morning, the hens are not opened or let out of the chicken coop. They are not fed or watered. In this state, they are kept for 3-4 days. Opening the chicken coop in the morning, you can see a lot of feathers. For the next 2-3 days, the bird will continue to shed its feathers.
If the hens do not lay before this procedure for 2-3 weeks, then after molting, after 1-2 weeks, intensive egg production will begin. During this period, you need to establish intensive feeding with balanced feed. The growth of eggs in the body will occur in parallel with the growth of the feather, therefore, many nutrients are needed.
Reason is stress
When forming a flock, you should immediately think through all the nuances. In order not to raise the question of what is the reason for the cessation of egg laying, it is necessary to prevent:
- Reformation of the flock during the laying period;
- Change of premises, transfer to other chicken coops;
- Changes of service personnel;
- Change of equipment, feeders, drinkers;
- Repair of the premises (even preventive).
All of these factors cause stress in the bird. Any of them can affect the fact that the egg will be underreceived.
Water is the basis of life
It would seem why ordinary water can affect egg production. However, an egg is 80-85% water.
Studies have shown that the absence of water for only 2 hours delays the formation and release of eggs for 2 days. A clean drinker and clean water help dissolve and absorb the nutrients in the feed.
Answering all the “why”, the poultry breeder must consider all the nuances and foresee everything in order to prevent a decrease in the egg production of the bird.
The most popular question among beginners of the poultry complex, which arises during the autumn and winter, is why the hens do not lay? Experienced farmers can immediately determine the cause of this problem, but for this they study in detail the rules for keeping the bird, caring for it and the causes of reduced egg production. As everyone knows, the productivity of birds decreases with the onset of cold weather, in autumn and winter, this can be seen as early as October-November, depending on the region. But it happens when egg production drops in the summer. Let's take a closer look at what affects this and why chickens do not lay well.
Common Causes
The list of common causes includes not only improper feeding, the arrangement of enclosures and the fulfillment of conditions of detention. This is not the whole range of reasons why laying hens do not rush. Productivity is also affected by the health of the bird, the light regime, and the state of the psychological background. To determine the true cause, one should consider all possible options and compare the facts, which one is most suitable. Only in this way can you understand what to do next so that the hens begin to lay eggs as before.
Food
Chickens, even at a young age, will produce eggs inconsistently if the correct diet is not followed. The feed should contain all the necessary vitamins, micro and macro elements. In addition, calcium is an important component; without it, the eggshell simply cannot form.
So, if you need to figure out why chickens do not rush, first of all, you should review its diet, which should include:
- garden greens;
- fish flour;
- cake;
- corn;
- chalk or ground egg shells;
- fish fat;
- coniferous flour;
- carrot;
- potato;
- beets;
- legumes;
- grass;
- oats;
- barley;
- wheat.
In general, the diet of young chickens does not require careful selection, but it must be of high quality. The main thing is that 120-160 grams are supposed to be on one head. feed mixtures, which includes 2/3 of carbon feed and 1/3 of protein.
The diet must contain ordinary table salt at the rate of 0.5 g. for every bird. This component is considered an indispensable source of sodium and chlorine. It improves metabolism and the bird wakes up with a feeling of hunger. Fine-grained salt or saline solution is used.
In the poultry house, it is also necessary to lay out pieces of shell rock or pour bowls with sand - this is necessary to improve digestion. Stones like millstones help grind dry food.
In the summer, in the morning, a mash of grain, bran, and brilliant green is poured, which will be enough to provide vitamins. At other times, it is necessary to use premixes - just there is not enough grain for a complete diet.
Overfeeding also leads to a restriction of oviposition - overweight chickens are not able to rush normally and often die because of this. It is best to pour food in the morning so that it has time to digest during the day, at least an hour before bedtime.
VIDEO: How and what to feed chickens?
Lack of water
Often the reason why chickens stopped laying eggs in autumn and winter is the lack of water. The fact is that during this period of the year, the need for drinking is reduced in birds, but they independently determine the required volume for themselves. Inexperienced poultry farmers make a gross mistake by reducing feathered drinking on their own. In such a situation, first of all, it is necessary to replenish the stocks of drinkers.
Room temperature not being maintained
Hens may not lay eggs due to non-compliance with the temperature in the hen house or its sudden change. In an uncomfortable environment, the bird becomes stressed. Therefore, in extreme heat or frost, the temperature must be maintained at the required value, which is determined depending on the breed of birds.
Incorrect daylight hours
There is a direct relationship between the length of daylight hours and why the chickens stopped laying. The shorter the day, the less egg-laying, respectively, the longer, but not more than 12 hours, the more productive the bird will be.
The house should have at least 12 hours of light a day, whether it be artificial or natural light.
It should be noted that in some varieties this figure is 17 hours. Therefore, before acquiring a breed, you should first study the recommendations for keeping, otherwise make a mistake and the chickens will stop laying eggs.
If there are no windows in the chicken coop, they bring light into the room and turn on the lamps for at least 12 hours, observing the daytime regime - from 6-7 in the morning to 6-7 in the evening. But in this case, a mandatory walking of birds on the street is necessary.
stressful state
Laying hens are very susceptible to stress. Any situation can contribute to this, but the result will always be the same - the chickens stop laying. To determine why the animal got stressed and refused to rush in the nest, you need to analyze its behavior during the previous week.
The following factors affect the condition of the bird:
- change in diet;
- decrease in daylight hours;
- loud noise;
- walking on a new land plot;
- non-compliance with the conditions of detention;
- starvation.
This is a basic, but far from exhaustive list of why at some point the bird begins to experience stress and stops laying eggs. And this applies to both young and adult individuals.
Decreased activity, fatigue
The highest rate of egg production in birds is only the first two years, after which the hens get tired and produce significantly fewer eggs. Another important factor is the activity of the bird. With an immobile lifestyle, she can be obese, which also leads to a decrease in productivity.
Young individuals stop laying for 3-5 days, this is necessary to restore productive forces. You can increase egg production with the help of a rooster. Just get one male in the herd and the hens will start laying more eggs.
Moult
Laying hens undergo a molt every season. When changing plumage, they stop rushing or rush in reduced numbers. The main reason for molting is the lack of vitamins in the body.
Molting is a natural process in which all that remains is to wait for the feather to change
Diseases
It is very important to regularly monitor the behavior and condition of the hens. If one of them is found to be sick, it is not surprising that the rest of the birds stop laying. Such an individual is placed in a separate chicken coop until a complete examination and cure. If this is not done, there is a possibility that the infection will spread to the entire herd.
The most common diseases include:
- worms;
- avitaminosis;
- inflammation;
- egg drop syndrome (ESD).
Externally, a sick chicken is easy to distinguish - it ruffles, breathing is frequent and noisy, often the head is unnaturally curved. With EOS, the feathers are disheveled, the comb is bluish, diarrhea.
If any sign is found, the individual is immediately isolated.
If poultry is grown on an industrial scale (more than 500 heads), the entire population is vaccinated against the following diseases:
- Marek;
- Gumboro;
- infectious bronchitis;
Depending on the region, additional vaccination against specific diseases is carried out.
Egg pathologies
In addition to reducing the productivity of laying hens, poultry farmers often face a variety of egg pathologies. An egg product may have two or three yolks. This is due to the fact that 2-3 yolks immediately come out of the ovary, which follow to the exit, being enveloped in protein and shell film into a single whole. It has an increased size when compared with ordinary eggs.
Birds carrying small testicles are also often found. As a rule, these are young individuals that were stimulated too early to lay eggs. Also, foreign components from the animal's body can get into the composition, in which case the glands perceive it as yolk and testicles are obtained without it.
Even in the nest, you can find eggs of irregular geometric shape, as well as with uneven "rings" in the middle. And insufficient peristalsis of the oviduct leads to an "egg in an egg".
The irregular shape is not a lack of calcium, as is commonly believed, but a consequence of a violation of peristalsis - to get rid of this problem in the house, you need to put bowls with sand, small pebbles or shells.
If eggs rarely appear in the nests, this does not always mean that the hens have decreased egg production. Often this phenomenon is caused by the fact that the bird does not like the conditions in the nest, and she independently chose a new place. The poultry breeder should carefully examine the chicken coop or the area where the animals are walking.
Other Reasons Why Chickens Don't Lay
The absence of eggs in the basket may have a completely different nature. For example, rats got used to the chicken coop - famous lovers of eating fresh eggs. Foxes, weasels, crows and dogs are all quite capable of halving the nest. With a lack of calcium, the birds themselves will begin to peck their eggs, but then the shell will remain in the basket.
Often a bird chooses another place as a perch when her "maternal instinct" wakes up. It is likely that she is rushing somewhere in a stack of straw or in the grass and will soon sit on her eggs.
If you have gone through all the reasons, provided optimal conditions for keeping and feeding, the bird receives all the necessary vitamins in abundance, the molt has long passed, but the birds still do not indulge, maybe you should send them to the soup?
VIDEO: How to increase egg production
What poultry farmer is not concerned about the reduction in egg production in a laying hen? The low efficiency of laying hens is such a frequent issue, but freely fixable. We will describe what to do if the chickens are weakly rushing - what is the reason and what actions to take at different times of the year. In detail about the factors of egg loss that disturb you, have a negative impact on the health of the laying hen. Why did the chickens stop laying?
Hens don't lay well
Why don't chickens lay eggs in winter
Egg laying chickens in winter. It is necessary to state in more detail the relatively main reasons that have a great influence on the number of eggs produced by hens in the winter. Since the maximum number of claims from poultry farmers comes to the question in the early winter period of time, as a result of which my chickens began to produce fewer eggs. The factors that cause your hens to produce fewer eggs are the most varied:
- Lack of lighting. In winter, the days are very small and insufficient for chickens. This cannot but be reflected in egg production, so the light falls below the minimum amount of duration for hens, and hens need at least 8 hours of daylight. You will ask the question - "why?". The problem is that the gaze, and especially in young chickens, has a high susceptibility to the activity of light radiation. Irritation of the visual nerve has a great influence on the accentuation of a particular element, which, in turn, activates the production of hormones that function in the ovaries.
- Cold. Chickens are very susceptible to temperature changes in their environment. Without exception, all breeds of chickens withstand the cold very poorly, and, as a result, their effectiveness drops down to the minimum amount. In particular, the effect of frost on the egg production of hens is noticeable if the temperature in the hen house drops below 10 degrees.
- High air humidity. In winter, the moisture in the air in the chicken coop increases, and this becomes dangerously numerous and unnecessary for chickens. As a rule, a decrease in the number of eggs is significantly noticeable when the atmospheric humidity is more than 80%. The presence of too humid air rapidly forms pathogenic bacteria. Musty coop bedding, moisture in drinkers and wet food.
- lack of calcium. Due to the lack of solar glimpses, the chicken ceases to form sufficient amounts of vitamin D, which must constantly accompany calcium. Restriction to only one food and seeds in the diet also affects the number of eggs. The lack of a similar mineral for chicken, like calcium, has a great influence on the properties of the egg.
Spring
In spring, laying hens have fewer difficulties with egg production, but there are enough of them. In early spring, difficulties remain important, affecting lack of lighting, lack of calcium, low atmospheric temperature and high humidity. These circumstances are complemented by rickets. Often rickets is formed in the absence of a good eating of grass, and at the same time with sim and vitamins. The number of eggs hatched in particular is negatively affected by the lack of vitamins such as A and B. The presence of a lack of vitamins hens are delayed in formation and maturation, behaving sluggishly, desire for food decreases and digestion is aggravated. From this conclusion - a decrease in the number of eggs produced.
The hottest period of time (summer), as a rule, proceeds safely for poultry farmers with high egg production. In the summer season, almost all, without exception, circumstances that reduce the number of eggs cease to be dangerous. As a result, laying hens may not rush? Only rickets and calcium deficiency can prolong farmers' anxiety. To the above, it is necessary to supplement the probable molt that occurs closer to autumn.
Summer
Chickens rush in winter as in summer, or rather, vice versa. In hot weather. The presence of prolonged exposure to heat makes the chickens less productive. The presence of a high temperature of more than 30 degrees negatively affects the body of chickens, which makes them function incompletely. At a high temperature of the atmosphere, digestion and the need for food are disturbed in laying hens, growth and formation are delayed, which as a result has a great impact on egg production.
- Completeness. When keeping laying hens in the absence of walking and feeding them the same feed, they begin to accumulate mass, which often leads to obesity of chickens. Several factors of this disease are supplemented by heat, as the laying hen becomes lethargic and inactive. Keeping hens in a cage also creates its own problem, depriving them of a place to move. The presence of fullness increases the danger not only by a decrease in egg production, but also by ruptures of vital organs, with the loss of one's own flexibility. So it is not recommended to tighten the laying hens with fullness.
Autumn
In autumn, farmers experience more reduction in egg production in laying hens because, in this period of the year, molt. as well as in all other seasons, the key factor in reducing egg production is - avitaminosis(lack of any vitamins). In addition, by the end of autumn it is possible to meet with unsatisfactory lighting and a decrease in daylight and high dampness of the atmosphere with precipitation. Seasonal molting is a common procedure, during the period when an old feather is replaced by a new and high quality one.
Shedding has a great influence not only on the appearance of laying hens, but also on the service of their body. In a given period of time, which lasts approximately 2 months, hens provide very few eggs. During the period of seasonal molting, a poor physical condition is traced, a lack of calcium and minerals due to the intensive use of these components in seasonal molting. Moulting into the main queue is displayed in the work of the ovaries, sometimes the body thinks about them in the final turn. In case you find a problem, run for its solution. The solutions to this problem are the most diverse, from changing the diet up to rebuilding the chicken coop.
Consider several options for improvement. The most simple low ones perfectly compensate for natural lighting. galvanic lamps. The main thing is that the zones are well lit, in which places the chickens perform a significant share of their perch. One light bulb is not enough to light everything. It is best to install 2 or even 3 bulbs in a distance similar to themselves. The correct duration of lighting is the main condition on which egg laying will depend.
The first thing that needs to be noted for you is that there should be no sudden jumps in the temperature order. According to experts in this field, most often laying hens are carried at a temperature of 15-20 degrees Celsius. The warmth in the chicken coop can be increased with the help of special lamps. It should be noted that they are well controlled with the heating function. In addition, it is possible to insulate a chicken house with a double cover of bedding or wood shavings.
Try not to forget about the nests themselves, which can be made the most insulated. What to do in winter? Before the arrival of winter, it is necessary to check the general condition of the chicken coop, its walls and canopy. If you notice gaps, then patch them up so that there are no unnecessary drafts.
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Many backyard chicken raising enthusiasts will remember how patiently they waited for the first egg, months passed and ... nothing. Either the hens suddenly suddenly stopped laying, or they lay very badly. Why is this happening? Several main reasons can be identified.
Light level and season
In nature, representatives of the order of chickens lay eggs only in spring and in the middle of summer. The reason for this is clear - the instinct of nature, during spring and summer, the temperature, the abundance of food are favorable for rearing chicks.
The shortening of the day becomes a signal of the approach of autumn, and the chickens stop laying. Most breeds require a minimum of 14-16 hours of daylight to normalize this process. It can be natural lighting, lighting with electric lamps, or a combination.
Extending daylight hours in the coop with electric lighting allows for off-season production, but it must be borne in mind that this shortens the laying period in the life of each hen.
A bird is born with a certain number of eggs (about four thousand), therefore, under any conditions, it is useless to wait for more clutches.
If you decide to extend the daylight hours in the chicken coop, this should be done in the morning, which will disturb the birds' natural daily rhythm to a lesser extent. Moreover, bright light is not needed - enough lighting in which you can read a newspaper. But extending daylight hours for more than 16 hours is not recommended.
Stress
In a state of stress, hens lay a deformed product, lay poorly, or stop laying altogether. Strong fright, lack of food or water, violation of the usual hierarchy (for example, the appearance of a rooster in a hen house where only females lived before), moving to a new hen house - all this has a bad effect on productivity.
When buying new birds, expect at least 6 weeks before you see them start laying eggs again. The use of a dietary supplement such as apple cider vinegar helps laying hens cope with stress. If the bird has stopped laying or there are interruptions, add 20 ml of apple cider vinegar per 1 liter of water to the drinkers for a week every month.
Improper nutrition
On average, the skeleton of a laying hen contains 20 grams of calcium and about 10% of this amount is spent per egg. Although the chicken has a certain supply of calcium in the body, but if she does not get enough of this element in the feed, the reserves are quickly depleted.
Lack of calcium is one of the reasons why a bird does not lay well or stops laying altogether. Therefore, it is very important that the laying hen always has access to a source of calcium (e.g. crushed mollusk shells, eggshells, crushed chalk).
Most often, top dressing with calcium is mixed with the main feed, or a separate feeder is placed. You can do it this way: top dressing is scattered over the walking area, and the birds gradually peck at it. It must be borne in mind that the average chicken needs 140 gr. feed and 280 gr. water to lay one egg. Moreover, both the lack of food and overeating can lead to the fact that the laying hens stop laying or do it rarely.
If special mixed feeds are not used, the diet of laying hens that are laid regularly consists of 6 parts of grain (wheat, oats, millet), three parts of boiled root crops and one part of various additives - sunflower cake, silage, fermented dairy products (for example, whey), fresh or dried nettle, dandelion, wood lice. The grain is usually crushed, and a wet mixture is made from the rest of the products.
Laying hens are usually fed 3-4 times a day: in the morning and in the evening with grain, which they eat most readily, and in the afternoon with a wet mixture (1-2 times). Moreover, the latter should not dry out and deteriorate, so it does not need to be done too much (chickens should peck everything in no more than 30 minutes).
Moult
Moulting is a natural process that usually starts with shortening of daylight hours, although it can start at any time of the year. Stress can also trigger the onset of molting. Most birds molt once a year, usually in the fall.
Seasonal molting begins in the second year of life. The formation of a new plumage, like oviposition, requires a significant expenditure of resources from the bird's body. During molting, they usually rush badly, more often the owners complain that they have stopped rushing at all. The change of feather cover lasts about 6-8 weeks.
What should be done during this period? Increase the proportion of feed containing sulfur (clover, peas, cabbage, alfalfa, meat and bone meal). The offensive expression "plucked chicken" refers precisely to the individuals that rush the best. They molt late, in October-November.
In some cases, chickens do not stop laying even during molting. Birds in this case can walk plucked almost until the New Year, not having the strength to form a completely new plumage. But individuals that do not rush well usually look smooth and well-groomed beauties - their molting begins earlier (in July-August), and passes almost imperceptibly.
Ticks and bedbugs feed on blood, attack birds mainly at night, hiding in bedding and crevices during the day. Moreover, they are very stable, capable of long hunger strikes, they can even overwinter in unheated empty chicken coops. They can be brought into the chicken coop with new birds, equipment, on clothes and shoes. In addition, ticks are carried by rodents and wild birds. Litters and feather-eaters feed on feathers and dead skin cells of birds. They are not able to stay in the environment for long and complete their entire life cycle on the same bird.
Infectious diseases that cause poor egg production and even stop laying include, for example, coccidiosis, salmonellosis, staphylococcus, typhoid, pullorosis-typhoid, bird flu, smallpox and others.
Temperature extremes
Too high or low temperatures also have a bad effect on the egg production of the bird. In winter, you need to maintain the temperature in the chicken coop at least 13 ° C. In summer, chickens should be provided with the necessary amount of clean cool water and shaded shelters on the run. During the hot season, you can give the layers more wet food additives (for example, watermelon). On especially hot days, a fan can be placed in the chicken coop.
hatching instinct
When a hen begins to incubate eggs, her hormonal background changes in such a way that laying stops. The hen sits on the nest box all day and night without getting up and steals the eggs of other hens if the opportunity presents itself.
Unwanted incubation is a nuisance, but it is possible to interrupt it and return the hen to lay. To do this, she is put in a special cage with a slatted bottom without bedding. The cage is hung in such a way that the chicken can see other birds. Not finding the usual conditions for incubation, after a few days the chicken begins to lay again.
Chicken age
A hen that does not lay eggs can be either too young or too old. The average age of a bird when it starts laying is 6 months. Some small breeds start laying eggs earlier, and large breeds later. The first year of a chicken's life is the most productive. In subsequent years, egg production will decrease by 15-20% annually compared to the previous year. By the age of five, a hen will only lay about half the number of eggs she laid during her first two years.
A good signal that a young hen is ready to start laying is the bright red color of her comb. The reason for the scallop to acquire a bright color is the need to signal to the rooster that the hen is ready to mate and lay fertilized eggs.
There is another simple test for the readiness of the chicken to lay. Grab the bird firmly and turn it over on its back. Place your fingers on her breastbone and slide down to her belly. You will feel two fused bones. They are called loons. If you can fit just one finger between the pubic bones of the hen, she still has about four weeks left before she starts laying eggs. One and a half fingers means two to three weeks, and two or more fingers indicate that the chicken is ready to lay.
Predators
Another reason you can't find any eggs could be predators. Mice, rats, ferrets steal eggs, so make sure your chicken coop is protected from these intruders. Sometimes an egg eater (or even several) starts up among the laying hens.
Eating masonry by hens usually begins with the fact that the egg is accidentally broken in the nest box and the hen pecks at it. Having tasted a new delicacy, the bird already deliberately pecks at its next egg. Moreover, such wrecking behavior is contagious, so you can soon have a whole company eating products. This behavior should be stopped immediately upon discovery. Look for yolk residue on nesting material and birds' beaks. The following tips may also help:
- Take a small carnation and make two holes in the egg. Then blow out all the contents, emptying the egg. Fill the egg with liquid soap (sometimes it is advised to use liquid mustard). Then place it in the masonry. Chickens, having tried to peck at such an egg, will stumble upon the contents with a disgusting taste and stop doing sabotage. If a method doesn't work on the first try, try it again. By adding bright food coloring to liquid soap, you can also catch the egg eater.
- Increase the amount of protein in the diet - sometimes this is enough
- It is sometimes recommended to darken the nest site with dark curtains. A chicken can't peck at an egg if it can't see it.
- Some farmers advise replacing eggs immediately after laying with tennis balls - the chicken quickly gets tired of pecking at plastic and she weans her bad habit
- Sometimes it is effective to simply remove hay or any substrate from the nest.
Chickens laying eggs in secret places
Sometimes hens lay not in the nest, but in undesirable places, outside the hen house, where they are difficult to find or get. If this is your case, keep the individual locked up for several days so that she settles down in the hen house and begins to rush in the nest box. Fake eggs or tennis balls will make the laying site more attractive.