How many years do laying hens lay?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

One of the most common areas of the agricultural sector is the breeding of chickens in order to obtain eggs. However, the profitability of this type of activity depends on many factors that farmers must consider. The most important aspect is the choice of a good breed of poultry with high egg production. To date, breeders have bred a huge number of types of chickens with different characteristics. To choose the most suitable one, you need to have an idea of how many years the chicken has been well laid, as well as on what factors its productivity depends. All these aspects will be discussed in this article.

At what age do chickens start laying?

So what do you need to know about this? In the wild, egg-laying in birds begins at the age of six months, however, thanks to numerous experiments, breeders managed to develop special breeds in which puberty occurs at 4-5 months. Among the most famous are the following:

• Leggorn.
• Lomanbrown.
• Dominant.
• Tetra.
• Minorca.

In one year they produce about 200-300 eggs. However, here many novice farmers will have a completely logical question about how many years chickens have been laying. It is very difficult to answer it unambiguously, since everything here depends on a number of criteria. They will be discussed in more detail below.

What determines egg production?

Let's take a closer look at this. So, how many years do chickens lay at home? As statistics show, the average productivity of a bird is from 7 to 10 years. But, as mentioned earlier, it all depends on a number of factors. The key ones are:

• features of a particular breed;
• food quality;
• containment conditions;
• presence of parasites and any diseases;
• stress.

The presence of any of the above factors may delay the start of lay. In addition, when answering the question of how many years chickens live and lay, it should be noted that the bird spends about 40 percent of the energy received from food on laying eggs, so it is very important to provide them with a high-quality, complete and balanced diet so that the chickens get everything they need. important vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

How many days does egg laying last in a year

What do you need to know about this? This question is no less important than how many years hens lay, since productivitydirectly affects the payback and profitability of the business. It is largely influenced by what breed the bird belongs to. For example, egg-laying ones can bring up to 300 eggs per year, while for meat ones this figure is almost 3 times lower. This difference is due to the fact that the former rush throughout the year, and the latter every 2-3 days. However, it is important to understand that it is very difficult to achieve such indicators at home. Industrial enterprises strictly observe the technological process, and also have all the necessary equipment and qualified specialists.

Egg Capacity Duration

Here, in fact, we have come to the answer to one of the most important questions regarding the breeding of poultry, namely how many years hens lay. According to experts, in the body of animals there is a large supply of eggs, which are more than enough for more than 10 years. However, in practice, not everything works out as many expect. The thing is that the life expectancy of chickens in practice is only 2-5 years. During this period, the productivity of individuals decreases significantly, and the meat becomes very coarse, so the vast majority of farmers completely change their livestock 3-4 years after it has been bred.

Most Productive Breeds

Most beginner poultry farmers who are interested in how many years laying hens lay at home are very careful in choosing feed and creating everything necessary for keeping birds. However, theyinsufficient attention is paid to the choice of specific breeds, which is a very big mistake. They try to reduce the initial investment to start the farm, so they usually buy not very productive chickens. Experts say that the best breeds are:

• Leggorn.
• Tetra.
• Minorca.
• Orlovskaya.
• Plymouth Rock.
• Rhode Island.

The first three belong to the egg-laying group and give the largest number of eggs. On average, every 12 months you can get about 250-300 pieces. However, it is important to bear in mind that every year the indicator will decrease by approximately 15 percent, even with strict adherence to the entire breeding technology. As for the last three breeds, they are meat and egg breeds. They are valued for their versatility, as they not only produce a lot of eggs, but also quickly gain weight. In addition, the advantage of these chickens is that their productivity practically does not decrease for several years until they are slaughtered for meat.

Bird culling

Let's take a closer look at this aspect. Above, it was described in detail about how many years laying hens lay, as well as what factors affect egg production. But there is another important nuance that should be paid attention to when deciding to engage in agricultural business. It's about culling a bird. If the chicken begins to produce few eggs, then its content becomes unprofitable, so the bird is sent for slaughter. Distinguishing a good hen from a bad onepretty simple. To do this, you just need to watch your wards every day. Pay attention to the following:

• appearance;
• completeness;
• laying time.

Significant grounds for culling are such signs and changes:

• dirty plumage, which is evidence of an infectious disease;
• curved keel;
• bald patches that occur with a lack of vitamins and minerals;
• strong underweight or, conversely, an overabundance of body weight;
• sluggish state;
• laying eggs at different times of the day.

Any of the above signs indicates the presence of any problems in the bird. How many years do domestic chickens lay in this case? It is not worth counting on long-term productivity, since agricultural poultry has a low resistance to various diseases and parasites, therefore, when they occur, it not only begins to produce fewer eggs, but can also die quickly. In this case, it is recommended to immediately kill sick individuals. Otherwise, there is a high probability of an epidemic developing and the death of the entire livestock, and, as everyone knows, contaminated products cannot be eaten.

Recommendations for increasing egg production

You already know how many years chickens of various breeds lay. But if you want to get the highest possible income from your farm, this is not enough. In order for egg production to be high and not greatly reduced as the bird ages, it is necessary to performsome measures. Experts recommend following the rules:

• in the cold season, when the duration of the free range of birds is reduced, it is necessary to equip artificial lighting in the chicken coop;
• The poultry house must be well insulated, because drafts not only negatively affect productivity, but can also cause the development of various diseases;
• to increase the energy value of the feed, yeast should be added to it.

Farmers should pay special attention to the quality of chicken nutrition. Egg production is highly dependent on the amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals consumed, so the bird's diet must be balanced. Don't skimp on feed and buy cheap, low quality mixes.

Chicken broken brown

This breed is the most popular among farmers around the world. This is due to the fact that it has many advantages, among which the main ones are the following:

• rapid puberty;
• unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention and feed;
• high egg production;
• eggs of large size and weight.

In addition to all of the above, the bird perfectly adapts to any climatic conditions, so it can be bred throughout our country. A distinctive feature of the breed is its high productivity. Despite the small body weight, puberty of individuals occurs in the sixth month of life. One bird is capable of producing up to 320 eggs per year, each of which weighs about 60-65 grams, which isToday is the highest. The maximum productivity is observed at 3-4 months after puberty, after which it begins to gradually decline. How many years do broken brown chickens lay? As in the case of other breeds, everything here depends on the conditions of detention and the quality of feeding. According to experts, the bird consistently produces a large number of eggs for 4-5 years.

Feedback from farmers about poultry farming

Farming chickens for eggs is a highly profitable occupation that can earn a stable and good income. But, when planning to open your own farm, you should decide in advance on the format of its work and the choice of a specific breed. If you are selling eggs, then you should immediately buy a bird with maximum egg production. In the case of breeding in order to provide your family with food, it is better to stop at meat and egg chickens.

Conclusion

For whatever purpose you raise chickens, do not forget that they need constant care. Non-compliance with the temperature regime, insufficient daylight hours, poor feed quality and many other factors can significantly reduce poultry productivity. Therefore, if you do not want to throw money away, think over and work out all aspects in advance. Only a serious approach will allow you to get the most out of the farm, whether it be money, eggs or meat. Give your chickens proper care and they will thank you for it.