Why doesn't the chicken lay? Conditions of keeping, feed and methods for increasing the egg production of chickens

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

Today in our country, quite a lot of people are engaged in breeding domestic animals, which include chickens, geese, turkeys, rabbits, nutria. Someone does it for themselves, and for many it is a source of income. In order for animals not to get sick, they need to be given proper care.

Raising egg-laying hens is a very profitable business that can not only provide food, but also bring a steady income. However, such an activity is associated with a large number of problems. The biggest of them is the egg production of chickens. It often happens that a bird shows high productivity, which over time decreases very much for unknown reasons, as a result of which farmers begin not only to earn less, but also incur losses. Therefore, many poultry farmers are wondering why the chicken is not rushing. Let's try to understand this in more detail and find out how we can increase the productivity of laying hens.

Dependence of egg production and conditions of detention

Conditions for keeping livestock is one of the most important aspects in farming. For high productivity of chickens, you needmaintain comfortable living conditions in the poultry house. The thing is that laying hens are sensitive to ambient temperature. The best indicator is 24 degrees Celsius. Even small fluctuations can lead to a decrease in egg production. A striking example of this is the seasonal factor. As statistics show, the productivity of laying hens in winter, spring, summer and autumn is different. Therefore, if you want to build a profitable egg business, then be sure to hang a thermometer in the chicken coop so that you can monitor this and maintain the air temperature at an optimal level. It is worth noting that if the house is cold, then in winter it is recommended to move the layers to a warmer room, and in the hot summer months it should be aired regularly.

The next important criterion is the level of illumination in the room in which the bird is kept. The daylight hours for laying hens should be at least 17 hours per day. And if in the summer there are no problems with this, then what about in the winter, when the sun rises late and sets early? This is where a chicken coop heater comes in handy. Firstly, it will provide the bird with the necessary amount of light, and secondly, it can be used to maintain the optimum temperature in the room. However, it is important to understand here that too bright lights make chickens very aggressive, as a result of which they can start fighting among themselves, so the lamps should be of medium power.

Egg production of chickens may also decrease due to too high accuracybirds. As prescribed by the standards, per 1 sq. m should account for no more than five heads. In addition, there should be the same number of hostesses per perch. If there are more of them, then laying hens can peck eggs from their neighbors.

In addition, it is very important that an aviary for free-range laying hens be attached to the chicken coop, as outdoor walks significantly increase their productivity. If there is no opportunity to build a fence, then it is advisable to let the birds out of the chicken coop at least for a short time. In addition, you need to make sure that there are not too many roosters with laying hens. There must be at least ten females per male.

The last but not least nuance is to protect the eggs from various pests. Rats, martens, ferrets or foxes can get into the chicken coop, who do not mind profiting from tasty treats. In addition, the laying hens themselves, if once they taste the egg, will constantly eat them.

Physiological characteristics and age of laying hens

Chickens start laying eggs around 21-22 weeks of age for laying hens and 7 months for meat breeds. Certain periods depend on the specific type of bird, as well as the diet and conditions of detention. The very first eggs are small in size and weight, but over time, these figures increase. It is also worth understanding that as chickens age, their productivity decreases. The highest egg production is observed during the first three years of life. Therefore, if you notice that old hens do not lay, then there is nothingamazing.

How productive can one chicken be?

As previously mentioned, many factors affect egg production.

Average productivity by breed is as follows:

• meat and domestic chickens can produce up to 200 eggs per year if comfortable conditions are maintained in the house;
• laying hens such as leghorn or brekel breeds can produce up to 300 eggs in 12 months;
• as for meat breeds, they lay no more than a hundred eggs a year, but their dignity lies elsewhere, so it is pointless to expect something more from them.

Because laying hens are most productive during their first three years of life, every farmer should try to make the most of this time. Chickens lay eggs once a day and not every day, and in order to get a stable profit from the farm, it is very important to maintain its productivity at a high level. Periodically, it is necessary to rejuvenate the livestock, and if young hens do not rush, then the reason why this happens should be identified and eliminated.

The main mistakes of novice farmers

As a rule, laying hens do not rush due to the fact that novice poultry farmers make certain mistakes in care and maintenance. In most cases, this happens because of the desire to get the maximum result with the minimum financial investment. The bird is kept in very small rooms, the chicken coop is not equipped with goodlighting, on the farm there is no place for free-range laying hens. All this leads to a severe decrease in productivity.

The placement of perches should be thought out so that the hens are as comfortable as possible to lay eggs, and the clutch does not fall out of the nest. After all, eggs can not only break, but also be tasted by a bird, as a result of which in the future it will no longer be able to stop eating a delicious delicacy.

Another big mistake that lies at the heart of the question of why the chicken is not laid is the inattention of the farmers themselves. Many poultry farmers are constantly transferring chickens to different premises, as a result of which the birds experience stress, which greatly reduces productivity. This also applies to the timely collection of eggs. If there is a clutch in the roost, then the chicken may lay them in a new place, which the farmer will not even know about.

Increased laying anxiety is another factor that significantly reduces egg production. Some poultry farmers do not pay any attention to the habits of laying hens, which may not behave as usual. For example, if they pluck feathers, then this is a clear sign that they have parasites.

In addition to all of the above, for maximum performance, you need to use quality chicken feed, rich in nutrients, vitamins and macronutrients. For the period of molting, which is a seasonal phenomenon, all cereals should be excluded from the bird's diet. This will speed up the processthe formation of a new plumage and the return of the bird to its usual way of life.

Feeding recommendations for laying hens

Laying hens are omnivores, so almost any chicken feed is suitable for them. In addition to the main diet, the bird receives food during free range. As a result, she can overeat, which leads to obesity, which in turn reduces egg production, and can also contribute to various he alth problems. Therefore, farmers must take the feeding of laying hens very seriously and give them food strictly in accordance with the developed regimen.

The number of meals depends on the specific breed, but on average it is 2-3 times a day. In summer, chickens are given fresh grass, which is replaced with hay in winter. Combined feeds can also be used. You can buy them in specialized stores or cook them yourself. In the latter case, it is important to take into account the needs and physiological characteristics of laying hens.

Feeding regime also depends on the age of the bird. Young animals need more nutritious food than adults, because they need energy not only for laying eggs, but also for growth. Seasonal factors also play a role here. Increasing the egg production of chickens in winter is a must if you want to get high productivity. It involves the introduction of combined feeds into the daily diet, which will provide laying hens with the nutrients and macronutrients necessary for their normal growth, development and highproductivity.

A few words about diet

So, chickens are not laying, what should I do? First of all, their diet should be reviewed. This is especially true in cases where laying hens are not released for free range. On the street, the bird finds its own food, so its food is more varied, because there it can find worms or beetles.

But they don’t have such an opportunity in the chicken coop, so it is recommended to give the following products to laying hens:

• corn;
• wheat;
• oats;
• oat bran;
• buckwheat;
• rye;
• millet.

All these crops are an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins. But do not forget that it is impossible to provide chickens with a complete diet with cereal mixtures alone, so they need to be fed with other foods, such as legumes, chalk, s alt. In the summer, you should provide the bird with a sufficient amount of green food, namely grass and foliage. It should make up one fifth of your daily diet. Nettle is an excellent option, as it is high in vitamins A, B, and K, fiber, and ascorbic acid. Also a mandatory product is bone and fish meal. It is considered a good source of calcium, necessary for high egg production. Among garden crops for feeding, you can use turnips, carrots, boiled potatoes, green onions, dill, radishes and lettuce. They contain a large amount of vitamins that laying hens need. If the farmer feeds the bird properly,but domestic chickens do not rush, then it is worth looking for another reason for low productivity. For example, these can be various diseases, which will be discussed later.

Infections and diseases

If ideal conditions for keeping birds have been created in the chicken coop, the room has sufficient area, a lamp for heating the chicken coop and a drinking bowl with clean water has been installed, and a free-range aviary has been built near the building, but the productivity of laying hens is at a very low level, then, perhaps, the livestock was struck by some kind of infection or disease. At the same time, one part of the ailments is quickly cured, while the other can lead to the extinction of the entire livestock. All diseases are divided into two categories - infectious and helminthic.

The first includes:

• pseudoplague;
• pulloroz;
• salmonellosis;
• tuberculosis;
• pox;
• flu.

The second category includes:

• amidostomiasis;
• ascariasis;
• drepanidoteniosis.

Each disease manifests itself in different ways, so it is almost impossible to make an accurate diagnosis on your own. If there is even the slightest suspicion that the bird has an infection, it is recommended to call a veterinarian. He will definitely be able to answer the question of why the chicken does not rush and what disease it suffers from. If a qualified specialist does not inspect the livestock in time, then you can lose the entire livestock altogether.

Basic methods for increasing egg production

Each novice farmer is interested in the answer to the question of what to do tothe chickens were laying. First of all, you need to establish the cause of the decline in egg production so that you can take the necessary measures.

The most common among them are:

• illness;
• bad containment conditions;
• malnutrition;
• laying hens did not have time to adapt to a new place;
• seasonality;
• stock obsolescence.

The productivity of laying hens depends on all these factors. Therefore, in order for egg production to always remain high, it is necessary to provide the bird with proper nutrition, take measures to prevent diseases, and also renew the livestock in a timely manner by purchasing young animals.

Why chickens do not start laying eggs immediately after purchase

So, you bought laying hens, equipped a poultry house with an aviary for them, but several weeks have passed, and the hens are not laying. What to do in this situation? Is it worth it to panic? No action should be taken, but you just need to wait a bit until the bird gets used to the new habitat. During transport, laying hens are exposed to enormous stress, from which they need to move away. On average, the rehabilitation period and getting used to the new conditions of detention takes 2-3 weeks, after which the hens begin to lay eggs.

Conclusion

This article answered the question of why the chicken is not laid. If you follow the tips and recommendations discussed earlier, then even a novice farmer will be able to achieve maximum productivity from laying hens. The main thing is to be serious about yourbusiness, because poultry farming is a very difficult occupation that requires full dedication. Keep the chickens in good conditions, monitor the temperature in the house, provide good nutrition and carefully monitor the he alth of the bird, and you will certainly succeed.