Chickens do not lay eggs well in the fall, what is the reason. What to do if chickens stop laying eggs. Wrong light mode

Raising chickens and obtaining selected egg products from them is a profitable business for yourself. But often farmers are faced with a situation where birds do not lay eggs well or completely stop producing eggs. If this phenomenon is temporary, then there is no need to sound the alarm. In other cases, you need to find out the reasons and try to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Why don't chickens lay eggs? This is what our article is about today.

When forming a flock of laying hens, the owner can acquire modern crosses or prefer unpretentious breeds of poultry with a lower degree of productivity. Conventional breeds are somewhat inferior in comparison with crosses because they consume more feed, breed later, have an egg production rate of no more than 80%, and each hen produces 150–220 eggs annually.

Experts primarily attribute errors in the daily nutritional diet, violation of living conditions, and various diseases affecting the bird as the reasons why any hens have stopped producing eggs. This is followed by the level of light, stress, molting period, temperature fluctuations, brooding instinct, age of the hen, predators and the desire to lay eggs in secret places. Let's look at all the reasons in more detail.

Diet

Poor nutrition can be a compelling reason for a hen to stop producing eggs. The standards for laying hens stipulate the following conditions: a sufficient amount of feed for each head in the herd, a feeding front (so that hens do not compete for feed), good quality food (feeding rotten or old feed is unacceptable), and a protein content of at least 15%.

The feed should include carbohydrates and fats that provide the poultry with enough energy to provide the owner with choice eggs. If any of the conditions are violated, problems arise. The first feeding should not be done later than the lights in the house are turned on in the morning. The second - approximately 8 - 10 hours after the first or 6 hours before bedtime. A drop in productivity is also noted due to lack of fluid.

Conditions of detention

To obtain eggs regularly, it is important to create a normal light regime in the chicken coop. So that the length of the day is from 10 to 12 hours. Otherwise, birds sit a lot, and inactivity negatively affects productivity. Laying hens also need a temperature above 15 degrees Celsius. In this case, they will not waste energy on heating the body, but will direct it to the production of eggs. You should also take care of the correct ventilation system. But drafts should not be allowed in the poultry house. Maintaining cleanliness also has a positive effect on the continued production of quality eggs from chickens.

Diseases

Perhaps the reasons why the chicken stopped laying eggs lie in infectious or non-infectious diseases. Usually, after treatment, chickens recover up to 80% of their original egg production. For example, infectious bronchitis tends to affect the production organs of laying hens at a young age. Further the disease takes chronic form. As a result, many birds cannot lay eggs because they develop pathological changes in the ovaries and oviducts.

In industrial farms, the number of such individuals can reach up to 50% of the entire herd. Non-contagious diseases - peritonitis, ovarianitis, salpingitis - are inflammatory processes that accumulate in the oviducts and ovaries, causing a decrease in productivity or cessation of egg laying. Non-contagious diseases are characterized by either outbreaks or attenuation. Experts believe that the reasons for the appearance are injuries, vitamin deficiency, and unsanitary conditions in the poultry house. Eating moldy food can also cause inflammation.

Other reasons

Other factors why chickens suddenly stopped producing eggs include a violation of the light regime. In nature, birds lay them in the spring and mid-summer, as they lay eggs for reproduction. Most breeds require 14 to 16 hours of daylight when kept indoors, which is not easy to achieve. It is customary to use electric lamps or combine them with daylight. Do not create overly bright lighting.

Stress - lack of food or liquid, moving to a new chicken coop, the appearance of a rooster among the hens - can discourage birds from wanting to lay eggs.

New birds should be purchased so that they begin producing eggs again after 6 weeks. Apple cider vinegar will help your pets cope with stress. It is required to add 20 ml per 1 liter of water every month for at least 1 week.

Molting is a natural process for chickens that usually occurs in the fall. Seasonal molting starts from the 2nd year of life of laying hens. The formation of new plumage requires energy expenditure, so chicken productivity decreases or disappears. Molting lasts from 6 to 8 weeks. At this time, feed containing sulfur should be introduced into the diet - cabbage, peas, clover, alfalfa, meat and bone meal. Experienced poultry farmers advise eliminating grain when molting begins. With the appearance of new plumage, the chickens are again fed abundantly, adding wheat and sprouted oats, and sunflower seeds.

Has a bad effect on egg production and is high or too low temperature. In winter it should not be less than 13 degrees Celsius. In summer, birds require a lot of water and shaded shelters in the walking area. On the hottest days, it is recommended to give, for example, watermelon, and put a fan in the chicken coop. The hormonal background of a bird changes during incubation, so egg laying may stop. To return the hen to laying eggs, you need to put her in a cage with a slatted bottom, where there is no bedding. She is hung so that the hen can see the others. Oviposition usually resumes after a couple of days. The age of the bird also affects egg laying. She begins to lay eggs at 6 months.

The most productive year is 1 year. Further, the degree of productivity decreases annually by 15–20%. By the age of 5, the hen lays no more than half the number of eggs that she laid in the first couple of years. The readiness of the young individual to begin oviposition is indicated by the bright red color of its comb.

A simple test is to turn the bird onto its back and run your fingers from the breast bone down the belly. If you can actually fit a finger between the felt pubic bones, this is a sure sign that after 4 weeks the bird will begin laying its first eggs. Significant damage is caused to egg products by uninvited guests - ferrets, mice, rats who steal. If you stop finding eggs, make sure there are no pests in the coop. Sometimes birds may lay eggs outside the coop or in places other than the nest box. Fake eggs or tennis balls will make the box more attractive for laying hens.

Solution methods

It is clear what to do if vitamin deficiency or mineral deficiency is confirmed in poultry. It is necessary to review the daily nutritional diet and purchase special supplements. Vegetables and greens should be important components of feeding. When stressed, birds need time to adapt to the new proposed conditions.

Feeding with vitamins and herbs will not hurt either. The hens usually get used to the new member of the flock after a week. The optimal temperature in the poultry house should be maintained - within 15 - 23 degrees. IN winter period the room needs to be insulated or think about a heating system.

In summer, birds should consume plenty of fluids and walk in the shade. To identify the causes of decreased productivity or its complete absence It is better to consult a veterinarian.

Video “Do-it-yourself feed for laying hens”

The video tells and shows how to prepare feed for laying hens; what to feed chickens so that they lay eggs well.

When do chickens in their first year of life begin to lay eggs? This question interests many breeders. Pullets lay eggs in at different ages depending on the breed, diet, living conditions. How do you know when laying hens start laying eggs at home? Reviews and advice from experienced breeders will help you find out the answer to this question.

The period when laying hens begin to lay eggs occurs after 5-6 months

When do chickens start laying eggs at home??

Many summer residents and owners country houses prefer domestic eggs. Their quality and taste are significantly superior to those you can buy in the store. Raising chickens for the sake of obtaining delicious meat and eggs - a popular pastime among summer residents.

When pullets begin to lay eggs, novice breeders are interested. However, no one can give an exact answer to this question. This period comes for everyone at their own time. The egg-laying period begins faster in chickens of egg breeds, namely:

1. Hisex.
2. High Line.
3. Isa-Brown.

According to reviews from poultry farmers, chickens of the breeds listed above begin to lay eggs after 4-5 months. During the first few weeks the hen lays eggs. small size and weight. However, after a few weeks the egg becomes larger.

Laying hens of meat and egg breeds begin to lay eggs later, and this period begins after 5-6 months. Maximum egg production occurs at approximately 7 months of life. The most popular chicken meat and egg breeds are considered to be the following:

1. Rhode Island.
2. New Hampshire.
3. Plymouth Rock.
4. Moscow.
5. Kuchinskaya.

Broiler chickens are raised for dietary meat. Broiler hens start laying eggs late. Their egg-laying period begins at approximately 7-8 months of life. Broiler hens cannot lay eggs early due to the characteristics of the reproductive system. According to reviews, if their egg-laying period begins early, this often leads to serious problems, for example, prolapse of the oviduct, which can lead to the death of the bird.

Chickens stopped laying eggs in summer: what to do?

Laying hens have stopped laying eggs, and you don’t know what to do in this case? Quite often it is difficult to identify the problem. The breeder should pay attention to the following possible reasons, namely:

Quite often, hens lay eggs as usual, but one or more chickens begin to eat the eggs. We invite you to read about

Farm animals and birds must be profitable, otherwise there is no point in keeping them, especially since the costs for them are serious. Perhaps this is why the question of why chickens do not lay eggs well in the summer can be considered a pressing one: it is in the warm season that the peak productivity of egg-laying chickens should occur. You should look for reasons in literally all aspects of the life of the poultry house, because only seasonality can explain a sharp decline productivity is not possible.

Seasonal periods and egg production

The change of seasons, temperature fluctuations, all kinds of natural disasters - all this affects the inhabitants of the poultry house in the same way as all other living beings. Why do chickens lay eggs poorly in the summer, since this period should traditionally be the most productive? An abundance of green vitamin feed, a large amount of animal protein, which chickens get by pecking insects, worms and snails - all this should stimulate a sharp increase in the number of eggs collected.

Traditionally, the decrease in the number of eggs begins in late October or early November, when daylight hours are seriously shortened. In summer, on the contrary, there are long daylight hours, so the drop in the “egg harvest” is alarming caring owners and raises a completely legitimate question about the economic feasibility of keeping birds that do not bring the expected profit.

Why chickens don't lay eggs well in summer

The most obvious reason for decreased productivity in the summer is heat. That’s what the villagers say: it’s hot, so the chickens aren’t laying eggs. However, it is worth considering that high temperature itself may not always be a sufficient reason for the sudden cessation of egg production in poultry.

Age parameters of chicken stock

Often the owner of a chicken coop simply forgets about the age of his laying hens. It is quite possible that their productivity peaked last summer and the summer before last, and this year they are already approaching the venerable age when it is worth giving way to young laying hens and retraining themselves into the broth category. The first reason why chickens do not lay eggs in the summer is age, their time is running out, and this is the first signal to the owner that it is time to rejuvenate the poultry house.

But what if the chickens are quite young and fresh, but there are still no eggs? Perhaps it's too early. Why don't chickens lay eggs in summer? They are young, it is still too early for them - hens of egg breeds begin to lay eggs at about the age of 4-4.5 months. If this is a spring brood, then they will lay eggs only in the fall and, most likely, not too actively. Their peak productivity will begin next summer. For chickens of meat-egg breeds, the age at which egg production begins is even later, after about 6 months.

Diseases affecting the cessation of egg production

If chickens stop laying eggs in the summer, what should you do and who should you ask questions about? The owner should pay attention to the physical health of laying hens. An inflamed cloaca, dull eyes, decreased appetite, lethargy - all these are symptoms of the disease, and it is necessary to call a veterinarian. Treat the bird traditional methods, adding to feed medicinal herbs or pouring a spoonful of alcohol into the beak is not forbidden, especially if the loss of a dozen birds will not solve anything. However, it is better to entrust a large farm with a chicken population of several hundred or thousands of birds to the care of qualified veterinarian. He will determine what the birds are sick with and why they stopped laying eggs. It could be pasteurellosis, inflammation of the oviduct, cuticulitis or gout - all chicken diseases inevitably stop egg production, the body is forced to switch to fighting the disease, it has no time for reproduction.

Why chickens don’t lay eggs in the summer heat: how to cool a chicken coop?

Don't discount the banal reason: it's too hot. If the temperature in the shade persistently stays around forty degrees Celsius, then you shouldn’t ask why chickens don’t lay eggs well in the summer—in such heat, let alone lay eggs, you don’t want to breathe. Birds can be helped without installing an air conditioner in the chicken coop.

It is advisable to whitewash the outside of the poultry house, White color pushes away Sun rays. Check the roof of the chicken coop; if it is made of sheet iron, then the effect of overheating of the room cannot be ruled out. Under the iron roof, the temperature in the chicken coop can reach 60 degrees - not a grill, of course, but it significantly worsens the condition of the residents of the premises.

Provide the birds with fresh water, the opportunity to hide in the shade, or hide under bushes in tall grass. The roof of the chicken coop can be watered and covered with straw to create an insulating layer. In addition, in the midst of the summer heat, birds may begin to molt, and changing feathers requires additional effort from the body, the answer to the question of why chickens do not lay eggs in the summer may lie right here - the molting will end, and everything will be restored.

Diet errors

Summer really allows you to save some money on feeding the chicken coop, especially if you give the chickens the opportunity to roam freely. Many owners happily stop feeding their birds grain or mixed feed, and as a result we have a paradox: summer, a time of abundant nutrition, birds on a starvation diet, and then the owner is angry that the chickens have stopped laying eggs in the summer. What to do and how to influence them?

Green mass is not a substitute for grain, it is a vitamin supplement to the regular diet. Of course, you can slightly reduce the share of concentrated feed, especially if you have zucchini, pumpkins and other treats from the garden.

Connoisseurs of exemplary poultry houses may, without knowing it, deprive birds of the ability to digest food. On a mesh or concrete surface, chickens cannot peck at the small pebbles they need to grind food in their stomachs. If you put a bowl with persian, shellfish and small stones, then soon everything will get better, egg production can be restored.

Additional lighting in the coop

In an effort to achieve record productivity, some owners go too far. Of course, in winter, chickens need additional lighting in order to receive a normal number of eggs. But if the lighting is around the clock, then the bird experiences exhaustion of the nervous system, deterioration physical condition. Competent and reasonable alternation of periods of wakefulness and rest is necessary not only for people, but also for birds. So if chickens do not lay eggs in the summer, the reasons may be found in the excessive zeal of the owners - provide the birds with darkness and silence at night, and at the same time you will be able to save on electricity.

How to smooth out the egg production process?

Controlling the diet of birds, taking care of their health and paying attention to their needs is the key to having a sufficient number of eggs on our table. At the same time, of course, we should not forget about the age regime of the chicken coop, promptly discarding old birds that do not earn their keep. Changing the breed can help, especially if for a long time the poultry house was updated only by the natural method, without purchasing fresh individuals from outside. Agriculture- this is first and foremost a business, and it is worth paying attention to all aspects of product production.

Many people do business in breeding various breeds in order to obtain dietary product. And if the chickens stop laying eggs, this will cause great damage to the farm.

Causes of impaired productivity

The main reasons for impaired productivity:

The appearance of the first egg and the stability in obtaining them is the main factor for the farmer. Therefore, it is necessary to study all the main reasons why chickens stopped laying eggs.

Stress

Stress has a negative effect on egg production. The chickens are starting to lay eggs poorly. Stress can include moving to a different house, climate change, lack of water or feed, or the arrival of a new rooster.

Therefore, after purchasing birds, it is important to wait 4-6 weeks. During this time, the stress of moving will pass and everything will get better.

It is more profitable to buy birds in May-June. Then there will be no sudden change in temperature and moving will not cause stress.

Food and diet

For 1 egg, young individuals spend 10% of calcium from their body. Therefore, its internal reserves quickly run out and there is a need to replenish them.

It is an insufficient amount of this substance that can affect the productivity of laying hens.

It is better to feed birds up to 4 times a day. Give grain in the morning, and in the evening a wet mixture based on milk or whey, with the addition of nettle, woodlice, dandelions, sunflower oil and silage.

Shedding

Molting occurs once a year and begins during the autumn cold snap. Young and old individuals gradually lose their feathers and a new cover is formed, the plumage becomes denser and more magnificent.

Ticks and bedbugs are carried by large rodents: mice or rats, from which they fall onto the bedding of birds and then directly infect the flock.

Sometimes infection with viruses or bacteria occurs, after which infectious diseases arise, causing poor egg production. Such diseases include:

• coccidosis;
• bird flu;
• smallpox;
• salmonellosis;
• staphylococcus;
• and etc.

Temperature

Temperature is of no small importance for the productivity of laying hens. In winter, the temperature in the poultry house should not fall below 13°C, and in summer it should not rise above 27°C.

Otherwise, the hens become lethargic, lose their appetite, lose weight and do not lay eggs.

Hatching instinct

Not all chickens have maternal instinct in the form necessary for breeding.

If incubation lasts all day, then this is undesirable for obtaining good eggs. This process can and should be interrupted.

To do this, the cage is made with a lattice bottom. Do not put bedding in it so that the chicken will not be comfortable hatching. Birds lay eggs, but do not hatch their offspring in such conditions.

Bird age

They lay eggs from 4-6 months of life. The first year is the most productive. Then productivity drops by 15-20% every year.

Some breeders, in order to extend the productive age of birds, give them special vaccinations (preferably in the spring).

Readiness for laying is determined visually. The chicken's comb becomes bright, the pubic bones are located at a distance of 2 fingers from each other.

Predators

Rodent infestations are common in spring and fall. They are especially dangerous. Mice, rats and ferrets often steal and eat eggs. Sometimes the hens themselves peck at the shell and eat the inside. Especially if the surface is damaged or cracked for any reason.

Once they have tasted such a delicacy, they will continue to peck at their own clutches. To prevent the mass destruction of products, do the following. Make holes in one egg on both sides, fill it with liquid soap and put it in the nest. The birds will peck at it, feel how unpalatable it is and will no longer peck at the rest.

Seasonal factors

Natural, seasonal factors play a role in obtaining eggs.

Better egg production is due to natural instinct. In the warm season, summer and spring, favorable weather conditions, good food and green feed make it possible for laying hens to feed greatest number expected product. The normal process is due to long daylight hours, which lasts up to 16 hours.

In October it gets dark quickly, the days are shortened, and to prevent productivity from decreasing, it is important to install artificial lighting in the room using electric lamps. So the product will be best quality and in large quantities.

To prevent the birds’ internal rhythm of life from being disrupted, it is better not to extend daylight hours beyond 14-16 hours.

The masonry is out of place

Outside the chicken coop, hens sometimes lay their eggs. This occurs due to their eccentric nature or in search better conditions, when the season changes. This happens more often when birds are free-range, in spring or summer.

In this case, it seems that the laying hens have completely stopped producing eggs. It is necessary to keep her indoors for several days to test the accuracy of the theory, while at the same time placing tennis balls in the nest so that she quickly settles into the coop.

How to increase productivity

To increase productivity and avoid the problem of low egg production, it is important to carry out preventive measures, which include:

• increase in protein in feed in autumn;
• increase in calcium in feed;
• clean and wash the room more often;
• change litter regularly;
• monitor the water regime and the purity of drinking water;
• provide a comfortable temperature;
• conduct a herd walk on fresh air in an open enclosure or pasture.

If the bird stops producing due to stress, apple cider vinegar is sometimes added to the feed: 20 ml per 1 liter of water (30-35 days).

It is important that laying hens always have access to a source of calcium in the form of crushed shells, chalk, clams, etc.

You can add fertilizer to the feed from the store.

During molting in the fall, birds need special attention and the right food, which will contain a lot of sulfur. To do this, alfalfa, cabbage, bone meal, etc. are mixed into the feed. It is better to completely eliminate grain during this period. Without it, laying hens will begin to produce the product faster.

Why did laying hens stop laying eggs?

Conclusion

To keep the bird healthy and profitable, you will have to make an effort. Egg production is influenced by many factors, by becoming familiar with which you can speed up the process of obtaining eggs.

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

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

Lighting

Changing daylight hours or improperly organized artificial light can lead to an imbalance in the bird’s body, which will affect its egg production and egg quality. For normal well-being, a chicken needs to be provided with 12 to 15 hours of daylight. And since in winter you can’t get required quantity light during the day using the sun, so it is recommended to install lamps with warm white or dim red light. If the bird is indoors without walking, then the lighting should be strictly adjusted according to the clock.

Temperature

If the coop is too cold or too hot, the number of eggs produced from hens will be greatly reduced, and winter time It is dangerous because the chickens may freeze. The temperature of chickens is an important factor affecting egg production. The optimal air temperature is from 12 to 18 degrees Celsius.

If you want to get eggs from laying hens all year round, then in winter it is necessary to install additional heating in the chicken coop and make sure that there are no drafts, and in summer the room with nests should be well ventilated every day.

Air humidity

If a chicken is kept in a room with very dry air, this will affect its feathers and various types of dermatitis may develop. High humidity bad too. To prevent poultry health problems, you need to regularly ventilate chicken coops, avoiding drafts.

Stressful situations

The stress associated with changing habitat disappears in about one to two weeks. If after this the bird does not become infected, the problem should be looked for in something else: housing conditions, nutritional value of food, safety of the nest location, health problems. Stress can be caused by a number of reasons:

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

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

Nutrition

Proper nutrition is the key to obtaining a good volume of eggs from laying hens. You cannot 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 mash, daily;
• availability of sufficient quantity clean water in drinking bowls throughout the day, especially in summer;
• strict adherence to feeding standards for laying hens.

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

Seasonal changes

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

Age-related changes

To understand why chickens do not lay eggs, it is necessary to take into account their age. If the chicken is a pullet, that is, 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, is experiencing stress due to a change of place of residence, is getting used to new food, etc.

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

Breed

There are many breeds of chickens. Some of them rush every day, while others do not.

Hatching instinct

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

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

1. The chicken is placed there and placed in a place where other birds can freely roam, providing it with sufficient food and water.
2. After 2-3 days, the rooster is placed in the same cage for a day or two.
3. After this period, in the evening, the birds are released to the others.

If this procedure does not help, then it should be repeated, extending the time the hen is kept locked.

When the hen returns to the rest, she will regain her ability to lay eggs within two weeks.

Improving 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 well or stop laying eggs altogether:

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

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