The amazing thing in layers is the ability to lay eggs as
planned, this make farmers feel happy and comfortable. Why? Their birds are
doing excellently well and then they will be in disturbed mind when they are no
more doing well.
They will be moving from one vet to another for solution to tackle this problem, though consulting your vet doctor is not bad, in fact it is very good idea. There are a lot of reasons why this might happen and all cannot be outlined here.
However, some causes are more common
than others and the flock owner should consider these in seeking the solution
to the problem. Today we are going to look at the most common reasons your
chickens have stopped laying.
They will be moving from one vet to another for solution to tackle this problem, though consulting your vet doctor is not bad, in fact it is very good idea. There are a lot of reasons why this might happen and all cannot be outlined here.
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| jaspafarm |
1. New additions to the flock is one of the reason your
So you have definitely not got a
broody hen, but still do not see any eggs. Have you recently moved your
chickens or introduced new chickens into the flock?
Chickens love routine and the slightest disruption to their routine usually results in them going off lay. The most common routine disruption they experience is when they are moved.
This can either be when they are transported to your home after you have bought them, or if you have decided to move their coop. Chances are you bought your chickens as pullets so they were not laying when they arrived at the new location.
But if you have moved their coop they will not be happy with you! Give them a few days to come around and they should start laying again. In addition, if you have just introduced new chickens into the flock this can also disrupt their routine and egg laying.
When new chickens are introduced there tends to be some shoving and jostling for the first few days as they establish the new pecking orders, this may cause your layers laying eggs for few days.
During this time they will not lay eggs but again, after a few days they should start laying again, this is clear enough.
Chickens love routine and the slightest disruption to their routine usually results in them going off lay. The most common routine disruption they experience is when they are moved.
This can either be when they are transported to your home after you have bought them, or if you have decided to move their coop. Chances are you bought your chickens as pullets so they were not laying when they arrived at the new location.
But if you have moved their coop they will not be happy with you! Give them a few days to come around and they should start laying again. In addition, if you have just introduced new chickens into the flock this can also disrupt their routine and egg laying.
When new chickens are introduced there tends to be some shoving and jostling for the first few days as they establish the new pecking orders, this may cause your layers laying eggs for few days.
During this time they will not lay eggs but again, after a few days they should start laying again, this is clear enough.
2. Breeds of hens may result to layers for no more laying eggs
This point is very important and in
many a times are ignore by the farmers. The laying ability depend largely on
the breeds, some breeds lay more eggs, they may lay more than 200 eggs a year
while some lay less than 100 eggs a year.
You can see the different, so before getting your pullet make sure they are the more producing type. Take for instance, breeds such as Rhode Island Reds or Buff Orpingtons can lay more than 200 eggs per year.
Whereas other breeds such as Ameraucanas or Silkies are known to lay less than 100 eggs a year.
You can see the different, so before getting your pullet make sure they are the more producing type. Take for instance, breeds such as Rhode Island Reds or Buff Orpingtons can lay more than 200 eggs per year.
Whereas other breeds such as Ameraucanas or Silkies are known to lay less than 100 eggs a year.
3. Feeding may be the reason your
The average laying hen's skeleton
contains 20g calcium and one egg represents 10% of that. Hens do have calcium
reserves stored up in their bodies, but if they do not get enough calcium from
their food for their egg shells the stores will get depleted very quickly and
they will stop laying.
It is important that laying hens get feed either a proper, balanced layer feed mash or pellets or a good quality all flock feed with a calcium supplement like oyster shell offered free choice. It is best to offer layer food free choice i.e. have the feeders full at all times, to ensure hens get enough food.
Keep in mind that the average hen needs 5 ounces of food and 10 ounces of water to produce 1 egg. Feeding too much treats, table scraps and scratch means the hens will eat less of the food they need, so only feed limited amounts of those.
Overfeeding scraps and scratch can also cause the hens to get too fat. Overweight hens don't lay eggs, therefore avoid this in other not to prevent your layers from no more laying eggs . Hope you are following?
It is important that laying hens get feed either a proper, balanced layer feed mash or pellets or a good quality all flock feed with a calcium supplement like oyster shell offered free choice. It is best to offer layer food free choice i.e. have the feeders full at all times, to ensure hens get enough food.
Keep in mind that the average hen needs 5 ounces of food and 10 ounces of water to produce 1 egg. Feeding too much treats, table scraps and scratch means the hens will eat less of the food they need, so only feed limited amounts of those.
Overfeeding scraps and scratch can also cause the hens to get too fat. Overweight hens don't lay eggs, therefore avoid this in other not to prevent your layers from no more laying eggs . Hope you are following?
4.
Age is another factor we need to
consider why talking about hen laying eggs, are they too young or too old.
Young birds do not have ability to lay more eggs like wise old age hen do not
have power to lay more eggs also.
The production rate increase with increases in age at a certain age and begin to decrease with increase in age. Just study this simple illustration, as your hens get older, they will lay less frequently.
Usually, they lay best during their first and second year, then as they approach three years old, their laying will decrease.
By the time they are about five years old, they will only be laying about half as frequently as they did at their peak.
Raising a new flock every few years is the best way to have an ongoing supply of home grown eggs.
The production rate increase with increases in age at a certain age and begin to decrease with increase in age. Just study this simple illustration, as your hens get older, they will lay less frequently.
Usually, they lay best during their first and second year, then as they approach three years old, their laying will decrease.
By the time they are about five years old, they will only be laying about half as frequently as they did at their peak.
Raising a new flock every few years is the best way to have an ongoing supply of home grown eggs.
5. Layers are no more laying eggs as a result of Illness/ diseases
If not all poultry diseases, many
of them have negative effect on the laying ability of birds in the farm. Often
the birds will show symptoms of illness, but sometimes they will not.
If a disease is suspected, it is important to consult a poultry veterinarian without delay. A timely diagnosis may allow effective treatment for some diseases.
In the case of certain virulent diseases such as highly pathogenic Avian Influenza, a speedy diagnosis may prevent losses of whole flocks in entire regions, and minimize the risk of zootomic transmission of deadly disease from chickens to humans, e.g., bird flu. Internal parasites to look out for are round worms and tape worms.
Deworm the flock every 1 month as a precaution. The withdrawal period for most dewormers are 14 days and the eggs laid during that period should be discarded and should not be incubated.
The residue in the eggs causes severely handicapped chicks and most die shortly after hatching. Diseases that influence egg production are fowl pox, coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease, Avian influenza, chronic respiratory infection, fowl cholera and infectious coryza.
Most of these diseases can be controlled by vaccinating the flock and maintaining good hygiene practices.
If a disease is suspected, it is important to consult a poultry veterinarian without delay. A timely diagnosis may allow effective treatment for some diseases.
In the case of certain virulent diseases such as highly pathogenic Avian Influenza, a speedy diagnosis may prevent losses of whole flocks in entire regions, and minimize the risk of zootomic transmission of deadly disease from chickens to humans, e.g., bird flu. Internal parasites to look out for are round worms and tape worms.
Deworm the flock every 1 month as a precaution. The withdrawal period for most dewormers are 14 days and the eggs laid during that period should be discarded and should not be incubated.
The residue in the eggs causes severely handicapped chicks and most die shortly after hatching. Diseases that influence egg production are fowl pox, coccidiosis, infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease, Avian influenza, chronic respiratory infection, fowl cholera and infectious coryza.
Most of these diseases can be controlled by vaccinating the flock and maintaining good hygiene practices.
6. Layers are no more laying eggs due to Broodiness
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Brooding is the ability of birds to
sit on the eggs for the purpose of hatching the them, which are not allowed in
the farm setting. Some breeds of hens are prone to
become broody.
When this happens, they stop laying eggs. They are more likely to become broody if they are allowed to accumulate more eggs in a nest.
The problem is most prevalent during spring under natural daylight as the hens come into production due to the stimulating effects of increasing day length. To avoid this problem, it is best to pick up eggs at least two time a day to prevent the hen from building a clutch.
Daily egg gathering is also an important practice to preserve the safety and quality of eggs for human consumption. If the housing facilities permit, hens can be moved to different living quarters periodically to disrupt their attachment to specific nesting sites.
When this happens, they stop laying eggs. They are more likely to become broody if they are allowed to accumulate more eggs in a nest.
The problem is most prevalent during spring under natural daylight as the hens come into production due to the stimulating effects of increasing day length. To avoid this problem, it is best to pick up eggs at least two time a day to prevent the hen from building a clutch.
Daily egg gathering is also an important practice to preserve the safety and quality of eggs for human consumption. If the housing facilities permit, hens can be moved to different living quarters periodically to disrupt their attachment to specific nesting sites.
7. Layers are no more laying eggs due to the length of day light
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Nature cannot be change but in some
case can be modify to suite our purpose. Animals are not left out of this
situation, specifically here, layers are animals that react to the changes in
the length of day in which eggs production are require.
For proper production of eggs, they need up to 16 hours a day to be able to produce eggs on regular basis. This is the reason behind high production of eggs in longer day than shorter days.
Now that Spring is approaching, and the days are getting longer, the hens in my home flock have started laying again. During the early part of the winter, they were laying fewer eggs because there were fewer daylight hours.
Commercial egg producers avoid this problem and maintain egg production year round by using artificial lighting to give hens a long day length no matter what the season.
For proper production of eggs, they need up to 16 hours a day to be able to produce eggs on regular basis. This is the reason behind high production of eggs in longer day than shorter days.
Now that Spring is approaching, and the days are getting longer, the hens in my home flock have started laying again. During the early part of the winter, they were laying fewer eggs because there were fewer daylight hours.
Commercial egg producers avoid this problem and maintain egg production year round by using artificial lighting to give hens a long day length no matter what the season.
8. Feed component may be the reason your layers are no more laying eggs
Layer mash is more than just feed, I
mean they are to be feed with balanced diet if you need to get the best from
them.
This is why we need to know the component of feed we give to our birds, you don’t understand, not the quantity that matter now but the quality of what you over them. Layers need a balanced and adequate diet to maintain egg production.
Each egg contains significant amounts of protein and energy, which must first be consumed by the bird as part of its daily food intake. Too little dietary energy or an imbalance of amino acids can cause depressed egg production.
Many backyard flock owners do not realize how much calcium a bird needs. The shell of each egg contains roughly 2 grams of calcium.
Good quality layer feeds have the correct balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium and other minerals. If you feed table scraps or scratch grains to your hens, you should use moderation so as not to upset the balance.
This is why we need to know the component of feed we give to our birds, you don’t understand, not the quantity that matter now but the quality of what you over them. Layers need a balanced and adequate diet to maintain egg production.
Each egg contains significant amounts of protein and energy, which must first be consumed by the bird as part of its daily food intake. Too little dietary energy or an imbalance of amino acids can cause depressed egg production.
Many backyard flock owners do not realize how much calcium a bird needs. The shell of each egg contains roughly 2 grams of calcium.
Good quality layer feeds have the correct balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium and other minerals. If you feed table scraps or scratch grains to your hens, you should use moderation so as not to upset the balance.
9.
Molting is a natural phenomenon in
laying birds, is a process that allow birds to replace old, worn feather by shedding them and
growing new ones.
It is usually triggered by day length, but it can happen any time of the year. A stressful event can trigger it too. Regrowing feathers takes us much of the body's resources as egg laying does, so during a molt most hens will not lay.
A molt usually takes between 2 and 6 months to complete and unfortunately this process cannot be rushed. Some extra protein in their feed will help the hens a lot during this time.
It is usually triggered by day length, but it can happen any time of the year. A stressful event can trigger it too. Regrowing feathers takes us much of the body's resources as egg laying does, so during a molt most hens will not lay.
A molt usually takes between 2 and 6 months to complete and unfortunately this process cannot be rushed. Some extra protein in their feed will help the hens a lot during this time.
10.
Stressed birds either lay very
strange eggs or no eggs at all. A fright, running out of food and water, disruptions
of the pecking order, for instance adding a rooster to the flock and getting
moved to a new coop will all causes stress.
When you buy birds and bring them home to a new coop it could take up to 6 weeks before they start laying again.
When you buy birds and bring them home to a new coop it could take up to 6 weeks before they start laying again.
11. Temperature may be the reason your layers are no more laying eggs
Layers lay best when it is not too
cold or too hot. If possible, keep the temperature in their house above
55° F in the winter. During the summer, provide plenty of shade and cool water.
If you want to get maximum eggs production, make sure the temperature are
within the range require for production of eggs.
12. Some layers are no more laying eggs as a result of egg eating
If you are not getting any eggs,
and you are sure your birds are laying, you might have an egg eater or two in
your flock. Look for signs like yolk smeared on the nest box materials.
13.
Free ranging birds sometimes lay
their eggs in secrets nests / location. So your birds may be laying after all,
but not where you prepared for them to lay.
If this is the case keep them cooped up for a few days so they will learn to use the nest boxes. Use fake eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes will make them more attractive for hens too.
If this is the case keep them cooped up for a few days so they will learn to use the nest boxes. Use fake eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes will make them more attractive for hens too.
14. Layers are no more laying eggs as a result of predator
Predators such as skunks and snakes
will eat eggs. Prevent this by gathering the eggs more frequently, and
improve pens and housing as needed to keep the predators out.
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reading trough.
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